 Mr
Bogdan Nikolic is a returnee to the town of Stolac in
Stolac Municipality. He and his family lived as refugees
in Montenegro during the war. He returned to the family
home together with his wife, his parents and three
children in 2001.
 The picture (see photo
right) shows Mr Nikolic's nephew,
Djordje and his youngest son, Pedja. His daughter,
Romana-Masa, is 11 years old and is learning English at
school.
Mr Nikolic and his father are wrought iron workers by
trade. His father set up a workshop in 1962 and he was
joined by Bogdan who worked with him from 1975. They are
famed in the area for their excellent work.
 Mr Nikolic applied for a grant to restart the family
business in order to secure sufficient income for the
family and to ensure a sustained return. He produces
ornamental metalwork to a very high standard. Each item is
handmade and therefore unique. Here, Mr Nikolic
is demonstrating how a scroll is bent into shape, first by
heating in a kind of open furnace and then hammering on
the anvil.
As his community contribution, Mr Nikolic constructed a
gate and he also repaired old and made new wrought iron
decorative features for the reconstructed mosque in
Stolac.
 Mr Nikolic is very industrious and takes his craft
seriously. Some examples of his work can be seen here.
Early in 2004, Mr Nikolic suffered a setback after
plastic sheeting caught fire in his workshop. Fortunately
the damage was mostly superficial. During our visit, he
explained that he has a full order book and so he has not
suffered financially. With a lick of paint, he announced
with a grin, there would be no trace of the fire in a
couple of weeks.
It is hoped that his return to the town, as well as his
co-operation with the Business Association Prevrednik,
will encourage others, currently displaced and living
elsewhere, to return to Stolac.
Updated June 2004. |
