Thousands of Candles Lit to Mark Vukovar Remembrance Day
- by croatiaweek
- in News
Croats in the capital Zagreb lit thousands of candles last night on the eve today’s Vukovar Remembrance Day, which is held to commemorate victims from the 1990’s homeland war in the eastern town of Vukovar…
Every year on the night of the 17th of November, Zagreb locals place candles along a 10 kilometre stretch on Vukovar Street to remember war victims from the eastern city.
Every year on the 18th of November the anniversary of the fall of Vukovar is marked in Croatia. During the 87-day siege of Vukovar by the Yugoslav People’s Army (JNA) between August and November 1991, 1,624 people were killed, including 12 children, 1,219 were wounded, and more than 350 Croatian soldiers unaccounted for. More than 22,000 Croats and other non-Serbs were also expelled from the city.
Vukovar was defended by around 1,800 lightly armed soldiers of the Croatian National Guard and civilian volunteers, against 36,000 JNA soldiers. On 18 November, the last defenders in Vukovar’s town centre surrendered.
