Da se ne zaboravi / Not to be forgotten
ŽENA RATNICA MILUNKA SAVIĆ (1890–1973) LADY WARRIOR MILUNKA SAVIĆ (1890-1973)
asuprot slavi koju je doživela u vreme svo- jih herojskih podviga, potomci su često za- boravu prepuštali uspomenu na neustra- šivu ženu ratnika. Nijedan istoričar nije napisao njenu biografiju, retko se pominje u istorijskim udžbenicima... Ali vreme polako is- pravlja nepravde, počinju da se organizuju izlož- be, pišu knjige, snimljen je i film. Javnost sve više intrigira put koji je nepismena seljančica Milunka Savić prešla do najodlikovanije žene Velikog rata. Rođena je u selu Koprivni-
In contrast to the glory she experienced dur- ing the time of her heroic exploits, descendants often forget to offer remembrance for the fearless woman warrior. No historian has written her biography and she is rarely mentioned in history books ... But time is slowly correcting this injustice, with exhibitions starting to be organised, books written, and a film al- so made. The public is increasingly intrigued by the journey that saw the illiterate peasant girl Milun- ka Savić become the Great War’s most decorated woman. Born in the village of Ko-
ONO MALO ČASTI WHAT LITTLE PRAISE Da bi brata spasla vojske, odsekla je dugu kosu, utegla grudi, stavila šajkaču i prerušena u muškarca krenula u rat To spare her brother from the army, she cut her long hair, covered herself, donned a traditional Serbian cap and, disguised as a man, headed off to war
ca, kod Raške. Imala je 22 godi- ne početkom Prvog balkanskog rata, koji je zauvek promenio njen životni put. Da bi brata spasla vojske i porodici saču- vala jedinog muškog potom- ka, odsekla je svoju dugu bujnu kosu, utegla grudi, stavila šaj- kaču i prerušena u muškarca, pod imenom Milun, pridruži- la se dobrovoljcima svog kraja. Ratovala je kao najveštiji voj- nik sve dok u Drugom balkan- skom ratu, u bici na Bregalnici, nakon zadobijene rane na gru- dima, bolničko osoblje nije ot- krilo njenu vešto čuvanu tajnu – Milunku ispod maske Miluna. Za prve rane odlikovana je me- daljom za hrabrost i činom ka- plara srpske vojske. Početak Prvog svetskog rata za Milunku znači nove is- pite hrabrosti. Ne dobivši voj- ni poziv, odlazi prvo u štab ge- nerala Stepe Stepanovića, gde biva odbijena, pa u Kragujevac, u štab vojvode Radomira Putni- ka. Kategorično traži svoj ras- pored. Odbija uvredljivo me- sto bolničarke i jasno formuliše svoju nameru: „Neću da budem bolničarka! Hoću pušku!“. Tada Milunka prvi put bez skrivanja
privnica near Raška, she was 22 years old at the beginning of the First Balkan War, which changed her life’s journey forever. In order to spare her brother from serv- ing in the military and protect the family’s sole male heir, she cut her long thick hair, covered her- self, donned a traditional Serbi- an cap and, disguised as a man, under the name of Milun, joined the volunteers of her area. She fought like the most skilled sol- dier until the Battle of Bregalnica in the Second Balkan War when, after she sustained wounds to the chest, hospital staff discovered her skilfully kept secret – Milun- ka under the Milun mask. For sus- taining that first wound she was awarded with a medal for bravery and given the rank of corporal in the Serbian Army. The outbreak of World War I meant new tests of bravery for Milunka. Having not received a call to join the military, she first went to the headquarters of Gen- eral Stepa Stepanović, where she was rejected, and then to Kraguje- vac, to the headquarters of Duke Radomir Putnik. She categorical- ly sought her schedule. She re- jected the insulting position of
identiteta postaje pripadnica srpske vojske, Dru- gog pešadijskog puka Drinske divizije, u kojem se borila i Škotkinja Flora Sands. U toj jedinici provo- di veći deo rata, sa izuzetkom 1915, kada kao bom- baš učestvuje u odbrani Beograda. Na Drini je svoje grudi ukrasila prvom Karađorđevom zvez- dom s mačevima. Tokom povlačenja preko Albanije, 1915. godi-
a nurse and clearly formulated her intentions: “I will not be a nurse! I want a rifle!” It was then that Milun- ka, for the first time without concealing her identi- ty, became a member of the Serbian Army, II Infantry Regiment of the Drina Division, in which the Scottish lady Flora Sands also fought. There she spent the ma- jority of the war, with the exception of 1915, when she participated in the defence of Belgrade as a bomber.
Tekst / Words: Olgica Kravljača Fotografije / Photography: Arhiva / Archive, Mitar Mitrović
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