Zagreb - Bjelovar on Monday celebrated City Day and Bjelovar Defenders' Day with a special session of the City Council at the renovated Sokolana sports facility, which was opened by Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković.
Addressing the event, Jandroković emphasised that Bjelovar symbolises resistance and victory in the Homeland War, expressing gratitude to Croatian defenders, and highlighted the city's development projects. "A total of €300 million is being invested in the city in areas such as education, healthcare, entrepreneurship, innovation, tourism, and sports -- an unprecedented level of development," said Jandroković, a native of Bjelovar. He praised the Wellovar Spa project, predicting that it will become one of the most prestigious tourism and sports centres in the region once the access road is completed.
Mayor Darinko Hrebak noted that Bjelovar ranked second in Croatia last year for success in securing EU funds. The city has invested about €45 million from EU grants in renovating five historic buildings, including Sokolana, now a modern athletics and gymnastics hall. Other key projects include three new nurseries, a new single-shift school, Arena Bjelovar (a 5,040-seat football stadium), and Croatia's first small-calibre shooting hall, enabling training for Olympic athlete Miran Maričić. The Wellovar Spa will also feature an Olympic swimming pool, the third in Croatia.
The city's celebrations were preceded by the "Barutana 91" Victory Parade, honouring defenders who died liberating the Yugoslav People's Army (JNA) Barutana military depot on 29 September 1991. That day, JNA Major Milan Tepić detonated the depot containing 1,799 tonnes of explosives, killing 11 Bjelovar defenders and a total of 17 Croatian soldiers and civilians.