Celebrations at home. The accident and its consequences. Tesla's disease. The Second World War.

July 10, 1936 Nikola Tesla was eighty years old. This anniversary was celebrated in his native Yugoslavia. At the end of April in Belgrade International Scientific Congress was held, which was attended by many eminent scientists from different countries. Dozens of scientific papers, numerous articles in journals of different countries, dedicated to the multifaceted work of Nikola Tesla, have been published in this anniversary year.

He himself was unable to visit their homeland, and only from a distance watched the celebrations in his honor. Details reported in letters to his beloved sister Maritza Kosanovich and her son Sava.

In Belgrade, Zagreb, Gospic scientific congresses were held across the country held meetings, lectures and presentations. The schools held special lessons dedicated to stories about the life of a national hero. The Yugoslav Government has issued a special postage stamp in honor of Nikola Tesla. An outstanding sculptor of Yugoslavia, People's Artist of the FPRY Dinchich sculpted bust of the scientist. Research Institute was established, whose task was the development of issues related to the use of high frequency and high voltage currents. Nikola Tesla himself was elected an honorary director of the Institute. In addition to the honor, this election to get rid of his last, from material worries: Honorary Director received a salary of $ 7,500 a year.

But this well-deserved recognition of his untiring labors, the recognition that life is lived not in vain, one Devoted to science, would not have to return to it the fact that it took forever. Life went on as usual, and reading letters from Belgrade, he kept returning to the idea of ​​pigeons. It is time to go to the square. As he hesitated today! The usual hour, when the pigeons flew for food, has already come, but he still comes and goes. For the past twelve years, he has not missed a single time to an hour feeding the pigeons. Not once! And today ... Lost in thought, Tesla did not notice that went off the pavement, and felt a strong impact and a sharp pain in his chest for a moment lost consciousness.

Downed passenger car, he received serious damage. Fracture of the ribs caused acute and then a chronic inflammation of the lungs, a dangerous and at a younger age. Now he is confined to bed, can not even move about the room. But nothing can change his way of life: no one still can not appear in a room without a call or without permission.

From Robert Johnson received a letter.

"Oh, if I had at least something could help you in your illness - the old man wrote to Johnson, he did not leave the already my room -. On this night twelve years ago died, my dear wife, who dearly loved you One of the latter. her words were: "Be friendly with Tesla and take care of him," You know, I've always tried to do it, and how hard it was to keep in touch with you do not lose it in the new year, dear friend Besides Hobson and we... , you have left a few friends who could take care of you. ask Agnes to come to you, because I can not ... Agnes will really need you. you just need to call her on the phone. I beg you, do it in memory of Mrs. Johnson.

Deeply loves you and loyal to you Robert A. Johnson (Luke Filipov). "Tesla did not reply to this email or call Agnes.

Why change the habit, what to call a vision of the distant past? Agnes - her daughter, the daughter of his friend.

He became animated only when visits Sava Kosanovicha - the youngest son of the beloved sister Maritza. Yugoslav Ambassador to the US, Kosanovich was very similar to his mother, and in conversations with him as if Tesla back in the distant past, spoke with Maritza lived with thoughts of the homeland, whose interests are represented by their Sava. Years passed. In 1941, the native country was attacked by the Nazis, ruined and plundered country.

The April disaster in the Balkans - the invasion of Nazi troops - deeply impressed Tesla patient. Every day the news came one sadder than the other.

Sava Kosanovich told him about the underground struggle, the guerrillas started in Yugoslavia, Tesla immediately appealed to all Slavs, who lived in America, with an appeal to help the People's Liberation Army. And in October 1941 in response to the appeal of the Slavic antifascist rally of scientists in Moscow he participated in the organization of the Slavic rally in New York. Tesla sent to the Academy of Sciences of the USSR its response to the appeal of the Soviet scientists that 19 October 1941 was published in the newspaper "Izvestia".

"We Yugoslavs, with delight watching the heroic struggle of the brotherly Russian people and all the peoples of the Soviet Union and admire the high aspirations of your great heroes who shed blood not only in defense of their homeland, but also for the freedom and civilization of all peoples. We firmly believe in the victory. "

A few days later, in a New York newspaper, he wrote:

"The Soviet Union, of course, be able to collect this invincible force, what is not in the world, and this force - the young Soviet peoples Nowhere is this youth which is the Russian youth.".

In April 1942, Tesla published his famous letter to "my brothers in America" ​​- a document full of humanism and a passionate love of country. With a deep sense of pride for his people he wrote about the shooting Nazis schoolchildren Kraluevtse:

"How much mental strength, valor and heroism was in our still very young boys, when standing in front of the German rifles, they shouted:" We - Serbian Fly, shoot, "As we all can be proud of, knowing that in the whole history of the world there! this grand example! These wonderful martyrs will live century in our minds, inspiring us to immortal works. "

He called all feasible to fight against the enemy:

"Inseparable fate of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes in our old homeland, although the enemy and tried to separate it."

A great courage and moral strength of this giant of thought and feeling played an important role in organizing the victory of his brothers and sisters in a country where everyone stood up to fight the hated enemy.

News of hot calls Nikola Tesla, his moral support in the fight against Yugoslav partisans came to his homeland.

In 1943, the first division of guards People's Liberation Army for their courage and heroism was named after Nikola Tesla. But Tesla was not only the Yugoslav patriot. He thought about the fate of all people and wanted to see the world based on the principles of communism.

Speaking of the postwar world, vosmidesyatipyatiletny Tesla wrote: "As a result of this war, the greatest in history, must be born a new world that would justify the sacrifices humanity This new world is a world in which there will be exploitation of the weak by strong, good evil, where. there will be humiliation of the poor before the power of the rich, where the works of the mind, of science, of art will serve society as a whole in order to facilitate and improve their lives, not to individuals for the purchase of resources. This new world is not the world of the downtrodden and oppressed, it is a world of free men and peoples are equal in dignity and respect. "