Serbia has marked the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Adrovac, where Russian volunteer officer Colonel Count Nikolai Raevsky was killed in 1876. A memorial ceremony was held at the Monastery of St. Roman near the village of Djunis, where, according to Raevsky’s wishes, his heart was buried.

The Divine Liturgy and a memorial service for the fallen officer were celebrated by Metropolitan Arsenije of Niš, according to the Serbian Orthodox Church. The commemorative events took place on September 2, marking the anniversary of the battle according to the Gregorian calendar.

The choir of Moscow’s Sretensky Monastery took part in the service, performing hymns from the Russian Orthodox tradition.

Among those attending the ceremony were Serbian Culture Minister Nikola Selaković, Russian Ambassador to Serbia Alexander Botsan-Kharchenko, Russian presidential representative for international cultural cooperation Mikhail Shvydkoy, representatives of Russian and Serbian organizations, and residents of Aleksinac.

Participants also paid tribute to the crew of a Russian Il-76 aircraft, which had recently assisted Serbian firefighters in battling forest fires.

Following the liturgy, a new monument to Raevsky was unveiled and consecrated. The monument was created by sculptor Aydin Zeynalov, an academician of the Russian Academy of Arts. The bust forms part of Zeynalov’s “Balkan Cycle,” which also includes a monument to academician Nikita Tolstoy in Vršac, busts of Alexander Nevsky in Montenegro, and a monument to diplomat Vitaly Churkin in East Sarajevo.

The project was carried out with the support of Russia’s Foreign Ministry, the Embassy of Serbia in Russia and Rossotrudnichestvo.

The Battle of Adrovac took place on September 1, 1876, during the Serbo-Turkish War. At the time, Serbia was seeking to achieve full independence from Ottoman rule, while thousands of Russian volunteers joined the Serbian forces.

Raevsky, a Russian officer from a prominent noble family, traveled to Serbia as a volunteer. He commanded the right flank of the Serbian army in the area around Aleksinac.

On the morning of September 1, Ottoman forces launched an artillery bombardment before advancing against the Serbian positions. Serbian troops managed to stop an attempt to outflank their right flank but were forced to withdraw by the end of the day.

Raevsky was killed during the fighting. Ottoman forces won the battle but were unable to capitalize on their victory and continue their advance toward Aleksinac.

The commemoration highlighted the enduring historical and religious ties between Serbia and Russia and paid tribute to Raevsky, who is remembered in Serbia as a Russian volunteer who gave his life fighting alongside the Serbian forces.