Five years have passed since the devastating earthquake in Petrinja. We mourn all seven victims, whose lives we cannot bring back. The earthquake caused enormous human and material losses, but it was also the moment when the Government of the Republic of Croatia initiated the reconstruction process and assumed full responsibility for the safety and revitalisation of Banovina – Prime Minister Plenković stated today.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister Branko Bačić visited Sisak-Moslavina County for the Petrinja earthquake anniversary. Together with Minister of Health Irena Hrstić, Minister of Science, Education and Youth Radovan Fuchs, representatives of the Ministry of Culture and Media, Deputy County Prefect Mihael Jurić, Mayor of Petrinja Magdalena Komes and Mayor of Sisak Domagoj Orlić, he toured reconstructed buildings in Petrinja and Sisak.
Today the City of Petrinja organised a parade from the Bridge of Volunteers to Croatian Veterans’ Square, where candles were lit and roses laid at the memorial plaque to pay tribute to the victims of the earthquake - thirteen-year-old Laura Cvijić and volunteer Albin Canjar, and all other earthquake victims.
“Today, five years later, it is still a hard day for us. With the help of people, residents of Petrinja, in togetherness and faith, we are managing to get through it. On behalf of my wife and myself, I kindly thank all those present today. We move forward and keep fighting, and with God’s help, we will succeed,” Laura Cvijić’s stepfather Darko Čulig said.
Mayor of Petrinja and Member of Parliament Magdalena Komes said that today, on the fifth anniversary of the Petrinja earthquake, we remember great tragedy and all the lives lost, but also a strong sense of togetherness, solidarity and help that marked the days following the earthquake.
“It is precisely thanks to this energy, kindness and solidarity that a large number of residents of Petrinja remained in their town and tackled the reconstruction challenges,” Komes pointed out. She added that one of the key goals was to encourage people to stay in Petrinja and Sisak-Moslavina County, which was, despite the initial departure of many families, eventually achieved.
The Mayor highlighted that people are gradually returning to Petrinja, which is also confirmed by a larger number of children enrolled in kindergartens and schools. “Multiapartment buildings are being built, some of them have already been completed, some of them are under construction, and I am positive this will make life easier for young families and encourage the arrival of new residents, together with numerous infrastructural projects. The reconstruction restored hope that Petrinja has an opportunity for a better future,” Mayor Komes concluded.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Physical Planning, Construction and State Assets Branko Bačić thanked everyone who helped in this area in the days following the earthquake. “On behalf of the Government of the Republic of Croatia, I would like to thank all those who have demonstrated great Croatian compassion and solidarity, numerous volunteers, thousands of people who immediately arrived to Petrinja and Sisak-Moslavina County to help our fellow citizens whose houses had been destroyed, who had lost their homes, to help put life in order here in Sisak-Moslavina County. To all emergency responders and all those who contributed to normalising life as much as possible in those first days following the earthquake,” Minister Bačić said.
Talking about the reconstruction in Petrinja and Sisak-Moslavina County, Minister Bačić said that a difference can be noted in the organisation of daily life and the reconstruction and revitalisation of the very Sisak-Moslavina County. “We have undertaken numerous activities - we have carried out reconstruction on over 10,000 locations, built 450 replacement family houses, built 45 new multiapartment buildings, increased the housing stock in Sisak-Moslavina County. The entire reconstruction project includes an investment of nearly 1.8 billion euro, which are funds from the European Union and the state budget. We will continue at the same pace. Now, there are 1,200 locations under reconstruction in this county. Almost all public use buildings have been reconstructed,” Minister Bačić said, recalling that the completion of the entire reconstruction process is expected by 2030.
The prayer for earthquake victims was led by Reverend Filip Šabalja, parish priest
in solidum of the Parish of Saint John Paul II and chaplain at the Parish of Saint Lawrence the Martyr.
