At the celebrations marking the Day of the City of Smolensk, the 1162nd anniversary of its existence, and the 82nd anniversary of its liberation in the Second World War, the City of Kragujevac was represented by Mr. Stefan Jovanović, member of the City Council for Communal Affairs, and Mr. Marko Janković, Assistant Mayor for the Development and Improvement of Local Self-Government.

For the heads of delegations, the Mayor of Smolensk Mr. Aleksandar Novikov, and the President of the City Council, Mr. Anatoliy Ovsyankin, hosted a formal reception in the building of the Smolensk Regional Philharmonic. On that occasion, Mr. Stefan Jovanović recalled that Kragujevac and Smolensk are connected by a Protocol on Friendship and Cooperation signed in 2009, but also by deep historical ties.

Smolensk is a city of great history, resistance, and pride. These anniversaries remind us not only of the strength and courage of your fellow citizens, but also of the universal values of freedom and peace that are woven into the foundations of our modern society. To this day, our cooperation has developed through sports, education, and especially through the culture of remembrance, said Mr. Stefan Jovanović, expressing confidence that the friendship between these two cities and their citizens will continue to grow.

The memory of the victims of the Kragujevac tragedy on October 21, 1941, and the heroes of the Red Army who gave their lives in the fight against fascism and participated in the liberation of our city, obliges us to preserve the truth, peace, and human dignity. Let this be another step toward a shared future filled with cooperation, mutual respect, and friendship, said Mr. Jovanović.

On the occasion of the 82nd anniversary of the liberation of Smolensk in the Second World War, the delegation of the City of Kragujevac laid a wreath at the Eternal Flame, lit in 1968 in memory of the soldiers and victims of the war.