A request for the initiation of misdemeanor proceedings has been filed against the artist Andrej Josifovski, better known as Pijanista (The Pianist), because he “used insulating tape and a wooden lath to cover the sword in order to obtain the appearance of a cross” on the monument to Stefan Nemanja in Sava Square. He shared this information on social networks, and as stated in the request, his “move disturbed the public and the peace and tranquility of the citizens.”
The request for the initiation of misdemeanor proceedings only arrived now, several months after the event.
Andrej Josifovski addressed the public on social networks.
“My birthday was yesterday, but congratulations are still arriving today. The competent institutions that the Ministry of Culture appealed to to take all necessary measures so that I would be adequately sanctioned for, for example, ‘using insulating tape and a wooden lath to cover the sword in order to obtain the appearance of a cross, thereby disturbing the public and the peace and tranquility of the citizens’ are finally taking action half a year later,” he wrote.
As stated in the request, he thereby committed an offense under the Law on Public Order and Peace.
Let us recall, Josifovski previously stated for Danas that he had been planning the “radical intervention” for five years.
He turned the sword into a cross by adding a golden lath, which he placed horizontally on the vertically oriented sword, thus returning the cross to Stefan Nemanja, which was originally supposed to be in his hand.
Why the cross was taken from Stefan Nemanja at all and a sword was placed in his hand instead, even though the symbol of Christianity was in the winning design of the competition for this monument, has remained an enigma, just as the cost of the monument is still a mystery, Danas wrote.
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Source: Nova.rs; Photo: Milica Milojević / Danas