Homeland Is Defended with Beauty! – A New Mural on Belgrade’s Silosi Inspired by Verses from a Poem by Ljubivoje Ršumović

Belgrade, August 23, 2023 – At the initiative of the nonprofit organization Gaia pokret and with the sponsorship of Nelt, Belgrade’s Silosi are adorned with a new large-format mural, an impressive 28 meters high! For the theme of the new artwork in this open-air gallery of sorts, verses from Ljubivoje Ršumović’s poem “Homeland Is Defended with Beauty” were chosen, and Gaia pokret entrusted this important task to our muralist Luka Prstojević, as well as calligrapher and Russian-born artist Viktor Puškarev, for whom this poem was the first he learned in Serbian as a child while staying in our country. Valerija Loginova also worked diligently with them, and all three spent days painting at a dizzying height so that Belgrade would gain a place of everyday reminder of the poem’s powerful patriotic message from our renowned poet.

Homeland Is Defended with Beauty - a new mural on Belgrade’s Silosi:

“By caring for nature, culture, education, interpersonal relationships, and all aspects that make life richer and more valuable, we protect what we call our homeland. Every individual act of kindness, care for our fellow citizens, and every contribution to the community is our interpretation of how to build a strong, harmonious, and prosperous society,” emphasized Ljubivoje Ršumović, the author of the well-known verses, who attended the unveiling of the mural.  

Thanks to the nonprofit organization Gaia pokret, the Silosi have become a true hub of Belgrade’s social life and a magnet for numerous artists, environmentalists, athletes, and scientists, as well as all those who, through their creativity, seek to draw attention to important social issues. The four pillars of the Silosi’ activities are education, art, sport, and environmental protection, and in this zone exhibitions, food and drink festivals, performances for children and adults, educational panels and conferences, craft workshops, yoga classes, bazaars of local products, and a whole range of music and various other events are held regularly.

“Even before the opening, we knew we wanted to paint these very verses on the Silosi and leave them as a message to our entire society, but above all to children, who already remind us every day to return to the path of values from Ršum’s poem. Our beloved poet and the ‘strength of the Silosi’ accepted it with enthusiasm, for which we are endlessly grateful, and in the company Nelt we found great and responsible people who immediately recognized the importance of such a project and supported not only our work, but with this mural also all the generations for whom these verses are intended,” emphasized Anastasija Ćetković, founder of Gaia pokret.

For three decades, Nelt has, with great passion and enthusiasm, promoted and supported the capital’s cultural scene, with a special focus on the artistic potential of young people.  

“The mural dedicated to the poem ‘Homeland Is Defended with Beauty’ very authentically reflects our deep commitment to the values the poem highlights, which in fact should be the foundation of every prosperous society. This artistic expression, whose creation we supported, should be a reminder that education, every act of beauty, every act of honor and responsibility, is the way we defend our present and our future,” said Milica Sočanac on behalf of Nelt.

Strongly committed to family values for three decades, Nelt Grupa has successfully positioned itself as a leader in logistics and distribution in the Adria region. Today it is present in 12 markets across Europe and Africa, bringing together more than 5,500 dedicated professionals, and it bases its success on authenticity, a constant pursuit of excellence, and deep commitment to the community.