Following long-lasting successful cooperation between the City of Rijeka and Erste Bank, with the aim of encouraging cultural and sports events in the city of Rijeka, Erste Bank will support through sponsorships or donations cultural and sports events such as the Rijeka Carnival, the street race Homo si teć (Let’s run), the sailing regatta Fiumanka, the International Small Scenes Theatre Festival and the Water Polo Club Primorje Erste Bank.

Also, this year for the first time Erste Bank will be a sponsor of the Ballet Ensemble of the Croatian National Theatre Ivan Zajc.

Rijeka Mayor Marko Filipović expressed his pleasure for further cooperation with Erste Bank, since the bank is one of the most important partners of the City of Rijeka, not only economically, but also as a partner that supports various cultural and sporting events and sports clubs. “The situation is returning to pre-pandemic life, so this valuable donation will be invested in organising some of the most famous events in Rijeka, and for the activity of sports clubs, and all of them are the distinctive brands of our city. Erste Bank is our strategic and long-term partner that was with us during the implementation of the European Capital of Culture project, and they support us this year when Rijeka holds the title of European City of Sports and I believe that our cooperation will continue successfully in the future, ” said mayor Filipović and took the opportunity to invite all the citizens and visitors to take part in the mentioned events, which will be held mainly in May and June.

Most events will be held in May and June

Christoph Schoefboeck, president of the Management Board of Erste Bank, expressed his satisfaction with further cooperation with the City of Rijeka. “Having operated in Rijeka for many years and having our headquarters here, we feel really a domicile bank and it is important for us to participate not only in the business and economic segments of the city, but also in the cultural, sports and social aspects and we endeavour to invest in accordance with our possibilities. We are a traditional partner of the water polo club Primorje, but we also try to invest in other sports. I am pleased that for the first time this year we cooperate with the ballet ensemble of the Croatian National Theatre Ivan Zajc. Cultural institutions went through a bad patch during the pandemic and this is our way to help them and say that culture is very important for the development of society,” said Schoefboeck.

The signing of the Agreement was also attended by Sandra Krpan, Rijeka deputy mayor, Anton Lucijanović, deputy manager, Department for the Economy, Erste & Steiermärkische bank, Ivan Šarar, head of the Department of Culture, Zdravko Ivanković, head of the Department of Sports and Technical Culture, Petar Škarpa, director of the Rijeka Tourist Board, Dorotea Pešić Bukovac, President of the Rijeka Sports Association, Marin Blažević, head of the Croatian National Theatre Ivan Zajc Maša Kolar, director of the Ballet of the Croatian National Theatre Ivan pl. Zajc, Davor Perović, president of the Organising Committee for Fiumanka, Samir Barać, president of the Water Polo Club “Primorje Erste Bank”, Radovan Šoljaga, member of the Organising Committee for the event “Homo si teć”, Edita Karađole Šegvić, art director of the art organisation HKD Theatre – International Small Scenes Theatre Festival, with their associates.

Erste Bank will support through sponsorships or donations:

The Rijeka Carnival, which long ago went beyond its local boundaries and has become one of the most attractive tourist events.

Homo si teć, the most massive street race in Croatia, which attracts more than 15,000 recreational athletes every year. In addition to the traditional race, the running festival also hosts the Rijeka Half Marathon, the Handy Cup and the Ciciban Cup.

Fiumanka, international sailing event that includes the European Media Regatta, rowing, sup and surf regattas in cooperation with the Rijeka Sports Association, and from this year Student Fiumanka to be co-organised by the University of Rijeka.

International Small Scenes Theatre Festival, which focuses on chamber theatre, smaller theatre forms, “small scenes”, after which the festival got its name.

Water polo club Primorje Erste Bank, which over the years has educated thousands of young people and top athletes.

Ballet ensemble of the Croatian National Theatre Ivan Zajc, that in the past two years has rebranded into a company that is at the level of related European ensembles, motivated by the pursuit of superior ballet form, technique and aesthetics.