“Hymn of the Balkans” — The Cultural and Political Mission of Elodie and Čedomilj Mijatović

May 19, 2026 at 7 PM

The Museum of the Nineties and the music journal New Sound invite you to a lecture by Prof. Dr. Marijana Kokanović Marković (Academy of Arts, University of Novi Sad) dedicated to the forgotten composition Union is Strength (“Hymn of the Balkans”), composed in 1899 by Hungarian composer Kálmán Roth-Rónay to lyrics written by Elodie Mijatović, wife of Serbian diplomat Čedomilj Mijatović.

Created on the occasion of the First Hague Peace Conference in 1899, the composition symbolized the idea of Balkan unity, as well as the cultural and political ties between Serbia and Great Britain, actively promoted by the Mijatović couple.

The lecture will explore the origins of this nearly forgotten work, while also shedding light on the broader diplomatic, cultural, and political activities of Elodie and Čedomilj Mijatović and their role in the international affirmation of Serbia at the end of the 19th century.

As part of the event, the performance of the Balkan National Anthem will be held in the house of the Mijatović couple, on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the building of the house in Kneza Miloša Street.

The composition will be performed by:

• Radoslava Vorgić Žuržovan (soprano)
• Darija Čanji (violin)
• Nevena Sovtić (piano)

An introductory talk on the history of the house will be given by Petar Marković, its current owner.

The number of places is limited.

Tickets at a price of RSD 300 are available at the Museum of the Nineties (Kneza Miloša 3, Belgrade) every day from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. By purchasing each ticket, you help the development of the program in the Museum of the Nineties.