{"id":38128,"date":"2025-06-08T13:42:00","date_gmt":"2025-06-08T11:42:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.predsjednik.hr\/?post_type=news&p=38128"},"modified":"2025-06-09T11:43:43","modified_gmt":"2025-06-09T09:43:43","slug":"president-milanovic-at-the-konji-bijelci-event-in-babina-greda-preserve-your-traditions-and-identity","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/www.predsjednik.hr\/en\/news\/president-milanovic-at-the-konji-bijelci-event-in-babina-greda-preserve-your-traditions-and-identity\/","title":{"rendered":"President Milanovi\u0107 at the \u201cKonji Bijelci\u201d Event in Babina Greda: Preserve Your Traditions and Identity"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The President of the Republic Zoran Milanovi\u0107 visited today the 44th<\/sup> \u201cKonji Bijelci\u201d [White Horses] cultural event held in Babina Greda, a municipality in Vukovar-Srijem County. In opening the event, President Milanovi\u0107 emphasized its importance for the preservation of customs and identity. \u201cBabina Greda maintains its tradition without pomp, as a folk custom \u2013 and let it remain that way. Preserve your traditions and identity. That is essentially who we are and what makes us who we are,\u201d said President Milanovi\u0107.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

President Milanovi\u0107 also recalled his childhood spent in Sinj and the town\u2019s connection with horses. \u201cThe bond between Sinj, the Sinjska Alka tournament, and horse breeding is quite deep. Although my ancestors didn\u2019t race in the Sinjska Alka \u2013 they were peasants, people who lived off the land, and life was relatively hard \u2013 they kept horses. I used to look forward to seeing the horses there. They were working horses, not noble or specially bred, just ordinary working horses that did their job,\u201d President Milanovi\u0107 reminisced, adding that today, in both Babina Greda and the Sinj area, those horses have mostly become ceremonial parade horses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The traditional 44th<\/sup> cultural and economic event \u201cKonji Bijelci\u201d began with a parade of festively decorated wedding carriages, followed by competitions in various skills and everyday tasks that were once common \u2013 such as assembling horse-drawn carriages, harnessing horses, driving a traditional horse-drawn sled (palija), and traditional messenger-style horseback riding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The event is organized by the Babina Greda Horse Breeding Association, which has been active since 1942 and this year marks its 83rd<\/sup> anniversary. Through the organization of \u201cKonji Bijelci,\u201d Babina Greda preserves its heritage, passes customs on to younger generations, and showcases how people used to live and perform physically demanding work to support their families. Throughout all this, the role of horses \u2013 noble animals that played a vital role in their lives \u2013 is especially highlighted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cKonji Bijelci\u201d is a two-day event that was first held in 1981. Prior to the main programme, which includes the announcement of competition winners, a Lipizzaner Horse Fair was held, featuring a showcase competition of two-horse carriage driving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to President Milanovi\u0107, those who addressed the attendees at the opening included Franjo Gregorovi\u0107, President of the Babina Greda Horse Breeding Association; Josip Krni\u0107, Head of the Municipality of Babina Greda; Marinko Beljo, State Secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries and delegate of the Prime Minister; and Petar \u0160imi\u0107, Member of Parliament and delegate of the Speaker of the Croatian Parliament. President Milanovi\u0107 was accompanied by Melita Muli\u0107, Adviser to the President of the Republic for Human Rights and Civil Society.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n \n <\/a>\n \n \n <\/a>\n \n \n <\/a>\n \n \n <\/a>\n \n \n <\/a>\n \n \n <\/a>\n \n \n <\/a>\n \n \n <\/a>\n \n \n <\/a>\n \n \n <\/a>\n \n \n <\/a>\n \n \n <\/a>\n \n \n <\/a>\n \n \n <\/a>\n \n \n <\/a>\n \n \n <\/a>\n \n \n <\/a>\n \n \n <\/a>\n \n \n <\/a>\n \n \n <\/a>\n \n \n <\/a>\n \n \n <\/a>\n \n \n <\/a>\n \n <\/div>\n\n\n\n\n

PHOTO: Office of the President of the Republic of Croatia \/ Filip Glas<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The President of the Republic Zoran Milanovi\u0107 visited today the 44th \u201cKonji Bijelci\u201d [White Horses] cultural event held in Babina Greda, a municipality in Vukovar-Srijem County. In opening the event, President Milanovi\u0107 emphasized its importance for the preservation of customs and identity. \u201cBabina Greda maintains its tradition without pomp, as a folk custom \u2013 and let it remain that way. Preserve your traditions and identity. That is essentially who we are and what makes us who we are,\u201d said President Milanovi\u0107.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":38126,"template":"","news-cat":[12],"class_list":["post-38128","news","type-news","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","news-cat-news"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nPresident Milanovi\u0107 at the \u201cKonji Bijelci\u201d Event in Babina Greda: Preserve Your Traditions and Identity - President of the Republic of Croatia - Zoran Milanovi\u0107<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.predsjednik.hr\/en\/news\/president-milanovic-at-the-konji-bijelci-event-in-babina-greda-preserve-your-traditions-and-identity\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"President Milanovi\u0107 at the \u201cKonji Bijelci\u201d Event in Babina Greda: Preserve Your Traditions and Identity - President of the Republic of Croatia - Zoran Milanovi\u0107\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The President of the Republic Zoran Milanovi\u0107 visited today the 44th \u201cKonji Bijelci\u201d [White Horses] cultural event held in Babina Greda, a municipality in Vukovar-Srijem County. In opening the event, President Milanovi\u0107 emphasized its importance for the preservation of customs and identity. \u201cBabina Greda maintains its tradition without pomp, as a folk custom \u2013 and let it remain that way. Preserve your traditions and identity. 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