Kumane through History: Resilience, Revolution, and National Pride – In this category, we explore the deep connection between Kuman and the struggle for freedom, analyzing historical events and their impact on contemporary understanding of national identity.

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Rada Sokolović and the Beginnings of Socialist Organization in Kumane
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Rada Sokolović and the Beginnings of Socialist Organization in Kumane

The first organization of agricultural workers in Kumane was founded in the late 19th century. According to the memories of the oldest residents of Kumane, its first leader was a young wheelwright, Rada Sokolović, who was expelled from Pakrac as a well-known agitator of socialist ideas.

He returned to his hometown of Kumane, opened a wheelwright workshop in the house of Paja Aćimov, a blacksmith, and began his political activities. He spread socialist ideas with the aim of improving the position of agricultural workers and the poor, which earned him great authority. He organized the first illegal socialist organization of agricultural workers. On his initiative, the first cultural and educational society was also founded, featuring a choir, an amateur drama section, and a reading room. Thanks to his efforts, socialist ideas spread beyond agricultural workers to include craftsmen and small farmers.

The leadership of the first socialist organization included Toša Stančić as president, Đurica Cicvarin as vice president, and Boža Radišić – Bratko as the secretary.

The organization had about 500 members, among whom were Toša Stančić, Milan Tatić – Kečul, Živa Sekulić, Vlada Stančić, Laza Tubić, Steva Radišić, Mladen Stančić, Boža Lirić, and Jevrem Stančić. Meetings were held in groups at Sokolović's workshop and Jevrem Stančić’s mill. Rada Adamov, a well-known socialist agitator, also attended these meetings. Along with Miladin Milošev from Elemir, he was a delegate at the Congress of Agricultural Workers in Budapest in 1897. Rada Adamov was one of the leaders and organizers of the uprising in Elemir that same year, during which he was killed in a clash with the gendarmerie.

During the meetings, they read socialist literature, including works by Pelagić, Svetozar Marković, and Bebel. Boža Lirić and Boža Radišić – Bratko were particularly active and capable members. Their activism did not go unnoticed—they were arrested and harassed multiple times.

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