16.04.2013

Presentation of the book "Two Centuries of Military in Branicevo" in the Central Military Club



In the Ceremonial hall of the Central Military Club today, the book entitled "Two Centuries of Military in Branicevo" by Colonel Milivoje Pajovic, Chief of the Peacekeeping Operations Centre, and Jasmina Nikolic, MSc, Director of the Historical Archives of Pozarevac, has been presented.

With several military compositions performed in the background by the Art Ensemble of the Ministry of Defence "Stanislav Binički", the book was promoted on the occasion of the Serbian Armed Forces Day.

Historians Mile Bjelajac, PhD, and Bojan Dimitrijevic, PhD, as well as the authors, spoke about the monograph.

The historians agreed that there were not many parts in Serbia that could be proud of such a work, and that the monograph is the book to serve as an example, testifying about military ordeals in this area, during the period of two centuries.

- A historian is sometimes a disagreeable witness just like the national history books that testify about the duration of the national institutions. They are disagreeable witnesses to those who are convincing us that one should not dwell in the past, and to those who know little about our history, Bjelajac said.

Dimitrijevic pointed out that the book speaks the language of documents and the language of photographs, and that it is a historiography framework which the reader leaves with knowledge of what were the two centuries of military in Branicevo district like.

The authors thanked all colleagues who recognized their wish and helped them in publishing the collected archival material, because the book should be the treasure of memory of all previous units from the Pozarevac garrison.

- I believe that this study, in a way, will gather together experts in Serbia even more, contributing to the cultural integration and more vivid spiritual communication in the European area, the author said.

Colonel Pajovic said that the book is an expression of struggle of memory against forgetting.

- The book did not have any ambition that is normally expected from a history book, but it aims to challenge endeavour and stir up thought to establish and found in this way memory and remembrance of the heroes of the past and the present days at every garrison, the author said.

Director of Odbrana Media Centre Colonel Slavoljub Markovic said that the book is one of the most important titles published in that publishing house in 2012/2013.

- Every new edition is a celebration and great joy for publishers, authors and all the team members who participated in the preparation of the book, but also for the readers to whom the work is intended. This is a small on the eve of to the great one, and this is the Day of the Serbian Armed Forces, Lieutenant Colonel Markovic pointed out.

The City of Pozarevac and Branicevo district are rich source of the Serbian military tradition. Only in Branicevo and on the banks of the Danube and the Morava rivers that cover it, about 15 000 patriots laid down their lives in ten wars, including the two world wars. As early as in 1825, training of the first soldiers of Pozarevacka, Smederevo and Resavska district began in Pozarevac. Five years later the Guard was formed. Military band was founded, a military hospital was formed, and military academy started with its work also in Pozarevac.