19.01.2018.
Military Academy Cadet, Sava Stanković First to Swim to the Holy Cross
Military Academy Cadet, Sava Stankovićis the winner of this year’s traditional swimming for the Holy Cross on the Epiphany, a great Christian holiday, which took place today on Ada Ciganlija in Belgrade.
Cadet Stanković was the fastest among 54 competitors who swam 33 metres long lane, which symbolically represents the years of Jesus, and this year another six members of the Ministry of Defence and Serbian Armed Forces participated in the competition of the Sava Lake.The Holy Cross was presented to the winner by the Bishop of Morava region Antonije, and the travelling victor’s cape was presented to him by the President of the municipality of Čukarica, Srđan Kolarić.
The winner of the competition, cadetSava Stanković underlined that he believed that it was not his victory alone, but that all who swam that day were the winners. The twenty one year old student of the Military Academy, who tried his luck in the race for the Holy Cross on Ada two years ago, thanked the Ministry of Defence and the Serbian Armed Forces which enabled him to participate in the swimming race for the Holy Cross, and he also thanked his colleagues and superior officers who had trained with him and cheered him on during the preparations.
Minister of Defence AleksanadVulin, who attended the event on behalf of the Government of the Republic of Serbia, was among the first to congratulate the winner. On that occasion, Minister Vulin pointed out that he was proud of the cadets and members of the Serbian Armed Forces, just like the entire Serbia was proud of each member of the Serbian Armed Forces.
- The best asset of the Serbian Armed Forces are our men, the best that the Serbian Armed Forces have is our capability, our courage to cherish the tradition, to protect the most important values that make our people just what they are – hardworking, proud, worthy of love. Today, the cadets of the Military Academy have shown their readiness, their bravery, the love for their country, the love for this city. The Serbian Armed Forces will always be with its people, to celebrate, to rejoice with it, but also to protect it when that is needed – Minister Vulin stated adding that the Serbian Armed Forces, has always presented a man as its most important part, and its relation towards him, belief that our patriotism and our love to the homeland could not be defeated.
Addressing the participants before the race, Minister Vulin emphasised that they were all there on that day to see the children who would swim for the Holy Cross, who would swim for all those values that made us who we were, that made the people so worthy, brave and proud.
- Today, we will stand and be proud of these children that will as members of the Serbian Armed Forces and members of their people swim for us, for each of us, for the Serbia that we desire, for Serbia that we look forward to, that we hope for. Thank you for bringing the children here today, Thank you for bringing the best and the most beautiful today, thank you for bringing those that are the reason why we live, reason why we exist. Thank you for bringing them to show them what Serbia should be like, in which we rejoice and to which we hope for. Today, the best among us will swim for the highest of values – for freedom, for this people, for goodness, for honour – the minister of defence sent a message congratulating all today’s holiday with the traditional Christian greeting “Christ appeared”!.
The event on the Sava Lake stared with the holy liturgy and the Epiphany procession in the St. George’s Church on BanovoBrdo, which over the Sava dam came to Ada Ciganlija, where the Prayer was held at the lake. As tradition, the cadets of the Military Academy participated in the honourable procession. The main referee of the race at the Sava Lake was Lieutenant Colonel Saša Mijić.Members of the Gendarmerie, Svibor and citizens also participated in the 20th Anniversary of the swimming race for the Holy Cross on Ada Ciganlija, organised by the priesthood of the St. George Church, Čukarica municipality and PC “Ada Ciganlija”.
On the Epiphany, the great Christian holiday, more than one hundred members of the Ministry of Defence and Serbian Armed Forces swam today for the Holy Cross in Novi Sad, Sremska Mitrovica, Sremska Kamenica, Stari Banovci, Pančevo, Zemun, Savamala in Belgrade, Čačak, Raška, Kruševac, Niš, Svrljig, Kuršumlija, Mladenovac, Vlasina Lake, in Sombor, Stara Pazova, Kragujevac, Inđija, Pirot, Smederevo andyesterday next to the Belgrade fortress.
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