THE ROLE OF THE RMANJ MONASTERY AND ITS CLERGYMEN IN THE STRUGGLE FOR THE SERBIAN NATIONAL LIBERATION DURING THE 19th CENTURY

Abstract

The Rmanj Monastery is, undoubtedly, the most important monastery in Bosnian Krajina and the westernmost Orthodox monastery in Bosnia and Herzegovina today. After the arrival of the Turks in the region of Bosnian Krajina, the Monastery was frequently targeted by Ottoman invaders. The Kulenovic beys from Kulen Vakuf were known for their cruelty, and the martyrdom of the Priest Cvijo Zoric from the Rmanj Monastery, as well as the hanging of his namesake, the Priest Filip, are cited as examples of it. The period of the Bosnian Uprising (1875-1878) largely shaped the history of this holy place in Krajina, for the Rmanj clergymen, primarily Ilija Bilbija and David Grubor, gave a great contribution to the fight for the liberation from the Turks. The Monastery was burned down in the Uprising, although it had been reconstructed a few years before it. The heroism of the clergymen from the Rmanj remains remembered and has often been cited as an example of true pastoral care for the believing people, for their spiritual and biological survival. The Rmanj Monastery was a bastion of the struggle for freedom and Serbian national liberation throughout the 19th century.