CSTO parliamentarians honoured the memory of Belgrade liberators

International observers from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Collective Security Treaty Organization laid a wreath at the Eternal Flame at the Memorial Cemetery of Belgrade Liberators.

As you may recall, by invitation of Ivica Dačić, President of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, international observers from the CSTO PA participate in monitoring the preparation and conduct of the election of the President of the Republic of Serbia and early election of deputies to the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia.

The CSTO PA international observers are representatives of the parliaments of the CSTO Member States: National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia, National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus, Jogorku Kenesh of the Kyrgyz Republic, Federation Council and State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation and Majlisi Oli of the Republic of Tajikistan.

On April 1 the CSTO PA international observers studied the pre-election situation in the Republic of Serbia and the course of the election campaign and held meetings with Ivica Dačić, President of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, Vladimir Dimitrijević, Chairman of the Republican Election Commission of the Republic of Serbia, and Nikola Selaković, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia.

FOR YOUR INFORMATION:

The Memorial Cemetery of Belgrade Liberators (Serbian: Гробље ослободилаца Београда) is a memorial complex dedicated to the Soviet and Yugoslav soldiers who died liberating Belgrade from the Nazi invaders in October 1944.

The complex was opened on October 20, 1954, on the 10th anniversary of the liberation of Belgrade, and is located on Mije Kovačevića street.

1,395 soldiers of the Yugoslav People’s Liberation Army and 818 soldiers of the Red Army are buried there.

This is the first memorial complex built in Belgrade after the Second World War. It was designed by architect Branko Bon and horticultural engineer Aleksandar Kostić as a park with individual and mass graves. At the entrance to the cemetery is a monumental gate with a bas-relief by Radeta Stanković, while the park itself features the sculpture of the Red Army Soldier by Antun Augustinčić. Another sculpture, Partisan on Constant Guard, by Radeta Stanković, was unveiled in 1988, in front of the cemetery.

Every year on October 20 and May 9, wreaths are placed at the cemetery in memory of those who died in the Second World War.

The memorial has been fully restored and is very carefully maintained.