Minister Bačić, accompanied by the Mayor and associates, also toured a photo exhibition by Damir Senčer called “Captured through the lens of a photographer from the Croatian News Agency”, established at 5 Nazorova Street in Petrinja, which depicts the city immediately after the earthquake on December 29, 2020, and one year later, when the implementation of urgent measures carried out by the Ministry of Culture and Media was recorded. The reconstruction of the building at 5 Nazorova Street was carried out within the framework of the Programme of comprehensive reconstruction of the cultural and historical unit of the City of Petrinja, which entails 26 individually protected buildings damaged by the earthquake.
Its reconstruction is carried out by the City of Petrinja, and the reconstruction is financed through resources from the state budget of the Republic of Croatia via the Ministry of Culture and Media, and in constant cooperation with the Conservation Department in Sisak. A total of ten buildings has been fully reconstructed, while the remaining buildings are in the final stages of reconstruction.
The programme for commemorating the fifth anniversary of the Petrinja earthquake continued with a professional gathering “Earthquake Engineering Days” at Public Open University Croatian Home Petrinja, organised by the University of Zagreb and the Croatian Centre for Earthquake Engineering (HCPI). The participants pointed out that, with great solidarity and expertise of Croatian engineers, the reconstruction has set the foundations for economic and educational revitalisation of earthquake-affected areas. The goal of the reconstruction is not only to rehabilitate buildings, but to encourage residents to stay and to create the conditions for a better life and safer future of Petrinja and Sisak-Moslavina County.
“A large portion of reconstruction has been completed, and not only in terms of restoring the 2020 standard, but most buildings have been improved and modernised. This is a good prerequisite for people to stay in this area, but also for possible return of those who left, and the foundation to, along with revitalisation and infrastructure development - including the highway to Sisak - encourage new families to come here. In addition, the Government’s legal measures ensure further benefits for investors and make the area one of the most favourable areas for investment across the Republic of Croatia. This is precisely why I believe this area has a bright future and that many of our fellow citizens will want to live and work here,” Jurić said.
The Minister concluded the official visit to Petrinja by touring the Youth Centre Laura, which hosts educational and demonstration activities dedicated to crisis situations, safety and knowledge throughout the day, with special emphasis on the youth and in memory of Laura Cvijić, after whom the Youth Centre was named.
In Žažina, a memorial mass was held in memory of Stanko Zec, an organist who died in the Petrinja earthquake. The mass was led by Bishop of Sisak mons. Vlado Košić. On the occasion, a short commemoration was held with a short address, lighting of candles and prayer. This was followed by a visit to the reconstruction works on the Church of St. Nicholas and Vitus in Žažina, whose structural reconstruction is nearing completion.
Exactly at 12:19 at the New Cemetery in Glina, State Secretary Tonči Glavinić, Mayor of the City of Glina Ivan Janković, representatives of HCPI and fellow citizens gathered in prayer to light candles for all Petrinja earthquake victims.
Minister Bačić then visited the Rak family in Sisak, who had moved into their new replacement family home, and, together with Minister Irena Hrstić, he attended Open House Days at the General Hospital Ivo Pedišić.
“Despite the extremely difficult conditions, healthcare in Sisak’s hospital was provided during the very reconstruction process. Today we have a completely reconstructed, modern hospital, and one of the latest completed projects is interventional cardiology, which provides excellent care for urgent, acute and chronic conditions. This achieves the main goal - providing safety to citizens. Health safety is the foundation of regional development and an important factor that encourages people to continue living here,” Minister of Health Irena Hrstić said during today’s tour of the General Hospital Dr. Ivo Pedišić Sisak.
Let us recall, as part of the fifth anniversary of the Petrinja earthquake, the Ministry of Physical Planning, Construction and State Assets, in cooperation with other sectors - including the City of Petrinja, the City of Sisak, the City of Glina, the City of Karlovac, Sisak-Moslavina County and Karlovac County - organised the Open House Day dedicated to post-earthquake reconstruction, offering the citizens the opportunity to view reconstructed public use buildings and attend special programmes.
The Open House Day is held in Sisak-Moslavina County and Karlovac County, as a confirmation that reconstruction does not only imply the reconstruction of buildings, but also the restoration of life, togetherness and hope.
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