Celebration for the 110 years anniversary
from the first flight of Eduardo Rusjan

Nova Gorica, 25 november 2019
Presentation of the Mayor of Nova Gorica Klemen Miklavič
The airplane EDA 5
The dancers

 

Solkan (Nova Gorica), 22 september 2019
The plane of Benjamin Licer
Under the bridge of Salcano

 
Under the bridge
Whit the Major of Nova Gorica, the Deputy Major and Vili Princic

 
Whit the pilot Benjamin Licer

Commemoration ceremony of Eduardo Rusjan
(Belgrade, 14 April 2018)
 

The Society of History and the Motorism of Serbia has laid a wreath on the tomb of the flight pioneer Eduardo Rusjan
during a ceremony presided over by President Nebojsa Djidjevic. Participants was numerous.



 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


 

 
 
The exploits of brothers Rusjan, one of Gorizia’s wealth

Nova Gorica has been celebrating many times the memory of brothers Rusjan while Gorizia, their native place, was remaining in silence. This fact was unacceptable.
Over last tne years things have changed and brothers Rusjan and their exploits finally became part of our history. “Brothers Rusjan are citizens of the entire city of Gorizia and not only of a part” says Vili Prinčič during the presentation, at the Kulturni dom, of his latest book “Blue immensity”(Triestina Print Publishing, 2011, pp. 256, 18 euros, only in Slovenia) dedicated to brothers Rusjan, pioneers of the first flight in Austria-Hungary in November 1909. The book has more than two hundred photos and talks about Gorizia in 1900 and about developing of aviation. The book also speaks about how brothers Rusjan have been forgotten in the town of Gorizia. It also says how they came in oour memory again, thanks to different thing as, for example the memorial plaque on the wall on Via Cappella where they lived, the erection of two monuments in a small airport of Via Trieste and  the naming of streets in the town of Gorizia and Savogna. As if to say, as Vili Prinčič hopes, that brothers Rusjan will become part of a single identity, part of a common history. 

 
 
 
 
On 9 January 2011 was print this envelope to commemorate the centenary of the death of Eduardo Rusjan

 

Monument for the centenarian of the first flight

The new funerary monument
inaugurated to the Beograd's cimetery
on 7 july 2007
Bonze statue of Eduardo Rusjan on the marble's support Janja Gombač, maker of the marble's support

 
The Eduardo's monument is in line of the others tombs Mirko Brulc, the Major of Nova Gorica, put on the tomb a garland of flowers

 
Between the participants, some ex pilots of Yugoslavian Aviation who are the promoters of monument's construction A bas-relief of the N° 1 made in Zagreb, the aeroplane of Eduardo's death

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Belgrade, January 9, 2006

In memory of 95 years from Eduardo Rusjan's death

Flight pioneer represents a part of our common history
Nephew Grazia Rusjan on Kalemegnan Fortress Railroads next to the place where Eduardo Rusjan died, on January 9, 1911
Rivers Danube and Sava in Belgrade Srečko Gombač from Izola (Slovenia), author of a recent book about Rusjan brothers
The tombstone, surrounded with flowers Ex-pilots of Yougoslavian aviation besides the tomb

 
On 8 and 9 January 2006 a group of persons went to Belgrade to commemorate pioneer of flight Eduardo Rusjan, 95 years after his death. They were
helped and supported by the Association of ex-officials of the Yugoslavian Army of Brezice.
The young pilot died on January 9, 1911, after a flight accident. His tomb is in Belgrade too. Many people took part to this Commemoration. Between
them Grazia Rusjan, direct nephew of flight pioneers. A very positive fact is that all ex-officers from Slovenia and Serbia always kept good contacts
among themselves, even in those hard times, during a serious war in Yugoslavia and terrible events happening.
Eduardo Rusjan constructed "flying machines" and made courageous experimental flights. He's considerate an important part of history an of
cultural partimony.
After Yugoslavia’s separation, Serbia and Belgrade would have "forget" Eduardo Rusjan...but they didn't...
During the last 15 years, there has always been someone who has cleaned Eduardo's tomb, and someone who organised ceremonies in honour of the
young flight pioneer.
Commemoration in Belgrade lasts for two days. Participants were happy to see the two beautiful rivers, Danube and Sava. They also visited
Kalemegdan Fortress and from there, they saw the place where Eduardo Rusjan made his first flights. Slovenian guests were helped by Stevan
Mirkovic, ex-officer of the Yugoslavian Army.
During the commemoration on Saturday. January 2006, it was Christmas time and there was a very nice atmosphere. A touching moment was when
Slovenian guests commemorated Eduardo's tomb. Many important people took part to the ceremony like Mrs. Jadranka Sturm Kočjan, Slovenia's
vice-ambassador in Trieste, Mr. Franc Osnjac, military "attaché" of Slovenian Embassy, Srečko Gombač from Izola, author of a recent book about
Rusjan brothers, Srecko Cedomir Janjic and Lucia Djordjevic, who has great merits fi Eduardo's tomb is kept as it is...
Everybody's desire is that Eduardo's tomb remains there, also Grazia Rusjan, Eduardo's nephew. In spite of political changes, Rusjan family will
forever be part of historical and cultural patrimony.
Slovenia’s embassy for Belgrade would have to take care of the tomb.

