BOOK ON NIĆIFOR DUČIĆ - NOTABLE 19TH-CENTURY FIGURE PRESENTED IN TREBINJE

TREBINJE, SEPTEMBER 11 /SRNA/ – A book about Archimandrite Nićifor Dučić – a Serb clergyman, historian, and warrior, considered one of the most educated individuals of the 19th century, was presented this evening at the National Library in Trebinje.

The author, Milivoje Rupić, told the press that Nićifor Dučić was among the most educated people of the 19th century and studied for two years at the Sorbonne. "He was a member of the Serbian Royal Academy, the Yugoslav Academy of Sciences and Arts in Zagreb, the Moscow Academy, and many other institutions and organisations of that time," said Rupić, who is also the secretary of the "Jovan Dučić" Association of Trebinje Natives in Belgrade. He noted that, together with friends from the Archive of the Serbian Orthodox Church, he organised a documentary exhibition on Nićifor Dučić's life and work, as well as a commemorative event in the crypt of the Cathedral Church of Saint Sava in Belgrade. After that, he began his research and wrote this book. Rupić emphasized that all Herzegovinians should be proud of Nićifor Dučić, as well as Mićo Ljubibratić, Luka Vukalović, Jovan Dučić, and other notable figures from the region. Dr. Dragan Kovač said that the book’s subtitle best describes who Nićifor Dučić was, explaining that he was a warrior, writer, librarian, philosopher, and above all, a nationally devoted man – a Serb in every sense, who opened many schools in Herzegovina and Montenegro. "The author made an effort to systematize everything written about Nićifor to date and to present it in an accessible and understandable way," Kovač explained. Milosava Supić Vuković, Director of the National Library, emphasized that the promotion of a book about one of the most important intellectuals and spiritual leaders of the 19th century – Nićifor Dučić – is of great importance for the Library and the city of Trebinje. "This promotion was held just a few meters from the personal library of Jovan Dučić's Legacy. We can say this is a symbolic meeting of two individuals who contributed not only to Trebinje and Herzegovina but also to the history and culture of Serbs," Supić stated. The book was published this year by the Jovan Dučić Association of Trebinje Natives in Belgrade.