Aleksandra's Note: Many thanks to Mim Bizic for sharing this great news! Bora and Draga Dragasevich in Canada are two of the finest and most active Serbian patriots you'll find anywhere in the Serbian Diaspora! Very glad to hear that this long overdue recognition has been bestowed upon Bora's great-grandfather, one of his forefathers, General Jovan Dragasevic.
Congratulations on the honor, and may General Jovan Dragasevic's iconic slogan "Only Unity Saves the Serbs" finally become a reality among the Serbian people.
Below you will find a description of the event honoring General Jovan Dragasevic in both the Serbian and English language.
To learn more about Serbian patriots Bora and Draga Dragasevich, please visit
http://www.babamim.com/bora_and_draga_dragasevich
Sincerely,
Aleksandra Rebic
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FROM DRAGA DRAGASEVICH, WIFE OF BORA DRAGASEVICH IN CANADA:
Dear friends:
On Tuesday July 14, 2015 the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Serbia organized a tribute at the Dom Vojske [Central Military Club of Serbia] to my Bora’s great-grandfather General Jovan Dragasevic on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of his death with the unveiling of a bas relief sculpture of him (now on permanent display in the Dom Vojske) and a 2-hour academic/cultural program in his honour with military historians addressing his prolific life, a choir, a soloist and a guslar who played Jovan’s epic poem “Jeka od gusala” known among Serbs. All the expert speakers confirmed repeatedly that General Jovan Dragasevic is, in fact, the author of the words “Samo Sloga Srbina Spasava” which first appeared in 1859 in his epic poem. Bora had noted that in his own memoirs “Stopama predaka” ("In the Footsteps of my Forefathers") published 3 years ago. We had found a letter in Arhiv Srbije in which Jovan complains to his friend, Jovan Boskovic, another prominent man of the time, that he was glad his motto had been absorbed by the people, but that he is also saddened that what rightfully belongs to him as author was being taken away from him during his lifetime. The honour and tribute to Jovan earlier this week returned his words to him. He is, indeed, the author...
You can’t imagine how proud we are that this is now publicly acknowledged by an official Serbian institution and Serbian scholars. And that is just one tiny segment of everything that Jovan did for Serbia and its people. He founded the Vojnoistorijski institut (Military Historical Museum), military journals still published, he was a poet, writer, historian, military professor, dramatist, and much more. It is clear that Bora’s book is aptly titled “In the footsteps of my forefathers”.
The ceremony concluded with the reading of Bora’s letter addressing the gathering. Those in attendance were moved by the sincerity of his words and the details he presented. When I translate it, I can send it to you, if you like.
Warm regards to all of you. Our buttons are bursting with pride!!!
Draga
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Откривање спомен-обележја у част генералу Јовану Драгашевићу
У част генералу Јовану Драгашевићу, ратнику, књижевнику и утемељивачу војне штампе у нашој земљи, данас је у холу Дома Војске Србије приређено свечано откривање спомен-обележја с његовим ликом. Барељеф аутора професора Драгољуба Димитријевића открио је ректор Универзитета одбране генерал-мајор проф. др Младен Вуруна.
Генерал Јован Драгашевић (1836-1915) један је од зачетника војне штампе у Србији, уредник и издавач првих војних листова „Војин“ и „Ратник“, чију традицију, под окриљем Медија центра „Одбрана“, баштине и настављају магазин „Одбрана“ и часописи „Војно дело“, „Војнотехнички гласник“ и „Нови гласник“.
Директор Медија центра „Одбрана“ пуковник Стевица С. Карапанџин рекао ја да је та установа почетком године покренула пројекат постављања спомен-обележја у холу Дома Војске, с циљем симболичног обележавања значајних јубилеја из историје ослободилачких ратова и очувања сећања на личности из српске културне и уметничке баштине.
