On Friday, on St. Mark’s Day, May 8, a traditional gathering was held on Ravna Gora, organized by the Ravna Gora Movement and affiliated organizations, marking the 85th anniversary of the uprising. Once again this year, Ravna Gora brought together a large number of members of the Ravna Gora Movement, supporters of the Ravna Gora tradition, and guests from various Serbian lands and the diaspora, who came to pay tribute to General Dragoljub Draža Mihailović and the Ravna Gora Movement.
Liturgy, formation, and greeting letters
The gathering began with the Holy Liturgy, after which the Ravna Gora Chetnik units assembled beside the monument to Lieutenant Krsta Kljajić. This was followed by the performance of the national anthem and the Chetnik anthem, while the clergy served a memorial service at Lieutenant Kljajić’s grave. The program continued with speeches by the president of the Ravna Gora Movement and the president of the United Ravna Gora Movement of the Serbian Fatherland, while greeting letters from Chetnik brothers from Australia, Chicago, and other parts of America were also read aloud.
Oath-taking ceremony for more than one hundred new members
During the gathering, posthumous certificates of gratitude were awarded to members who had tragically passed away over the past year. One of the central events was the oath-taking ceremony of more than one hundred new members of the Movement, who, before the monument to Lieutenant Krsta Kljajić, in the presence of clergy, Movement commanders, the people, the Fatherland, and the King, pledged loyalty to the Ravna Gora idea. 
Cultural program, parade, and messages from Ravna Gora
In the cultural and artistic part of the program, the cultural society “Kruna” from Stublin performed, followed by a ceremonial parade beside Draža’s monument and the laying of wreaths. The procession then moved through the central part of Ravna Gora before returning to the starting position, where, following the command “At ease,” the gathering continued with a brotherly Lenten meal of fellowship.
Before the large crowd, familiar messages echoed: “Long live the King,” “Long live Serbian Kosovo and Metohija,” and “Long live Republika Srpska and Montenegro.” From Ravna Gora, a message was also sent to the domestic and international public, as well as to the authorities in Serbia, stating that the struggle for truth and justice regarding the arrest, trial, and execution of General Draža Mihailović has not ended. It was especially emphasized that July 17 of this year marks 80 years since his execution.
Without incidents and with a message for the future
The organizers stressed that the gathering, which had been properly reported to the competent security authorities, passed without a single incident, which, as stated, was the result of the participants’ discipline, as well as the work of the Security Committee and the Protocol Service of the Ravna Gora Movement.
The Ravna Gora Movement also expressed gratitude to all participants for their, as stated, honorable and dignified conduct, in the spirit of the Ravna Gora tradition. Referring to the events beneath the commercial tents, the organizers noted that such scenes do not reflect the spirit of the Movement, but added that they understand the emotions of younger people who are carried away by the atmosphere of Ravna Gora and the spirit of freedom it symbolizes.
In the concluding message, it was emphasized that Ravna Gora, despite poor infrastructure, the lack of electricity, and weak internet and telephone signals, has remained a place of gathering and pilgrimage for Serbs from different regions. The organizers stated that the gathering is not an end, but rather a reminder of the obligation to preserve and pass on the historical significance of Ravna Gora and General Draža to future generations.
Special emphasis was placed on the fact that more than one hundred new members who took the oath this year represent proof that the idea of unity, parliamentary monarchy, and the Ravna Gora Movement — born in May 1941 precisely on Ravna Gora — has neither been defeated nor forgotten. On the contrary.
Photos: Private archive
