24.01.2025.
Media Centre “Odbrana” Day marked
A ceremony to mark Media Centre “Odbrana” Day was held at the Central Military Club in Belgrade today. On that occasion, awards were presented to Media Centre’s closest associates and “Ivan Marinković” Journalism Award was also presented.
Minister of Defence Bratislav Gašić and Chief of the Serbian Armed Forces General Staff Gen. Milan Mojsilović have sent messages to mark Media Centre “Odbrana” Day.Addressing the audience and extending his congratulations, Acting Assistant Minister of Defence for Human Resources Siniša Radović said that in 1879, Lieutenant Colonel Jovan Mišković insisted on starting a military magazine entitled "Ratnik" (Warrior) and said that "a military without a magazine is like a man without the power of speech". In the same year, he added, the first issue of "Ratnik", a magazine dedicated to military sciences, news and literature, was published.
- That is what the Media Centre is celebrating today. Even today, that voice, that speech is noticeable on Odbrana’s pages, but also on other modern media that are the technological achievement of the modern age. This voice can be heard at the promotions of books published by “Vojna knjiga”, at academic conferences held at the Central Military Club, the former Warrior's Home, at exhibition openings held at the Gallery that has existed for more than 70 years. Thanks to your skill, that voice is clear, sharp and easy to read. Today, more than ever, it is important that our voice is heard and understood. Amidst the abundance of information that we are exposed to every day, being visible is not easy, and being persuasive is especially difficult. That is why the Public Relations Department and its subordinate institutions, including Media Centre “Odbrana”, are facing a serious and difficult task - to create, shape and publish quality media content that will inform the public truthfully, timely and completely and promote the values on which our system rests - said Assistant Minister Radović.All other elements of our system, all our members, he said, should identify their roles in that mission and help the people entrusted with the important and sensitive task of managing PR and communications at the Ministry of Defence and the Serbian Armed Forces to do their job more easily and efficiently.
- The history of the written word in the military has always been the history of the time in which it was created. Today we are printing pages for the future. We are leaving our own testimony. Congratulations to you on your efforts. I hope the truth of your words and honest deeds will guide you in the future as well - said Assistant Minister Radović.The director of Media Centre "Odbrana", Colonel Miljan Milkić, Ph.D. said that it was a great honour for him, as an officer and historian, to be head of an institution that has a 146-year-long tradition and is the face of the Ministry of Defence and the Serbian Armed Forces.
- Each year, there are more and more satisfied visitors attending promotions, exhibitions, concerts, film screenings held on our terrace, and panel discussions and lectures. There are more and more readers of Odbrana Magazine and our books, visitors to our website. All of them were reached by the finely honed skills of the members of the Media Centre “Odbrana” - said Colonel Milkić. They are all familiar with the finely honed skill of the members of Media Centre “Odbrana” - said Colonel Milkić and added that Media Centre’s accomplishments are evidenced by major awards such as the Order of Merit, 2nd Class, which, by decree of the President of the Republic of Serbia, was awarded to the Gallery of the Central Military Club, as well as the main award - "Presad mudrosti" at the 59th Niš Book Fair for its entire publishing activity.
This year, the "Ivan Marković” Award, which aims to encourage journalists who report on the activities of the Ministry of Defence and the Serbian Armed Forces to provide quality reporting in the domestic written and electronic media, went to RTS journalist Igor Topalović for a three-minute feature about a Mi-17 helicopter crew of the 890th Mixed Helicopter Squadron, which was broadcast in RTS’s main news programme, Dnevnik 2. The award was presented to him by Assistant Minister Radović.In 2024, Media Centre “Odbrana” closely collaborated with numerous government and cultural institutions, as well as with prominent individuals who significantly contributed to its reputation and success.
Last year, the activities and goals of Media Centre "Odbrana" and the "Dositej Obradović" Endowment coincided, leading up to three important events held at the Central Military Club, which offered much-needed content to the public by reminding them of one of the pillars of Serbian identity. The plaque of the Ministry of Defence was presented to "Dositej Obradović" Endowment by Lt. Col. Aleksandar Petrović, Acting Head of the Public Relations Department.
The plaque for the associate of the year in the publishing activity of the Odbrana Media Center was presented by Goran Janjić, the head of the Department for Publishing Activities, to Branko Bogdanović, whose books contributed to the important recognition "Transplantation of Wisdom", which the Odbrana Media Center received at the Book Fair in Nis.
The Associate of the Year Award - the Plaque of Media Centre “Odbrana” was presented to Branko Bogdanović by the head of the Publishing Department, Goran Janjić. Branko Bogdanović’s made a significant contribution to Media Centre "Obrana" receiving the significant award "Presad mudrosti” at the Niš Book Fair.When it comes to exhibitions, the Associate of the Year Award - the Plaque of Media Centre “Odbrana” went to Adriana Popović for her exhibition entitled “Ishodište”, which was visited by about 13,000 art admirers in the Central Military Club’s Gallery.
The celebration of the Media Centre “Odbrana” Day was attended by Acting Secretary of the Ministry of Defence Nebojša Nikolić, members of the Ministry of Defence and the Serbian Armed Forces and numerous guests.
At today's ceremony, a film about last year’s accomplishments of the MOD's Public Relations Department and its subordinate institutions was shown. The Art Ensemble “Stanislav Binički" performed at the event.
The Media Centre "Odbrana" Day is celebrated in memory of January 24, 1879, when the first issue of the military maganize "Ratnik" was published in Serbia, whose tradition is continued by Odbrana Magazine.
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