23.01.2026.
Media Centre “Odbrana” marks its anniversary
The anniversary of Media Centre “Odbrana” was celebrated today at the Central Military Club in Belgrade. During the event, awards were presented to the Media Centre’s most outstanding collaborators, as well as to the winners of the Ivan Marinković Journalism Award.
Messages of congratulations on Media Centre “Odbrana” Day were sent by Minister of Defence Bratislav Gašić and the Chief of the Serbian Armed Forces General Staff, General Milan Mojsilović.Colonel Dalibor Tomić, Head of the Public Relations Department, greeted those present and congratulated all award recipients, wishing them continued success in their work. He emphasized that Media Centre “Odbrana” serves as a reflection of the Ministry of Defence and the Serbian Armed Forces, that it upholds a long-standing tradition, and carries a mission to maintain close ties between our military and our people.
Colonel Miljan Milkić, Media Centre Director, reflected on past year’s achievements in his address, expressing his gratitude to collaborators on their selfless support in the past period and summing up the significance of all three areas of the Centre’s work.– If I were to sum up everything that Media Centre “Odbrana” has accomplished over the past year, I would choose one word – visibility. Everything we do in this institution, in all three areas of our work – delivering information and news, publishing, and organizing exhibitions and events, is oriented toward the public and reflects the times we live in – Colonel Milkić emphasized.
A team of authors from TV Prva – Ana Rajković, Marijana Stevanović, and Milan Katanić won this year’s Ivan Marković Award for the programme titled Military Power of the New Age from the Explosive series. The award was presented to them by State Secretary in the Ministry of Defence Mile Jelić.During 2025, Media Centre “Odbrana” successfully collaborated with numerous state and cultural institutions, as well as with distinguished individuals who have significantly contributed to its reputation and success.
Media Centre “Odbrana” awarded the Collaborator of the Year Award to Colonel Slobodan Đukić, PhD, a long-time contributor in all areas of military publishing. He was presented with a Plaque of the Ministry of Defence by the Head of the Public Relations Department.
The Collaborator of the Year Award in the field of journalism and news reporting was awarded to Marijana Mraović, Head of the Department for Archival Material Open to Researchers at the Military Archive, for her numerous articles in Odbrana Magazine’s History section.The recipient of this year’s Collaborator of the Year Award in the field of publishing is Colonel Ivan Stamenov (retd), a long-time contributor and author of books on armament and military technology. He was presented with a Media Centre “Odbrana” plaque by the Head of the Publishing Division, Goran Janjić.
This year’s Collaborator of the Year Award in the field of exhibition design was awarded to the Pavle Beljanski Memorial Exhibition for the exhibition titled “Once Upon a Time in Belgrade… the World of Vidosava Kovačević”. The plaque was presented to the exhibition curator, Jasmina Jakšić Subić, by Colonel Milkić, Director of Media Centre “Odbrana”.
During today’s celebration, a film was presented showcasing the achievements of the Public Relations Department and its institutions over the past year. The event was further enhanced by a performance from the Ministry of Defence Art Ensemble “Stanislav Binički”.The event was attended by members of the Defence Minister’s collegium, members of the Ministry of Defence and the Serbian Armed Forces, and numerous other guests.
Media Centre “Odbrana” celebrates its anniversary in commemoration of January 24, 1879, the date when the first issue of the military magazine “Ratnik” (Warrior) was published in Serbia, a tradition continued today by the Odbrana Magazine.