Bishop Atanasije on Zebrnjak Serves Memorial Service for the fallen Heroes of the Battle of Kumanovo

1/10/2012
Serbian Orthodox Church

A central ceremony of the centennial of the Battle of Kumanovo was celebrated on Sunday, October 28, 2012, at the very place of the battle, below the remains of the monument to the heroes of this battle – at Zebrnjak near Kumanovo. His Grace Atanasije, Bishop of Hvosno, Vicar to His Holiness, served the memorial service for the fallen heroes.

The monument at Zebrnjak, designed by architect Momir Korunovic, was unveiled on 30 October 1937, when in the Memorial Ostuary was deposited four hundred white bags with bones of unknown heroes and a dozen boxes with bones of soldiers whose names were known. Metropolitan of Skopje Josif Cvijovic consecrated the monument and served the memorial service for the parished heroes. Few years after the opening ceremony, during the World War II, the monument was demolished. Hence it is possible that Bishop Atanasije is the first bishop of the Serbian Orthodox Church who served on this place the memorial service for the Serbian soldiers who defeated the Ottoman army and largely contributed to the banishment of the Turks from the Balkans. At the end of the memorial service Bishop Atanasije held a sermon.

The memorial service for the heroes of the Battle of Kumanovo was within the central celebration of marking this important historical event. The organizer of this happening at Zebrnjak, with the approval of the Government of FYR Macedonia, was the Committee of the Government of the Republic of Serbia for preserving the tradition of the Serbian liberation wars. At this celebration were present: Mr. Tomislav Nikolic – President of Serbia; Mr. Ivica Dacic – Prime Minister of Serbia; Lieutenant General Mr. Ljubisa Dikovic – Chief of Staff of the Serbian Armed Forces; and Mr. Milorad Dodik – President of the Republic of Srpska. Mr. Dragan Nedeljkovic – Deputy Minister of Culture in the Government of the FYROM was present, as well.

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