Milivoj Jugin | Origin of Street Names

Milivoj Jugin (1925 - 2013) was a Serbian and Yugoslavian aerospace engineer, likely the greatest expert on astronautics in the Balkans and a legendary commentator of the famous Moon landing broadcast.

He was born in Kikinda, where he received his primary education. His role model during childhood was his fellow townsman Kosta Sivčev, a pre-war pilot and aviation engineer, whose footsteps the young Milivoj Jugin followed. He spent the period of World War II in Ukraine, where he attended and graduated from the local Aeronautical Academy. Upon returning to his homeland, he completed his studies at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and obtained a job at the Aeronautical Institute as an aircraft designer.

His interest in cosmonautics arose out of sheer curiosity, and in the following decades, Milivoj Jugin became an eminent expert on American and Soviet space programs, as well as everything related to the exploration and conquest of space in the 20th century.

A person of broad education and highly specific knowledge uncommon for the average Yugoslavian of that time, Milivoj Jugin gradually became interesting to the media as someone who could explain all the challenges of space exploration in simple and understandable terms.

During the "Cold War" period between the USA and the USSR, Jugin, with his high expertise and reputation, earned the privilege of being involved and witnessing live the launch of the first human-crewed rockets from both rival camps. He provided commentary on such events on behalf of Television Belgrade, which represented a great trust, a kind of recognition, and a privilege for both the country and himself.

The most fascinating broadcast undoubtedly occurred during the Apollo 11 mission when American astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin set foot on the Moon. During the launch of the Saturn V rocket, Milivoj Jugin uttered legendary words that will be forever remembered:

"Dear viewers, I don't know if you can hear this thunder. The Earth beneath us is trembling. Everything is shaking. This is a scene both terrifying and magnificent. The first humans are heading to the Moon."

Milivoj Jugin is sometimes jokingly referred to as the first Serbian (or Yugoslavian) in space. Being a close friend of numerous Soviet cosmonauts including Pavel Popovich, German Titov, Viktor Savinykh, and others, a photograph of Milivoj Jugin was present in space on multiple occasions as a sign of respect and fondness.

As a great enthusiast of astronautics, Milivoj Jugin published a total of 12 publications on the subject of space and space exploration during his lifetime.

He passed away at the age of 88, and today, a symbolic remembrance of the globally recognized expert, Milivoj Jugin, is preserved through a street named after him in his hometown of Kikinda.