- Бирајући међу бројним, подједнако значајним именима, одлучили смо се за оне великане који су суштински у вези са делатностима установа које се налазе у овом монументалном здању. Ратнички дом, односно Дом Војске Србије, до сада су украсили барељефи „Око соколово на бранику отаџбине“, „Надежда Петровић – ратна болничарка“ и „Ђорђе Вајферт“. Посебно ме радује што се овом бронзаном, односно „златном“ низу, придружује и генерал Јован Драгашевић и то баш данас, на стоту годишњицу његове смрти, рекао је пуковник Карапанџин.
У свечаности су учествовали и књижевник Велиша Јоксимовић, потпуковник у пензији Славољуб М. Марковић, пуковник у пензији проф. др Милоје Пршић и пуковник мр Миливоје Пајовић, који су говорили о прозном и поетском стваралаштву генерала Драгашевића, његовој улози у војној архивистици и историји, као и утемељењу војне штампе и његовом стваралаштву.
Посебна занимљивост била је та што је присутнима прочитано писмо праунука генерала Драгашевића, Боривоја Боре Драгашевића, пристигло пре неколико дана из Торонта, у коме он изражава захвалност домаћинима на части указаној његовом прадеди.
Memorial plaque in honour of General Jovan Dragasevic unveiled at the Central Military Club in Serbia.
In honour of General Jovan Dragasevic, warrior, writer and founder of the military press in our country, today, in the Central Military Club, a ceremonial unveiling of his memorial plaque was held. The low relief by Professor Dragoljub Dimitrijevic was unveiled by rector of the University of Defence Major General Prof. Dr. Mladen Vuruna.
General Jovan Dragasevic (1836-1915) was one of the founders of the military press in Serbia, the editor and publisher of first military magazines “Vojin” and “Warrior”, whose tradition is continued under the auspices of Odbrana Media Centre by magazine Odbrana and journals Military Act, Military Technical Courier and New Courier.
Director of Odbrana Media Centre Colonel Stevica S Karapandzin said that the institution had initiated a project of setting up plaques in the Hall of the Central Military Club early this year to symbolically mark important jubilees from the history of liberation wars and to preserve the memory of figures from Serbian cultural and artistic heritage.
- Choosing from the numerous, equally important names, we have chosen those great names that are substantially connected to the activities of the institutions that are located in this building. The Central Military Club has so far been decorated with low reliefs “Hawk eye on the bastion of defence of the state”, “Nadezda Petrovic – war nurse”, and “Djordje Vajfert”. I am particularly happy that this bronze, or “golden” line is continued by General Jovan Dragasevic, and today, on the centenary of his death – Colonel Karapandzin said.
Dragasevic left behind over 20 books from the fields of geography, history, stylistics, poetry, journals, dramas, and the saying well-known in our country: Only unity saves the Serbs, as is written on their coat of arms!”
The ceremony was also attended by writer Velisa Joksimovic, retired Lieutenant Colonel Slavoljub M Markovic, retired Colonel Prof. Dr. Miloje Prsic and Colonel Milivoje Pajovic, MSc, who spoke about the prose and poetry of General Dragasevic, his role in military archiving and history, and the paved way for military press and its creation.
A special detail was the reading of a letter of great-grandson of General Dragasevic, Borivoje Bora Dragasevic, which had arrived a few days ago from Toronto, in which he conveyed his gratitude to the hosts for the honour paid to his great-grandfather.
The cultural artistic part of the program featured Snezana Djokic, MSc, gusle player Slavko Jeknic, vocal soloist Aleksa Zarev, accordion soloist Slavisa Savic and Choire “Pokrov Presvete Bogorodice” of the Cathedral of Saint Sava’s and Venerable Mother Paraskeva in Surcin.
http://www.odbrana.mod.gov.rs/sadrzaj.php?id_sadrzaja=760
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If you would like to get in touch with me, Aleksandra, please feel free to contact me at heroesofserbia@yahoo.com
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