The opening of the Exhibition “The Cravat Story” and the ceremony of decorating the Peace Monument took place on Monday 23 May 2022 at the United Nations Headquarters on the occasion of the 30
th Anniversary of Croatia’s Accession to the United Nations.
Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Republic of Croatia to the United Nations, H.E. Mr. Ivan Šimonović delivered a speech at the opening of the exhibition after which the guests followed him to the UN garden to take a family photo in front of the Peace Monument – a sculpture by Antun Augstinčić, and Croatia’s gift to the United Nations – decorated with a giant tie for this occasion.
On the Exhibition “The Cravat Story”
In 1630 in Paris, when Croatian soldiers were presented to King Louis the 13
th as glorious warriors among his troops, what caught the King’s fashionable eye was a piece of cloth, which we now call a tie.
The exhibit “The Cravat Story” consists of 17 short narrations that depict the emergence of the tie during the Thirty Years War. As part of their uniform, Croatian Soldiers wore a light fabric knotted scarf around their necks. The Parisians then adopted this Croatian custom as their own fashion detail, wearing neckties
a la croate – the root of the French noun la
cravate. Stemming from the traditional Croatian folk attire, the cravat thus became a civilizational phenomenon. The Exhibition “The Cravat Story” by Academia Cravatica offered a view into this prehistory; aimed at promoting Croatian, as well as world history through the story of the Cravat.
On the Ceremony of Decorating the Peace Monument
In 2003, Croatia – the homeland of the tie – began a symbolic project of decorating monuments and entire buildings by tying a cravat around them for special occasions, a practice now seen as its national signature.
The event of decorating the Peace Monument (Croatia’s gift to the UN) on Monday 23 May 2022 in the UN Garden symbolically marked the 30
th Anniversary of Croatia’s membership in the United Nations. What is more, the Peace Monument, a sculpture of a female equestrian, holding an olive branch in one hand, and a globe in the other – became a UN symbol of peace. But to create lasting peace, we need women’s voices and leadership. The Peace Monument sends this very message to the world – standing as a symbol of the “Women, Peace and Security” agenda, recognizing women as powerful agents of change.
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