26.01.2023.

Minister Vučević attends St. Sava Day celebration in Kumanovo

Representing the President of the Republic and Supreme Commander of the Serbian Armed Forces Aleksandar Vučić, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Miloš Vučević attended the St. Sava Day celebration - the national holiday of the Serbs living in the Republic of North Macedonia at the Zanaetciski Dom in Kumanovo tonight.

Addressing the gathering, Minister Vučević quoted a Byzantine emperor from the period of early Christianity, who said that "the greatness of a nation is not judged by the number of people or its territory, but by how many saints and servants of God it has produced".

- Saint Sava, who was born as Rastko Nemanjić, the Serbian prince, monk, abbot of the Studenica Monastery, writer, diplomat and the first archbishop of the Serbian Orthodox Church, showed us that faith is above everyone and everything. He, the spiritual leader of our people and the originator of the idea of the Serbian state in religious, literary and intellectual terms, Rastko Nemanjić, later known as Saint Sava, renounced earthly pleasures and all the advantages that the life of a ruler, heir to the throne, could bring him, and chose the path of enlightenment and spirituality that enriched his soul, not knowing, or perhaps knowing, that this journey would bring enormous wealth and well-being to generations of our people, said the Minister of Defence.

According to him, although most celebrated by the church and schools that celebrate him as their saint, St. Sava lives in every Serbian soul "embodying all that is best and most sublime in the Serbian nation." That is why we celebrate St. Sava Day throughout Serbia, Minister Vučević said, but also in other countries where our people proudly live.

- “Svetosavlje” as an idea of enlightenment, harmony and brotherly love is inextricably woven into the Serbian national being. That is why today, every Serb, no matter where they live, proudly says the name of Saint Sava. This great holiday calls us to unity by sending the message that we are one, brothers and sisters, and that we will overcome all difficulties only if we live in peace and harmony, filled with love for both God and each other, preserving, and I say this especially to you, our brothers and sisters living in Macedonia, preserving our language and identity, just as we preserve our country, never forgetting who we are and where we come from, Minister Vučević said.

“Svetosavlje”, he said, is much more than a holiday celebrated once a year.

- We can freely say that “Svetosavlje” is the principle of living that we stick to every day of our lives. One of Saint Sava’s numerous wise thoughts stands out and is perhaps the most accurate description of the essence of the Serbian people, both in the past and in the present times - "we are doomed by fate to be the East in the West and the West in the East, to acknowledge only heavenly Jerusalem beyond us, and here on earth — no one, because we will either be our own or not be at all" - said the Minister of Defence.

There have been many attempts throughout history to break the spirit of the Serbian people, he said.

- One of the most serious ones was the burning of the relics of St. Sava, the Serbian enlightener, on the Vračar plateau more than four centuries ago, by Sinan Pasha who believed that this would blot out the awareness of St. Sava’s greatness and break the Serbian freedom-loving spirit. However, it had the opposite effect. His spirit took root even more strongly and continued to spread to this today when a magnificent building of the Church of Saint Sava stands on the very same Vračar plateau. That defiance and pride in not giving up on ourselves and our own has kept us going in dark times and made us stronger and wiser - said Minister Vučević.

The Minister of Defence also referred to the importance of politics and good relations with neighbours.

- The policy of our country, led by the President of the Republic of Serbia and the Supreme Commander of the Serbian Armed Forces, Aleksandar Vučić, is guided by that principle, propagating the policy of peace and freedom, and stability, and friendly relations with our neighbours that will help us strengthen and progress in all fields with one goal - a better and safer future for our descendants. We are building and will continue to build such relations with our Macedonian friends by strengthening our bilateral relations and promoting cooperation in all fields - Minister Vučević said.

Minister Vučević expressed gratitude to the hosts of the event, saying that they had made us proud.

- We are all part of one national and cultural space of identity, one being, and I ask you to preserve your identity, respecting your country, the Republic of North Macedonia. Love Macedonia as you love Serbia, and love Serbia as you love Macedonia. And just as you speak the Macedonian language, be sure to learn and be proud of the Serbian language, and just as you use the Macedonian Cyrillic alphabet, don't let your children forget the Serbian Cyrillic alphabet. Brothers and sisters, happy St. Sava Day, the feast day of all Serbs - Minister Vučević said.

The mayor of Kumanovo, Maksim Dimitrievski, extended best wishes for St. Sava Day on behalf of his fellow citizens and thanked everyone for attending the celebration. Acting as a delegate of the President of Republika Srpska Milorad Dodik, Radovan Kovačević also addressed the gathering, pointing out the importance of “Svetosavlje” for the Serbian people.

Dramatist Dragoslav Bokan also addressed the guests, telling them about Saint Sava. He said that the path of faith was beyond everyday life, beyond our worries and borders, battles, cowardice and heroism, and that this path of faith ran parallel to history. In his speech, he also referred to the role of a saint in directing our fate.

The Ministry of Defence "Stanislav Binički" Artistic Ensemble gave performance at the event, with soloists Biljana Vasiljević Mitrović and Dragan Milanović, as well as opera singer Oliver Njego.

As part of his visit to Kumanovo, Minister Vučević visited Cultural Club "Srpski Vez" earlier today, and discussed with members of the society the 10th anniversary they are celebrating this year, as well as their plans for the next period. On that occasion, the youngest members of "Srpski Vez" performed a program for St. Sava Day, as well as a selection of dances from the Kumanovo region.