The Cultural Sports Center Skenderija was opened on this day in 1969, with a premiere of the film Battle on the Neretva.
On the Day of the former Republic of Yugoslavia, November 29, this then fascinating urban complex was officially opened by the President of Yugoslavia Josip Broz Tito. In addition to Tito and the entire political elite of Yugoslavia, other guests were famous stars such as Milena Dravić, Ljubiša Samardžić, Boris Dvornik, Bata Živojinović, as well as Orson Welles, Yul Brynner, Marija Schell, Silva Koščina, Sergej Bondarčuk, Sophia Loren and Omar Shariff.
The film Battle on the Neretva is one of the historical spectacles, along the Spartak by Kubrick, according to money spent and the number of statists. The film was watched by four million people only in Yugoslavia, and more than 350 million people around the world.
This center soon became the gathering spot for citizens and center of many events. The first sport event – the international championship of Yugoslavia in table tennis – was held that year, and already four years later the World Table Tennis Championship STENS and the Championship of the twelve best table tennis player of Europe were held. Until today, Skenderija hosted countless sports events, including ice skating and ice hockey during the Winter Olympics in Sarajevo in 1984.
Skenderija center is a unique architectural work by architects Živorad Janković, Halid Muhasinović and Ognjen Malkin. In 1969 Skenderija was decorated with the award by the magazine Borba for the best architectural work in Yugoslavia.
In May 1992 the Youth House was set on fire, which caused significant material damage, and it was reconstructed fifteen years later. Roof of the ice hall collapsed in 2012 and has not been repaired since.
(Source: faktor.ba)
