Living Pictures of Austro-Hungarian Pula

A song recorded by the newspaper Naša sloga in 1884 evokes the arrival of the first train.

An encounter on the platform opens the day and leads the audience into a world of music and dance.

Pula welcomes its guests and opens the door to a new meeting of cultures.

Verses published in Naša sloga in 1884 revive the story of the railway’s arrival in Pula.

A dance scene transforms the mechanics of an arriving train into a waltz.

Historical figures of the Monarchy step down onto the platform.

The sounds of the Pula Wind Orchestra recreate the atmosphere of the city’s former railway station.

Live storytelling recalls the Austro-Hungarian railway and Pula as a transport centre of the Monarchy.

Two familiar Istrian characters comment on the train’s arrival and the life of the city.

The programme is opened by Ivna Bevanda Strah and Sanja Cinkopan, Director of the Pula Tourist Board, with addresses by representatives of the Istria County and the City of Pula. The Pula Wind Orchestra and a communal dance herald a new beginning.

A panel brings together Paula Preradović, Giuseppina Martinuzzi, Marija Jurić Zagorka and Ivana Brlić-Mažuranić. The discussion explores the position of women, education and emancipation, art and fashion, and humanitarian work.

Alongside the panel, a boudoir presents dresses by costume designer Elica Iljoska. Costumes and rituals evoke women’s everyday life during the Monarchy.

A musical interlude accompanies the stories of prominent women and their era.

The encounter connects historical figures, culture, literature and a contemporary reflection on the position of women.

The programme is supported by H.I.R.H. Archduke Sandor Habsburg-Lothringen, Archduke of Austria, Prince of Tuscany, Royal Prince of Hungary, Croatia and Bohemia.

This initiative grew from a wish to use the stories of women who shaped history to highlight timeless values: women as bearers of life, mothers, educators and builders of the future. Children are our greatest treasure and an investment in a better society, so the panel carries a strong humanitarian message alongside its cultural and educational dimension. Donations are dedicated to children of the Ruža Petrović Community for Children, supporting their upbringing, education and equal opportunities for the future. Visitors support this worthy cause by purchasing a selection of products.

A staged introduction opens the evening programme in the Naval Church.

A chamber concert intertwines flute, tenor, piano and choral voices in the Naval Church.

The official programme of the first day ends as the audience disperses into the Pula night.