The project of collecting testimonies from families of fallen fighters of the Army of the Republic of Srpska continues in the Municipality of Čelinac.

In the Municipality of Čelinac, the project of collecting testimonies from families of fallen fighters of the Army of the Republic of Srpska continues, as part of the activities of the Memorial Center of the Republic of Srpska. So far, 20 life stories have been recorded that testify to the enormous sacrifice made by this small local community in the Defensive-Patriotic War.

The goal of the project is to preserve collective memory and collect authentic testimonies as a permanent historical source.

The Head of the Municipality of Čelinac, Vlado Gligorić, emphasized that this initiative is of exceptional importance, especially considering that 220 fighters from this municipality lost their lives in the past Defensive-Patriotic War. “That is an enormous number for our small municipality. It is our duty to nurture the culture of remembrance for those people who built the foundations of the Republic of Srpska with their lives. The Municipality of Čelinac stands with this project and will be a reliable partner to the Memorial Center,” Gligorić said.

The President of the Municipal Veterans’ Organization, Dalibor Vujičić, stressed the importance of nurturing historical memory and passing the truth on to younger generations. “The Serbian people have never waged conquest wars, only liberation wars. That is why we must preserve the truth about our fighters. Conversations with families are not easy, but they are necessary. Through those stories, memory is preserved and the spirit of the struggle for freedom is passed on,” said Vujičić, calling on all other municipalities and veterans’ organizations to join the project.

The representative of the Memorial Center of the Republic of Srpska, Ljubomir Tešinić, thanked the municipal leadership and the Veterans’ Organization for their prompt and concrete cooperation. “Čelinac is an example of a responsible approach to the culture of remembrance. So far, we have recorded about 20 testimonies and we are continuing. Our goal is that no story is forgotten,” Tešinić said. The project has a research-documentary character and is being implemented throughout the Republic of Srpska with the aim of preserving the truth about the suffering of the Serbian people in the Defensive-Patriotic War.

The Memorial Center of Republika Srpska invites all family members of fallen and missing civilians and soldiers from the Defense-Patriotic War to share their testimony, and in that way permanently preserve the memory of their loved ones. Everyone who wishes to leave a testimony can contact us via email address: komunikacije@mcrs.vladars.rs or via telephone number: 051/222-999.

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