From Hospital to Hospital: 21 Cyclists Cover 250 km
The Heroji ne umiru Association organized a two-day journey from Popovača to Vukovar to honor female veterans, whose contribution to the Homeland War has often remained in the shadows.
The Heroji ne umiru Association organized a two-day journey from Popovača to Vukovar to honor female veterans, whose contribution to the Homeland War has often remained in the shadows.
They covered around 250 kilometers in two days, connecting places of suffering and remembrance, and among the 21 cyclists were four female veterans from Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. The cycling caravan "In Honor of Brave Female Veterans" concluded its demanding journey on Saturday, August 8, 2026, in Vukovar, with a clear message that the wartime role of women must no longer be overlooked in the public sphere.
Behind the organization stands the Marathon Runners Association of Sisak-Moslavina County, Heroji ne umiru, which aimed through this initiative to preserve from oblivion the women who participated in the Homeland War as members of the armed forces, medical personnel, or volunteers. Their stories, the Association emphasizes, deserve a more prominent place in the nation's collective memory.
The journey took place under the motto "From Hospital to Hospital," starting on August 7 in front of the Dr. Ivan Barbot Neuropsychiatric Hospital in Popovača, with the final destination being the Dr. Juraj Njavro National Memorial Hospital in Vukovar. The choice of these institutions symbolically highlighted the crucial importance of hospitals, doctors, and nurses during the most difficult wartime moments.
Over 48 hours, participants passed through a series of war-marked towns, including Novska, Okučani, Nova Gradiška, Sibinj, Slavonski Brod, Vrpolje, Ivankovo, and Nuštar, thereby connecting locations with a tragic past and communities that today actively nurture the memory of their defenders, both male and female.
Upon arrival in the city, the cyclists were welcomed by the Deputy Mayor of Vukovar, Filip Sušac, and the column stopped at the Ruža hrvatska memorial. There, those gathered lit candles and paid tribute to all Croatian female veterans, followed by a tour of the Vukovar War Hospital museum exhibit, one of the most poignant testimonies to the city's suffering.
Sušac emphasized that the role of female veterans in the defense of the country must be given stronger emphasis. "The role of female veterans in the defense of the Republic of Croatia must be given stronger emphasis," he said, adding that the City of Vukovar continuously highlights their contribution and that it was female veterans who led last year's Column of Remembrance.
The head of the Heroji ne umiru Association, Igor Vuković, pointed out that female veterans shared the front lines with their comrades, shared the dangers, helped the wounded, and suffered alongside the defenders. "Female veterans stood alongside their comrades on the front lines of defense. They shared the dangers, helped the wounded, and suffered together with the defenders," Vuković stated, adding that this initiative sends a clear message: no defender, male or female, should be forgotten, no matter how many years have passed.
The organizers hope that this event will become a tradition and spark greater public interest in the wartime experiences of women. Their life stories are not merely a segment of military history; they testify to courage, solidarity, and responsibility toward society. It is especially important for young people, who mostly learn about the war from textbooks and documentaries, to become acquainted with them.
By arriving in Vukovar, the cycling caravan fulfilled its primary mission: it connected places of remembrance and paid tribute to the women who defended their homeland. The kilometers they covered were not just a sporting feat; they were a powerful expression of gratitude and proof that memory is kept alive through concrete actions.
