Glory and death in Belgrade!

It was November 19, 1964, when an unprecedented tragedy occurred in Belgrade. Then, on the way to the Yugoslav capital to celebrate 20 years since the liberation of Belgrade, the entire delegation of the Soviet Union was killed on Avala.

This is the story of that tragedy…

It was October 1964 and Belgrade was preparing to celebrate 20 years since its liberation in World War II. In addition to the Yugoslav state leadership, the great celebration was to be attended by a delegation from the Soviet Union led by Marshal Birjuzov and General Zhdanov - national heroes who themselves took part in the liberation of Belgrade.

The arrival of the "Ilyushin Il-18" plane with the Soviet delegation at the "Belgrade" airport in Surcin was expected at 9:30, but the arrival time was postponed by about two hours. At around 11:30 at the Belgrade airport, everything was ready for the festive reception - an honorary company of JNA members and military music had already taken their places.

A welcoming delegation led by Jovan Veselinov, secretary of the Central Committee of the League of Communists, was also present at the airport. And then a tragedy happened…

The plane with the Soviet military delegation was last seen on the air traffic control radar screen at 11 and 34 and then disappeared. Immediately afterwards, it was reported that flames and then smoke were seen in the distance towards Avala.

The Yugoslav delegation immediately went to Avala from the airport and found a horrible sight there - most likely due to a faulty navigation device, the plane lost altitude and hit the slope of Avala in the middle of thick fog, about 200 meters from the Monument to the Unknown Hero.

During the crash, the plane tore down trees 100 meters wide and eventually hit a hill and exploded.

Shortly after the plane crash, ambulances, police and firefighters arrived at the crash site. The plane was still on fire. The bodies of all the passengers on the plane were so charred that it was difficult to establish their identity. The only thing that was immediately confirmed was the death of Marshal Birjuzov, who was recognized by the marshal's uniform that resisted the fire. The tragedy was terrible. All 18 passengers were killed - 7 members of the delegation and 11 crew members.

Who were the dead members of the Soviet delegation?

- Sergei Semyonovich Biryuzov, Marshal of the Soviet Union, member of the Central Committee of the CPSU, deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the USSR and First Deputy Minister of Defense of the USSR, Hero of the Soviet Union

- Nikolai Romanovich Mirnov, Major General, Member of the Central Audit Commission of the CPSU, Deputy of the Supreme Council and Head of the Department in the Central Committee of the CPSU.

- Vladimir Ivanovich Zhdanov, Colonel General of Tank Units, Chief of the Military Academy of Tank Units, Hero of the Soviet Union and People's Hero of Yugoslavia.

- Nikolai Nikolayevich Shkodunovich, Lieutenant General, Deputy Chief of the Military Academy "M. V. Frunze ”

- Grigory Timofeevich Sheludko, lieutenant colonel, senior adjutant of the Chief of the General Staff and Deputy Minister of Defense of the USSR Marshal Sergei Biryuzov

Belgrade and the whole of Yugoslavia, as well as the world, were shaken by the news from Avala, and in just a few hours it moved from a holiday to a commemorative atmosphere. A two-day mourning period was declared, all manifestations and events related to the celebration of the twentieth anniversary of the liberation were canceled, and the decorative decoration with which the city was decorated was removed.

The remains of the members of the Soviet military delegation were exhibited in the JNA House on October 21, and then a large number of Belgraders paid tribute to them. The most touching moment followed when the bodies were placed in military trucks and headed for the airport.

Due to paying tribute to the dead, many citizens took to the streets and paid tribute to the fallen veterans along the entire road from the JNA House to the military airport in Batajnica. The column with the mortal remains was moving along the route - Republic Square, Branko's Bridge, Belgrade Road, through Zemun, Batajnica Road and through Batajnica.

The remains were transported to the Soviet Union by plane the next day, and the Yugoslav delegation that attended the funeral in Moscow traveled with them. They were buried in a common grave at the Novodevichy Cemetery in Moscow, where a monument to them was erected. Marshal Birjuzov's urn was placed in the walls of the Kremlin, behind Lenin's mausoleum. The highest socio-political figures of the Soviet Union were buried there.

A monument still stands at the site of the accident on Avala, to testify to this tragedy. It is the work of sculptor Jovan Kratohvil and represents two broken airplane wings.