16.10.2014.

Military parade "March of the Victorious" held

Today, the military parade on the occasion of marking 100 years since the beginning of the Great War and 70 years since the liberation of the capital in the Second World War began with a 3-volley salute from six artillery pieces.

On this occasion, in honor of all heroes who gave their lives at the altar of their country, with sharp steps of the victorious, over 3,000 soldiers of the Armed Forces of Serbia with around 400 military arms performed a defile in a ceremonial line at Belgrade Usce at the Palace of Serbia.

The ceremony was attended by Tomislav Nikolic, President of the Republic of Serbia and The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Serbia; President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin, Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic, President of the Republika Srpska Milorad Dodik, Minister of Defence Bratislav Gasic, Head of the Serbian General Staff General Ljubisa Dikovic, officials of legislative, executive and judiciary governance, diplomatic corps accredited to our country, higher delegations of countries that participated in the liberation of Belgrade, international guests, representatives of religious communities, veterans, heroes of battles for liberation of Belgrade and numerous citizens.

According to President Tomislav Nikolic, the history of the Serbian Armed Forces is a history of liberation wars, a liberation force, an epopee of sacrificing for the salvation of the state and its people, of other countries and peoples, and while he was defending his home, the Serbian soldier was defending the east, the west, the north and the south, weakening and stopping those of great power.

- Our citizens have always been proud of their military. Not only because it comes from the people, because it has been and remained national, but also because it has never in centuries of its history led wars of conquering, and because, with the heroism of our ancestors, glorious victories in both world wars, it inscribes its name in the world history always being on the side of the righteous and the victorious – President Nikolic stressed.

As he pointed out, with today’s military parade, we salute the modern Serbian soldier who marches on proud of the legacy of his ancestors, prepared to defend his own, devoted to the mission of stability in the nation and the world, to peace in Europe and the world. As he stated, this is an opportunity for all of us to salute the officers who inherited their uniforms and pride from Milunka Savic, Sturm, Kosta Vojinovic, Misic, Putnik, Stepa, Petar Bojovic, Koca Popovic, and who trained for battle on Cer, Kolubara, Thessaloniki and and Sremski Front, Sutjeska, Kosare; in battles for defence and liberation of Belgrade.

- We are saluting the Armed Forces of Serbia that is among the first institutions that have gained most trust among our citizens, because it watches daily over the sleep of our children and the fate of our people, be it in peacetime or wartime. Today’s parade is a ceremonial and extremely important moment, the proof of readiness of the Armed Forces of Serbia, and of unity of the military and its citizens – President Nikolic stated, adding that today’s parade also showcased products of the Serbian military industry, Serbian knowledge and affirmed technology, which, in their quality, are a match to those coming from most developed countries.

Addressing President Putin, President of Serbia stated that the greatness and true kindness of a man and people are showcased in the way they treat those weaker than themselves, those to whom they do not have to be good or devoted, to whom they do not have to help, but help them always, selflessly and honestly.

- Not once in its history, Serbia – a small Slavic country, has had the great, heroic and humane Russian help that you have given us without considering consequences to your state and people – President Nikolic stressed, adding that the monument to the Russian Czar Nikola II Romanov, who saved the Serbian military and the refugees from destruction by his ultimatum to the Allies, will soon be revealed in Belgrade.

President reminded of the help that Russia sent to Serbia during the Great War in soldiers and means, and of 30,000 Russian soldiers who fought shoulder to shoulder with Serbian and allied soldiers at the Thessaloniki Front.

- Serbia is covered in mass tombs, bone houses and cemeteries as remnants of the horrific losses of Russian soldiers on the Serbian ground. The ground that is soaked in common sweat is also common ground; the ground soaked in common blood of its defenders is a sanctity for their descendants – President of the Republic of Serbia stressed, stating that the two countries are bound by origin, language, traditions, religion, history, culture, liberation spirit and heroic pride, mass tombs and nameless graves, orphans and wives left behind, young lives ended, lost generations that remember our common battles.

As President Nikolic reminded, in the Second World War as well, the partisans and soldiers of the Red Army liberated Belgrade together in their victorious march, and as they fought side by side, so they share the tombs today at the Cemetery of the Liberators of Belgrade.

- On behalf of all citizens of Serbia, today, I presented the highest order to the President of the Russian Federation – First Class Order of the Republic of Serbia. Dear Vladimir Putin, the highest order of the Republic of Serbia, only awarded to you, is cast of the blood and tears of our suffering people, coined of the weapons carried by the Serbian soldiers in wars. Wear it as a token of my country’s gratitude for every soldier of your country that came back to Russia from Serbia after the First and Second World War, or, sadly, stayed with us forever – President Nikolic stressed, expressing his wish for our mutual glorious history to remain the lasting and unbreakable bond of brotherhood, of the friendship that has always been, is and will be the pride of our countries and peoples.

He also added that the presence of the Russian President Putin at today’s military parade of the Armed Forces of Serbia, the first after almost 30 years, is a great honor and the symbol of our mutual glorious past, present and future, and the memory of the victories and the heroes to whom members of the Armed Forces of Serbia dedicate today their victorious march.

