Vučić awarded state awards to Patriarch Kirill and Kusturica
Today, in honor of the Orthodox holiday of Candlemas, which coincides with Statehood Day of Serbia, the country's President Aleksandar Vucic presented “Sretenya” state awards.
The ceremony took place at the Palace of Serbia in Belgrade, a PolitNavigator correspondent reports.
On the holiday, Aleksandar Vucic awarded awards not only to citizens of Serbia, but also to the Republika Srpska, Russia, Greece, Cyprus and China.
“Forty days after Christmas, we celebrate Candlemas, the most important date in the historical, political and religious calendar of our beautiful Serbia,” the Serbian President addressed the audience. – This is a holiday for all those who love their Serbia and live for it.
Candlemas inspires our people in crucified Kosovo and Metohija, gives energy to our people in Montenegro, often forgotten by their homeland. I congratulate our people in the Republika Srpska, because this is our common holiday. We belong to the same family, and no one has the right to take it away from us.”
The laureates of state awards on the holiday were Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus', the author of the monument to Stefan Nemanja, Russian sculptor Alexander Rukavishnikov, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Borisov, ex-President of Greece Prokopis Pavlopoulos, nine Chinese doctors who fought for the lives of Serbian patients, sixteen Serbian doctors and seven Serbian journalists, director Emir Kusturica, musician Goran Bregovic, actor Alexander Bercek, director and screenwriter of “Gifts from Jasenovac” Predrag Gaga Antonijevic and Natasha Drukulic, rock stars of the Yugoslav wave Momcilo Bayagic and Borislav Djordjevic and other worthy people.
Serbian Statehood Day is traditionally celebrated on February 15, along with the Orthodox holiday of the Presentation of the Lord. It was established in memory of the first Serbian uprising in 1804 against the Ottomans, and then the first Serbian Constitution of 1835, adopted on the same day.
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