07.12.2018.
Exhibition “Far Away 1918–2018” opened at Central Military Club
Envoy of the President of the Republic of Serbia and Supreme Commander of the Serbian Armed Forces, Nikola Selaković, opened the exhibition “Far Away 1918-2018” at the Small Gallery of the Central Military Club in Belgrade on Tuesday evening.
Opening the exhibition, the envoy of the President, Nikola Selaković pointed out that this is a specific exhibition that is the work of people adorned by great enthusiasm, love for the homeland and great respect for the ancestors, thanks to whom we all exist.
- When talking about this memorable time, it is difficult to choose a moment that would stand out in the sea of events that were significant for the history of our people over the period between mid-September and beginning of December 1918. Over this period, in different parts of the Serbian ethnic area, but also in the regions where other Yugoslav peoples lived, decisions were made in which two names, or rather the name of a person and of a place were indispensable – the names of Serbia and of King Petar the First Karađorđević. That was the essence; that and those elements of decisions on unification with Serbia that were introduced by Serbs in the various areas they lived in at the time. On 27 November 1918, the Assembly in Kotor decided to recognize King Petar the First Karađorđević as the sovereign, viz. their ruler – said Selaković, adding that prior to this the ruler of Boka used to be the Austro-Hungarian Emperor Karl von Habsburg, and before him Franz Joseph.Recalling the years of great importance for our people, state and culture, Nikola Selaković pointed to this unique ethnic, historical, cultural and legal vertical which is a characteristic of this area, and also of the people who lived there.
- With tonight’s exhibition we pay our due to the great sons of our nation, who, over a century ago, with the might of their brawn and brains, with the power of their heart and arms, brought freedom to Boka and this part of our coast, the long-desired freedom. The most valuable part of this exhibition is precisely the fact that the names of all these brave heroes who have laid their lives at the altar of their homeland and the altar of the Serbian nation are listed here – emphasized Selaković, giving great recognition to the authors since it is by our own enthusiasm that each of us can contribute to the revival of memory of people who have sacrificed what is most precious and most sacred so that we could live in a better environment today and with more freedom than they themselves had.
Speaking about the significance of the Great War, Selaković insisted that this war invoked the essence of what is the best in Serbian people, adding that this was a war in which no inappropriate thing could be tied to the Serbian soldier, and in which the courage and dignity in martyrdom, but also humanity and human solidarity were exercised, even towards the enemy who lacked those.
According to the historian Aleksandar Raković who talked about the exhibition, two thousand Bokeljs fought in the Army of the Kingdom of Serbia and 500 crossed Albania. They made a great contribution to Serbian liberation and unification, which must not be forgotten, same as the great sacrifices made by all the Serbs from all the regions they inhabited, especially emphasizing the power of the Serbian soldier in the breakthrough of the Macedonian front.
Speaking on behalf of the authors’ team, Gojko Raičević pointed out that the exhibition, which was opened tonight under the umbrella of a larger project “Hundred Years of Pride and Glory”, is an attempt to honor and thank our ancestors for the freedom and dignity they have given us. The form of the exhibition, he added, emanates the spirit of a glorious time for the seafaring Bokeljs.Breathing the spirit of the Serbian people in Montenegro and Serbia at that time, this exhibition unites the elements that are in many ways unique and unusual. In this interesting setting, visitors to the Central Military Club can also see lists of volunteers from Boka, stories about local heroes as well as passages of patriotic songs, authentic photographs, selected testimonies, anecdotes, speeches collected in a kind of almanac “Small Newspapers”, speak about the creativity of our ancestors.
Preserving the memory of the fate and sacrifice of our glorious ancestors, Marko Kenter, Nemanja Kuljača, Marinko Lugonja and Gojko Raičević prepared this exhibition under the auspices of the agency “Tipon” from Belgrade, the Association for cultivating the tradition and culture of the Valjevo region and the IN4S portal.
The exhibition was set up with the blessing of the Bishop of Valjevo, Milutin, on the day of the beginning of the breakthrough of the Macedonian Front – 15 September, and was simultaneously opened in Herceg Novi, Valjevo and North Port in Florida. This is the day of the beginning of the “world tour” of the exhibition visiting the places where our people live. Within the framework of the celebration of the anniversary, 100th anniversary of the victory in the Great War also laid a mark on the official ceremony of the Serbian Flag Raising Day at the White House on 28 July in Washington.The exhibition will be open for all visitors to the Small Gallery of the Central Military Club in Belgrade until December 13, 2018.