Greeting the President of Serbia, the Prime Minister, veterans and participants of the parade, President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin said, among the rest, that he was glad to attend the parade at the place where, seventy years earlier, Soviet soldiers liberated Belgrade and broke the Fascist offence together with soldiers of the National Liberation Army.

- The Belgrade Operation, during which a powerful formation of the German military was destroyed, became an important stage on the path towards mutual victory. Our people together led the long, persistent and bloody fight against the Nazis. Still, the Soviet Union and Yugoslavia led the unbreakable liberation battle together. The main strike of Hitler’s destruction was at the East Front, but a great contribution to the mutual battle against the Nazis was given by the Partisan resistance in the Balkans. The Partisans tied ten Hitler’s divisions; they didn’t let that army to head for the Soviet Union and its cities Stalingrad and Kursk, and thus greatly contributed to the Allied victory in the Second World War. The enemy was broken. We all know that the Soviet Union had the leading role in defeating Fascism, but we have never divided the victory to ours and someone else’s, and we will always remember the help of our Allies in the anti-Hitler Coalition and the Resistance – President Putin said.

- On this anniversary of the liberation of Belgrade, we pay our respects to everyone who fought against Nazism in the Second World War. Dear friends, our fathers and grandfathers fought for the righteous thing. Their courage knew no boundaries; their will and combat brotherhood could not be defeated. The strength of their spirit overcame it all. Today, at this parade, we together remember their heroism and express our gratitude to our veterans, dedicated to be worthy of their victory and their glory. Next year, on May 9, we will together mark 70 years since the great victory in the Second World War. We have paid a great and heavy price, and it is our common duty to remember the victory of the Second World War and to oppose attempts of heroization of the Nazis and their partners; to make great efforts in developing an atmosphere of trust and mutual understanding in our continent. With all our hearts, we congratulate you on the anniversary of the liberation of Belgrade – Vladimir Putin said.

The ceremonial defile of echelons of the Serbian military began with the report of Head of the Serbian General Staff General Ljubisa Dikovic to President Nikolic, after which parachutists of the 63rd Parachuting Battalion covered the sky over Usce. 30 of them jumped from a 1,800 meter height, carrying the flags of Serbia and the Armed Forces of Serbia.

Joint military orchestra, with the sounds of the parade march by Stanislav Binicki, played the rhythm for the infantry and motorized echelons, and the echelon of the Riverine Flotilla sailed up the Danube ceremonially towards the main grandstand.

Several times, a part of the Air Defence flew over the ceremonial defile with several dozen aircrafts, and the first flight was composed of the sub-echelon of interceptor fighter aircrafts MiG 29, MiG 21 and several fighter aircrafts “Orao”. The MiG 29 was piloted by Major Ranko Zivak, Air Force and Air Defence Commander.

A unanimous stomping of steps marked the arrival of the infantry echelon composed of 11 sub-echelons, of 180 soldiers, officers and noncommissioned officers each that stomped with firm marching steps. The sub-echelon of military flags was the first, and cadets of the Military Academy ceremonially carried replicas of regiment flags from the Great War, flags of units of the National Liberation Army of Yugoslavia and military flags of units of the Armed Forces of Serbia.

The end of defile of the infantry echelons was marked with a close-drill of the Guard, followed with the sounds of the march “Oprastanje slovenske zene” by composer Vasilij Agapkin who dedicated it to the Serbian women who escorted their husbands to the Balkan Wars.

Manning of the rails of members of the Riverine Flotilla started the water defile which presented to the citizens and guests of the parade the vessels from its formation. Along the right bank of the Danube, unanimously with the infantry echelon, river patrol crafts, river minesweepers and armed landing crafts appeared in turns.

The deafening thunder at Belgrade Usce marked that the motorized echelon of the Armed Forces of Serbia was coming down Nikola Tesla Boulevard, with 12 sub-echelons of the systems used by our Armed Forces, and one sub-echelon of means currently in development at the Military Technical Institute and the public company Yugoimport-SDPR.

Eyes of the youngest visitors were gazing at tanks, amphibian and missile systems, whose defile was followed with particular attention, while the flight of the second sub-echelon of the Air Forces, jet planes G-4 “Super Galeb” and training planes “Lasta”, constructed and manufactured in Serbia, drew looks of all visitors.

For connoisseurs of military technics, a truly wonderful sight was seeing the sub-echelon of means currently developed by the MTI and Jugoimport Company, including the multipurpose armored vehicle “Lazar 1 and 2”, multipurpose missile launcher “Morava”, self-propelled howitzers 122mm “Soko” and “Sora” and tactical drone “Pegaz”.

The third sub-echelon of the Air Force stormed across the sky over the capital, composed of groups of three helicopters, one multipurpose and two helicopters of general purpose: Mi-8 and Mi-17 aircrafts and “Gazela” armed with “Malyutka” missiles.

The last flight of the Air Force echelon of the Armed Forces of Serbia over Nikola Tesla Boulevard was an overture for the performance of acro group of the Air Defence of Russia “Strizi” led by Lieutenant Colonel Sergei Osjajkin, Deputy Commander of the acro group.

The audience was left breathless by the complete acro group of five aircrafts, and then by the solo performance of MiG-29 aircraft that tore the sky over Belgrade, taking turns in formations for which “Strizi” are well known across the world.