From beauty queen to living symbol – the woman who picked the first apple returns to famous Croatian fest after 58 Years

Mirjana Semeš (née Vernački)

As the 60th anniversary of Vinkovačke Jeseni approaches, a series of stories are emerging about people whose lives have been closely linked to this iconic cultural event.

Some have been part of it from the beginning, others grew up with it, and a few left a mark worth remembering. One such story is that of Mirjana Semeš (née Vernački), a woman whose moment in an orchard in 1968 became part of festival history.

Back in 1968, Mirjana was an 18-year-old girl from Slavonski Brod when she was crowned the most beautiful girl of Đakovački vezovi. It was the first time she had ever worn traditional dress — a century-old bridal costume from Brodski Stupnik. Although she had never worn folk attire before, she was persuaded to give it a try.

“In Đakovo, people were shouting ‘white, white’. Everyone was looking at me and asking about my costume. I had never worn it before, but they encouraged me to take part,” she recalls.

As the chosen beauty queen, Mirjana was invited to Vinkovačke Jeseni to take part in a symbolic moment — to pick the first apple in the Borinci orchard. That moment would go on to become a historic part of the festival.

Founded in 1966, Vinkovačke Jeseni was already taking shape as a major celebration of Slavonian heritage. The first symbolic apple picking took place in 1967 in the town park, where the honour went to Dr Zlatan Sremec. However, the 1968 event in the Borinci orchard — with Mirjana and other girls in traditional dress — laid the foundation for a new tradition that would endure for decades.

“The apple picking became a symbol of Vinkovačke Jeseni, thanks to Borinci, which was once the largest apple plantation in Europe. From 1968 onwards, beauties from Đakovački vezovi, and later from the Mladost i ljepota Slavonije event in Mikanovci, were invited to symbolically pick the first apple in the orchard,” explains Marko Sabljaković, director of the Vinkovci Cultural Centre and artistic director of this year’s opening ceremony.

Today, at the entrance to the orchard, stands a sculpture of an apple by academic painter and scenographer Jozo Mataković. A co-founder of the festival and designer of its crest, Mataković created the sculpture to represent the lasting story of the orchard — a key symbol in this year’s programme.

Mirjana Semeš (née Vernački)

Vinkovačke Jeseni is more than a festival. It lives in the personal stories of the people who have shaped it. For Mirjana, it holds a special place in her heart. Nearly six decades after she picked that first apple, she has returned to the orchard where it all began. Just like then, she feels deeply honoured — her heart beats stronger, and her eyes still shine with Slavonian pride.

“I remember the scent of the orchard, just like that first apple I picked. I handed it to the then director of Borinci, Josip Broz. For an 18-year-old girl, it meant so much. It has stayed with me as one of my most beautiful memories. And even now, the feeling is the same. The excitement is overwhelming,” she says, with tears of joy.

Her photographs were widely shared at the time, featured in calendars of the Vinkovci Tourist Board and used in promotional material for various companies. She became a symbolic face of the festival.

“The Borinci celebration was huge, with many people attending. Among them were Dragutin Karla Žanić and other city leaders. Everyone wanted the story to be told. There was singing and dancing until dawn. I remember arriving home the next morning around 7am,” she adds with a smile.

Mirjana Semeš (née Vernački)

After that year, Mirjana never returned to Borinci — until now. For the 60th Vinkovačke Jeseni, she was invited once again to step among the apple trees. Organisers searched for her for quite some time. Although she followed the event from afar over the years, she physically returned to the orchard only now, 58 years later.

Her return is not just a personal moment, but a reminder of the tradition, pride and emotion that Vinkovačke Jeseni carries with it. Through stories like Mirjana’s, the festival continues to honour the past while celebrating the future of Slavonian culture.