Edvard Rusjan was a pilot and a pioneer of aviation. He died on January 9th 1911. during a promotional flight over Belgrade. His aeroplane's wings were ripped-off by tremendously strong winds and he crashed near medieval Belgrade fortress. He was 25 years old.
His remains were buried at the New Cemetery of Belgrade. Around fifteen thousand Belgrade residents attended his funeral, and a famous Serbian writer Branislav Nusic gave a farewell speech.
Today, his grave is visited by many. On this special occasion, a 101st anniversary of his flight, Rusjan's grave was blessed by Archbishop of Belgrade Stanislav Hocevar. Among the visitors there were representatives of Slovenian Embassy in Belgrade, representatives of Serbian and Slovenian Aviation Societies, and admirers of Rusjan's work from Brezice, Slovenia.
Olivera Milijanovic,
Assistant to General Manager
The New Cemetery in Belgrade