24.03.2017
The Memorial to Serbian Mothers Unveiled
The President of the Republic of Serbia, Tomislav Nikolić unveiled today, a bronze memorial on the building of the Central Club of the Serbian Armed Forces, dedicated to Serbian mothers.The work of a sculptor Mirko Mrkić Ostroški, the bronze memorial “To Serbian Mothers”, features the faces of notable mothers taken as symbols of all the women who, as our famous man of literature Milovan Vitezović says “watching over the cribs, watched over the destiny of the nation”. The donor of the bronze casting, which is from this day embellishing the capital’s cultural monument, is Momčilo Moša Todorović with his family.
President Nikolić addressed the present as well as the Director of the Media Centre “Odbrana”, Colonel Stevica Karapandžin.
President Nikolić reminded that on that day, eighteen years before, “the first bombs fell on a sovereign state which was, as always throughout its history, forced to defend what it rightfully owned”.- But as of today, this date will also be remembered as a day when here, on the edifice built by voluntary donations of Serbian soldiers and officers of the Balkans’ and the First World War, memorial plaque to Serbian mothers was revealed. We will never thank enough, or repay enough the brave, spirited women who wrote the history of Serbia the way only a mother can. The providers and warriors, guardians and heroines, the mothers are unavoidable part of the historical story about suffering, victory and exaltation of Serbia through its entire past- Nikolić said.
The Serbian President stated that the memorial plaque should be „a symbol of our gratitude to mothers who have been giving birth for thousands of years to statesmen and heroes, bread-winners and victorious warriors, the women who led the country when there was no one to do so, who saved their own and somebody else’s children, who were warriors and heroines, but who were, first of all and always, mothers who saved their home, Serbia and life”.
Colonel Karapandžin pointed out that by unveiling the memorial to Serbian mothers we pay tribute to all our mothers, who have made a glorious sacrifice through entire history.
- To mothers who saw off and patiently waited their sons and daughters as well, many of whom did not see them returning, to mothers who fought shoulder to shoulder, bravely carrying both children and arms, to mothers of our warriors. If it had not been for those mothers, who had their children imbibe the faith and love for the homeland, never straying from honourable, righteous and heroic principles, ready to protect their hearths and homes, pride, truth and honour of their own and of their families, there would have been no warriors’ feats and heroism of their children” said the Director of the Media Centre “Odbrana”.
The relief composition of the memorial to Serbian mothers consists of a cross with helo. In the centre, there is the portrait of Soka Lolić, mother of Lieutenant Colonel Živadin, who remained in Kajmakčalan. Inside the helo the images of mothers go one after another, from the mother of Saint Sava- Reverend Anastasija, Princess Milica – Reverend Evgenija, Angelina Branković, Makrena Spasojević, whose son Marinko remained in ravines of Albania, Milunka Savić and Dijana Budisavljević, who saved more than 15,000 children from Ustashas camps in Independent State of Croatia (NDH). The composition is rounded up by standing figures of the Mother from Kozara, from the famous family Tepić, whose presentation was inspired by the photograph by George Skrigin and lastly by the Mother from Kosmet which was produced on the basis of a photograph taken by Miroljub Jelesijević.The unveiling of the memorial was followed by an artistic programme, presented in the Ceremonial Hall, based on the script written by Katarina Simoničić and directed by Božidar Đurović. The programme included the performance of the choir “Kraljica Marija“ (Queen Mairija Choir) under the baton of Ivanka Stojkov and appearance of actors – students of the Fine Arts Academy.
Today’s ceremony was attended by the State Secretary in the Ministry of Defence, Nenad Nerić, representatives of the Private Office of the President of the Republic, Ministry of Defence and Serbian Armed Forces and visitors.
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