Through Sunday, October 1, 2023, you can participate in a special charity auctionon the Aukroportal featuringtwo unique Repetitor knives. Mikov will donate all proceeds, as decided by the soldiers from Repetitor, to help sick military veterans.
If you follow Mikov on social media and read the Mikov blog, you know full well that the Tango 23 – Repetitor observation post was part of a long line of observation and control posts for the UN UNCRO mission between hostile Croatia and the Republic of Serbian Krajina. During the Croatian Operation Oluja on August 5, 1995—which aimed to destroy the Republic of Serbian Krajina—a mortar shell struck the observation post, killing two of our soldiers — Luďek Zeman and Petr Valeš — and injuring three others.
On Saturday, May 6, 2023, at the very site of the tragedy, all participants in the mission at that time received Repetitor knives engraved with their names and ranks from a representative of the Mikov company during a ceremonial gathering. At the same time, two knives—now up for auction—bearing the names of both fallen soldiers were also unveiled.
Unlike standard Repetitor knives, Mikov’s technicians embedded an authentic fragment of the mortar shell that caused this tragedy into the handle. The shrapnel was donated by one of the wounded soldiers, Jiří Suda. Both knives come in a gift box accompanied by an original UN forces patch and a brochure describing the entire mission and bearing the signatures of all surviving participants.
The special Repetitor“LuděkZeman” and“PetrValeš”knivesare not only unique items of great collector’s value but also extraordinary historical artifacts. Until the end of the auction and their handover to their new owners, they will be on display at the Mikulášovice Museum of Knife-Making Tradition in Mikulášovice.
You can also learn about the story of the veterans and the entire mission on Tango 23—Repetitor—in the documentary film“Repetitor—We Cannot Forget,”which is available to watch on Mikov’s YouTube channel.