Celebration of Statehood Day in Cetinje
Source: Cetinje Mayor’s office – PR service
On the occasion of Montenegro’s Statehood Day, the Mayor of the Old Royal Capital Cetinje, Nikola Đurašković, the President of the Capital’s Assembly, Milena Vujović, and the President of the Association of Fighters of the People’s Liberation War and Anti-Fascists of Cetinje, Borislav Pravilović, laid a wreath at the memorial ossuary dedicated to patriots and victims of fascism from the Cetinje area who perished between 1941 and 1944. Addressing those present, Mayor Đurašković stated that the event is a tribute to the patriots and victims of fascism who gave their lives for the freedom of Montenegro, but also a confirmation of the people to whom we belong, the values to which we remain faithful, and the future we want to build for our homeland Montenegro.
“At the memorial ossuary of those who gave their lives for a free Montenegro, today we gather as guardians and witnesses of our glorious history, but also as its responsible heirs aware that this place calls us not only to remembrance, but to recognize, preserve, and worthily continue what was inscribed in the very essence of Montenegrin statehood with blood and faith in freedom,” said Đurašković.
He added that this site also reminds us to be worthy of those who, without hesitation and fear, stood on the right side of history, emphasizing that: “We may differ politically, and that is legitimate and desirable, but the fight for Montenegro must stand above all differences because it is not partisan, but a civilizational, state-building, and moral obligation for all of us.”
The President of the Association of Fighters of the People’s Liberation War and Anti-Fascists of Cetinje, Borislav Pravilović, said that the Montenegrin people have always chosen honor and resistance over submission and servitude, and that Montenegro has never been a land of the submissive, much less of the subjugated. “That is why July 13 and its legacy represent a fundamental historical value of Montenegro; it is a symbol of our identity. It is a reminder that no one has ever gifted us freedom, for freedom is not given it is earned. We have always paid for it dearly, with blood. And that is why today, as we mark the most glorious date in our history, we do not celebrate war, we celebrate values. We celebrate anti-fascism as the foundation of this country,” said Pravilović.
In addition to the memorial ossuary, representatives of the city administration and the Association also laid wreaths at the nearby monument dedicated to the victims executed on July 30, 1941.
Furthermore, on the occasion of Montenegro’s Statehood Day, the Old Royal Capital Cetinje, the Tourist Organization, and the Cultural Center organized a cultural and entertainment program, which took place on July 12 and 13 at the Students’ Square in Cetinje.
The celebration of one of the most important dates in Montenegro’s history was marked through a series of musical performances by renowned artists from Montenegro and the region, such as Zdravko Đuranović, Žuti Serhatlić, Igor Đurović, and Mila Nikić. The audience also enjoyed a concert by regional music star and pop diva Doris Dragović.