BALKAN

CELEBRATION OF REPUBLIKA SRPSKA DAY: Festive parade in Banja Luka, Patriarch Porfirije conducted the liturgy!

by Serbian Times9. January 2026.9. January 2026.

In Banja Luka today, Republika Srpska Day is being celebrated with a series of events, which this year is marked under the slogan “Republika Srpska, Mother of Heroes.”

Blagoje Kovačević, President of the Assembly of Veterans of the Army of Republika Srpska, stated that Republika Srpska Day – January 9 – is one of the most significant holidays for the Serbian people and will continue to be celebrated according to tradition.

“Unfortunately, as in many recent years, Republika Srpska faces significant pressure, both from the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and from certain Western European alliance members, to abolish this holiday and stop celebrating it. However, the more they attack us, the more determined we will be to celebrate this holiday exactly as the traditions and customs of the Serbian people require,” said Kovačević, who is an honorary general of the VRS.

Kovačević emphasized that this year, too, the Veterans’ Organization of the VRS will participate in the central celebration of Republika Srpska Day in Banja Luka, where yesterday a memorial was ceremoniously unveiled in honor of the soldiers of the Defensive Homeland War.

According to him, the Veterans’ Organization of the VRS will take part in today’s festive parade in Banja Luka, which will traditionally feature members of the Ministry of Interior of Republika Srpska and about 2,000 civilians.

“Representatives of the Veterans’ Organization will, of course, also attend the ceremonial academy held for Republika Srpska Day,” Kovačević told Srna.

Today at 9:00 AM, a liturgy will be conducted at the Church of Christ the Savior, followed by the festive parade at Krajina Square at 12:00 PM.

January 9 is celebrated as Republika Srpska Day because on this date in 1992, it was established 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 being outvoted on key issues regarding the survival of Yugoslavia, while representatives 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 and it was changed to Serbian Republic of BiH, used until August 12, 1992, when it became the Serbian Republic.

That name was replaced in September 1992 with the current name – Republika Srpska.