The Croatian actor, Relja Bašić, was born in Zagreb and has completed most of his studies at the Academy of Dramatic Art.

As an actor fluent in five foreign languages, he played leading roles in over 3.000 theatre performances and featured in as many as 120 films and television series, both at home and abroad. He has also directed numerous plays and won several awards, including the Croatian Theatre Award and the European Circle Prize award in 2001.

After fifty years working as an actor, director and artistic manager, Relja Bašić emerged as an outstanding individual, passionate about the well-being of humanity and of the Croatian people and culture. He believed that the present role of theatre was to bring people closer together. He considered theatre to be like a temple in which we are all equal, and hoped to use his talent to demonstrate this.

In becoming a UNESCO Artist for Peace, Relja Bašić was committed to cultural diversity, intercultural dialogue, art and creativity. He was also committed to high goals relating to international political priorities, particularly in the post-transitional countries of South-East Europe (S.E.E.).