Solemn Session held in the Building of the Old City Assembly attended by the representatives of the Embassies, University, the religious communities, the judiciary, national institutions and organisations, delegations of the twin cities and friendly cities of Kragujevac marked the day when back in 1818 by the wish of the Prince Milos it was proclaimed capital of modern Serbia.
When Prince Milos decided to move from Gornja Crnuca to Kragujevac, he did not dream that what he had built during his brief rule would remain permanent and extremely rare treasure of our people, reminded Miroslav Petrasinovic, the President of the City Assembly. Many famous people of that time came to Kragujevac then and left the everlasting trace by building the foundation of today’s modern Serbia: the Greek Konstantin Alexandrini, the first graduated doctor, Vuk Stefanovic Karadzic, Dimitrije Davidovic, Joakim Vujic, Josif Slezinger. They contributed to establishment of many institutions such as first newspapers, orchestra, first theatre, first grammar school, lyceum – high school, first painting gallery , first court, pharmacy, museum and library.
Some cities are remembered after rivers, squares and famous buildings… Kragujevac is remembered after people, great men who built our capital and believed in their dreams, said in his address the Mayor Radomir Nikolic. As Mija Aleksic became Kragujevac citizen back in 1934 when he moved to Kragujevac with his parents on a cow cart from Crnuce, so did Milos before him, Mihajlo after Milos, Sima Postrmac, Charles Lubrie, Josif Pancic, Djura Jaksic, Radomir Putnik, Svetozar Markovic, Zivojin Misic, Elisabeth Ross, Vojislav Radic, Dragisa Nedovic, Ljuba Tadic, Bishop Sava, Dragoslav Srejovic.
Are we and Djurdjevdan Award holders their worthy inheritors? Are we building the future on our dreams? Shall we leave the trace? Is Kragujevac still the biggest city on Earth as Mija Aleksic believed then in 1934. It is, to us. We do not know for others. Kragujevac was and will be the biggest city in the world, said Nikolic.
This year again the awards and recognitions are presented at the solemn session. The annual City Award, the Djurdjevdan Award for the works accessible to public in the year 2018 are presented in sport to Srecko Otovic, for humanitarian work Gorica Dimitrijevic, Jelena Tijanic in journalism. Mirko Demic in art, Bratislav Milanovic in private business and in education Katarina Veljkovic.
By the Decision of the Mayor Radomir Nikolic the St. George Plaque is awarded to PhD Miloje Nikolic and PhD Milos Kojic.