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A plate without frontiers

The house of Rusjan family remember everything the two flight pioneers have done

 
 
On 4 December 2004, in Cappella Street nr 8.
The ceremony dedicated to Eduardo Rusjan, with three important partecipants, mayors Brancati, Brulc and Valenčič.
Family members and many other people participated to it and remembered the "exploits" of flight pioneer Eduardo Rusjan

"I'm happy to write the name of the house, thinking that when I was born it had the same name". That is what Grazia Rusjan said yesterday, daughter of one of the brothers of flight pioneers Edi and Pepi Rusjan.
Edi e Pepi Rusjan,two young men from Gorizia, the first two who, in Italy and in AUstria, on 25 November 1909, were able to fly with an airplane completely projected and constructed by themselves. On very old pictures we can see the name of Franc Rusjan, cooper, on the wall of the old house. From yesterday, in via della Cappella number 8, there is a simple lythografic stone of 60 cm per 50 cm, reproducing an airplane. Right in the place where everybody could remember the place where brothers Rusjan constructed their first airplanes.
Grazia Rusjan, their nephew, spoke soberly yesterday night. She was happy and proud to say that her uncles "flight history" was born in a small place in the countryside, but with time, it entered in a european context.".In 1909, Gorizia was a really different town, ready to compete with modern cities.
Brothers Rusjan were very young at that time, and they constructed airplanes for 8 months, 
after buying in Brescia the motor with which Blériot had crossed 38 kilometres of the Sleeve.
In September 1910 they go to Zagabria to construct an aiplane in order to sell it.
With this airplane, on January 9 1911, in Belgrade, Edi Rusjan dies. Yesterday commemoration attracted a lot of people, family, friends, those who have a passion for flight, and also italian and slovenian  aeronautical associations.
 "In the sky there are no frontiers" people say. Imporant people were present : Milos Budin, senator, Joe Valencic, Of Cleveland University,
Giuseppe Sumsel and Mirjam Bosic, who is there to control the possibilities of economical talks between italy and Nova Gorica concerning Merna's airport.
There was also the three mayors,Brancati from Gorizia, Brulc from Nova Gorica and Valencic from Sempeter. Brulk speaks and says that there would be prototypes of brothers Rusjan's airplanes in the Museun of Technique.
 Brancati also speaks and says the city is culturaly very rich . He also says that brothers Rusjan are exponents of the Slovenian comunity.
And now, Merna's airport, even after sad events in 1900, will be an important point for the future...

Sandro Scandolara - Il Piccolo, 5.12.2004

 

 
 
 
Paolo Fina covers the plate with the European flag
Vili Prinčič speaking
Grazia Rusjan speaking
The authorities

 
Grazia Rusjan uncovers the plate
The plate is uncovered
The blessing of Don Lucio, parish priest of  Sant' Ignazio's church
Srečko Gombač, author of the book "Eduardo and Giuseppe Rusjan from Gorizia"

 
Gorizia's Mayor, Vittorio Brancati
Between two mayors, Vittorio Brancati (Gorizia) on the left and Mirko Brulc (Nova Gorica-Slovenia) on the right
The chorus of Sant' Andrea (Gorizia)
On the right the artist Marjan Motoh, author of the plate