10.11.2016

Exhibition "Field Marshal Petar Bojovic – symbol of glory and honour" in guest appearance in Kragujevac

Exhibition "Field Marshal Petar Bojovic – symbol of glory and honour", which was kept away from the public eye so far, after the opening ceremony in the building of the President of the Republic of Serbia, in mid-September this year, and guest appearances in Belgrade Central Military Club, will be displayed at the Residence of Prince Mihailo of the National Museum in Kragujevac, from now until 30^th November.

After the welcoming address by Nenad Djordjevic, director of the National Museum in Kragujevac and the artistic part of the programme, which included Kragujevac Choral Society and Zdravko Maletić, actor of the Knjaževac Serbian Theatre, the exhibition was officially opened by the President of the Republic of Serbia, Tomislav Nikolić.

President Nikolić assessed that Petar Bojovic was the embodiment of a Serbian soldier, an officer and a parent.

- By the exhibition "Field Marshal Petar Bojovic – symbol of glory and honour", we wish to repay the debt and tell our descendants the story on a unique Serbian officer, President Nikolić added.

Among the many guests from the world of culture and arts, the event was attended by Lieutenant General Jovica Draganic, Deputy Chief of General Staff of the Serbian Armed Forces, Radomir Nikolić, Mayor of Kragujevac, Bishop Jovan of Sumadia, also in charge of the Serbian Armed Forces, Colonel Stevica Karapandžin, Director of Odbrana Media Centre and representatives of the Ministry of Defence and the Serbian Armed Forces.

This is the most complete collection of decorations of any of the four Serbian Field Marshals, and Petar Bojovic was the holder of 25 domestic and 16 foreign decorations. Six of them have not been saved, and four of them are not complete, but even without them this is an exceptional collection.

In this collection, in addition to domestic and international awards that were given to Petar Bojovic by almost all major European countries, there are Karadjordje’s stars with swords of the First Order of 1933. Among the major foreign decorations, there is also the Order of the French Legion of Honour of the first order from 1936.

Besides the medals that Petar Bojovic received from the allied countries in World War I, it is interesting that even before the Great War he was decorated also by the rulers of the countries that will be opponents to Serbia in the period from 1914 to 1918. Thus, as early as in 1884, Austro-Hungarian Emperor Franz Joseph decorated Bojović as a young officer with Knight's Cross of the third order, and in 1904, Bulgarian Prince Ferdinand Coburg awarded him the Order for military merits of the second order.

After Kragujevac, the exhibition will be opened in the military clubs after in bigger cities in Serbia, such as Novi Sad, Nis, Kraljevo ... with a view to, in the years when we mark the age since the Great War, as many citizens as possible get acquainted with the rich historical legacy of ancestors. The coordinator of this project, in addition to the General Secretariat of the President of the Republic of Serbia is Odbrana Media Centre.