KALABIĆ: FREEDOM ABOVE ALL, AND RESPECT FOR THOSE WHO FELL FOR THE FATHERLAND IS A SACRED VOW

BELGRADE, JANUARY 9 /SRNA/ - Historian Radovan Kalabić told SRNA that Serbs celebrate January 9 - Republic Day of Republika Srpska - with dignity, emphasizing that freedom stands above all else, and that respect for those who fell for the fatherland is an eternal vow.

"It would be a sin not to mark January 9 in a dignified manner, with all the symbols of Republika Srpska, and in that way pay tribute to all those who gave their lives in defense of Republika Srpska. This is one of our key obligations, because everything lies in symbols. That is why our enemies want to erase our symbolic memory," Kalabić said. He noted that through long historical processes, the Serbian people have come to understand what fate awaits them without their own state, which is why in 1992 they took a defensive stance and created Republika Srpska, so that genocide would not happen to them again. Kalabić stated that Republika Srpska has so far marked its date of birth and the great Orthodox feast day of Saint Stephen the First Martyr and Archdeacon with dignity, and that this practice will continue in the future. "Everything, as the great George Orwell said, lies in symbols. This is also a symbol of victory in the Defensive-Patriotic War, for which so many lives were sacrificed," Kalabić said. January 9 is celebrated as Republic Day of Republika Srpska, which was established on that date in 1992 under its original name, the Republic of the Serbian People in BiH. Republika Srpska was founded by Serbian deputies in the then Assembly of BiH after they were outvoted on key issues concerning the survival of Yugoslavia, while members of the other two peoples moved toward secession against the will of the Serbs, who held the status of a constituent people. The name Republic of the Serbian People in BiH was used until February 28, 1992, when the first Constitution was proclaimed, after which it was changed to the Serbian Republic of BiH. This name remained in use until August 12, 1992, when it was changed to the Serbian Republic, and in September 1992 it was replaced with the current name - Republika Srpska.