28.06.2025.

Central State Ceremony marking St. Vitus Day held in Kruševac

On the occasion of marking the great holiday - St. Vitus Day, the central state ceremony of wreath-laying and paying tribute to Kosovo heroes was held today at the Kosovo Heroes Square in Kruševac.

The state ceremony, led by the Serbian Prime Minister Đuro Macut, was also attended by Minister of Defence Bratislav Gašić, ministers in the Serbian Government, members of the Ministry of Defence and the Serbian Armed Forces, representatives of local authorities and numerous citizens.

Wreaths were laid at the Monument to Kosovo Heroes by Prime Minister Macut, Minister Gašić, accompanied by Colonel Nikola Matović and Colonel Milivoje Radović, a delegation of the Serbian Armed Forces, led by the Commander of the Training Command, Brigadier General Dragiša Zlatković, and the Mayor of Kruševac, Ivan Manojlović.

In his address, the Serbian Prime Minister highlighted the importance of today’s holiday, emphasising that our six-century-long St. Vitus Day gathering is with each passing year becoming ever more important, significant and essential.

- Unity, not social polarisation. Unity and the collective interest of our people, not division and extremism. The ethical choice of preserving national identity and values over personal and fleeting interests is the most important St. Vitus Day message that our ancestors have passed on to us through the centuries. Only from such a Serbia, united and united in love for the state and its own heritage and culture, will the Vidovdan eternal Serbia be born - said Prime Minister Macut, adding that the Government of Serbia remains consistent and dedicated to the construction and prosperity of precisely such a country, which belongs to each of its citizens.

Minister Gašić stated that St. Vitus Day symbolises the centuries-long struggle to preserve the identity of the Serbian people, and the fight for freedom and justice.

- This great holiday of St. Vitus Day reminds us of the selflessness and courage of our ancestors who understood that honour and freedom are worth as much as life itself. This very awareness is woven into the foundation of both our people and our army. As their successors, we must continue along that same path – the path of preserving peace and stability, but also of building a better future for all of us. May this St. Vitus Day be an incentive for us on that path and may the memory of all heroes be our guide in the future - the Minister of Defence emphasised.

Earlier today, in the Kruševac City Hall, on the occasion of the Day of Remembrance of the Reign of Prince Lazar and 636th anniversary of the Battle of Kosovo, a ceremonial session of the Government of the Republic of Serbia was held. The session, chaired by Prime Minister Đuro Macut, was attended by Minister of Defence Bratislav Gašić.