With the presence of representatives of the association of NORA fighters and anti-fascists from all former Yugoslav republics, the Academy of Remembrance of National Heroes Bud Tomović, Baja Sekulić and Jurica Ribar was held today in Kolašin.
Celebrated Partisan fighters died in the vicinity of Kolašin. SKOJ member, lawyer, youth leader, Budo Tomović lost his life in the battle with the Chetniks on this day in 1942, in Crkvine.
In the same place, a day later, the political commissar of the Montenegrin-Sandžak partisan detachment, Bajo Sekulić, was killed. Jurica, brother of Iva Lola and son of Ivan Ribro, a participant in the battles on Naretva and Sutjeska, died on October 3, 1943, in the Kolasin village of Trebaljevo. He received his fatal wounds in the battle with Italians and Chetniks at Barutana near Kolašin.
The memory of the famous names of NOR, it was said, obliges them to "new struggles for freedom". The voice of anti-fascists today should be strong, and the actions should be aimed at preserving peace, dignity and brotherhood, it was said at the academy.
"Budo, Bajo and Jurica and many others gave their lives so that we could live freedom and their dreams. Let's preserve peace, freedom, brotherhood and dignity of every human being. Until we lived in brotherhood and unity, there were no burnt villages, no refugees and no tears. Let's not forget what the communists taught us. Fascism is waking up, not only here, it's all over the planet," said Slovenian partisan Valerija Skinijar Tvrz.
According to Sead Đulić, president of the Association of Anti-Fascists and NOR Fighters of Bosnia and Herzegovina, "Tito's and partisan battles have been won, and we must start our new battles. Memories are not enough, he said, "we must act, because fascism is reawakening".
"They gave up everything, and are we ready to give up anything today to improve the situation in our countries and the environment. Ours is a fight for a new freedom. I'm not really sure that in the former Yugoslav republics, now states, every citizen, at every step, has the complete freedom for which the heroes of NOR fell. We have to take over that baton and start our battles. Tito, the partisan battles have been won, we must start our battles. Neo-fascism and neo-Nazism are flourishing in Europe and the world, and it is very strongly reflected in our countries," said Đulić.
Those present were greeted by Albin Pibernik, a Slovenian, once the youngest fighter of the First Proletarian Brigade, and today the only surviving participant of the Igman March.
"Death to Nazism, because Nazism appears now, as it did in 1941," he said.
The president of SUBNOR and anti-fascist of Montenegro Zuvdija Hodžić reminded of Kolašin, the wartime capital.
"Kolašin is a city of fierce attacks by occupying and Chetnik forces, but also a city that went down in history with its partisan defense. It is the city of ZAVNO and CASNO meetings and the decision "to create our own destiny and bear responsibility for it". As many times in its history, Montenegro defended the freedom it had always lived and lived for here, in the homeland of the great Veljko Vlahović. There is no great work without great sacrifices. "Death made Baja Sekulić, Bud Tomović and Jurica Ribar immortal," said Hodžić.
In the "war capital" of Kolašin, said the President of the Municipality Milosav Bualtović, historical events took place, which later defined the statehood of Montenegro.
"Kolašin was bombed 18 times from the air, and 24 times it changed hands. Events took place here, which later meant defining the statehood of Montenegro," he said.
Dragan Mitov Đurović spoke about details from the lives of the three heroes, and films from the RTCG archive dedicated to them were also shown.
The Academy of Remembrance was also an opportunity to thank the recently deceased Gojko Vlahović, the long-time president of UBNOR Kolašin, thanks to whom, it was said, many monuments from NOR in the area of that and other municipalities were restored.
Delegations from the association of NOR fighters and anti-fascists laid wreaths at the monument in Crkvine and the memorial cemetery in Breza.
Bonus video:
