The book Giants of Mount Romanija (Gorostasi gore Romanije) by author Milivoje Janković was presented in Sokolac, bringing together readers and history enthusiasts interested in the legacy of First World War volunteers from the Romanija region.
The publication documents the lives and contributions of Serbian volunteers from Glasinac, Knežina, Sokolovići and Ravna Romanija, preserving their stories, historical significance and cultural heritage.
A project two decades in the making
Janković explained that work on the manuscript began many years ago while collecting material for a monument dedicated to First World War volunteers.
“The project started in 2006 during preparations for the memorial. Over the years, additional historical material became available, and I set myself the task of collecting everything that had been published in order to create a comprehensive record of the volunteers from the Sokolac area,” he said.
The author noted that the book now contains information on 512 volunteers from the region, while acknowledging that historical research continues to uncover additional names.
“In the meantime, we have identified several more volunteers who were not previously recorded. Even today I learned that seven members of the Tamburić family served as volunteers, although only three had been officially documented,” Janković added.
He also expressed hope that the monument in Sokolac would eventually be updated to include the names of all 512 identified volunteers, as it currently lists 366.
Preserving historical memory
Book reviewer Draženko Đurović described the publication as a valuable contribution to preserving the memory of more than 500 volunteers from the Sokolac region.
According to Đurović, the large number of volunteers illustrates the significant contribution made by Serbs from Bosnia and Herzegovina to the creation of the Yugoslav state following the First World War.
Promoting local history
The book launch was organised by the National Library “Sokolac”. Library director Božica Janković welcomed the strong public interest and announced that the publication will be available to readers through the library’s collection.
In addition to writing historical studies and family chronicles, Milivoje Janković is also known for his work in enigmatics, crossword puzzle design, aphorisms, essays and newspaper columns.
Source: Glas Srpske
