Rumboci Unveil 63-Meter Mural Honoring Fallen Defenders
The impressive work on the wall brings to life the memory of 22 heroes of the Homeland War from this village, with special thanks from residents going to artist Ante Džolan Roki.
The impressive work on the wall brings to life the memory of 22 heroes of the Homeland War from this village, with special thanks from residents going to artist Ante Džolan Roki.
In Rumboci, a memorial mural dedicated to the fallen defenders of this village was ceremoniously unveiled on Saturday, stretching an impressive 63 meters. The project, initiated by the Iličić family, quickly grew beyond family bounds, drawing in a large number of residents and donors, creating a unique blend of art and the culture of remembrance.
The wall features portraits and the names of 22 fallen defenders, members of the Croatian Defence Council (HVO) and the Croatian Army, who laid down their lives on battlefields across Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. The mural is conceived as a sacred space where due tribute and gratitude to the heroes of Rumboci can be paid at any time.
Special thanks go to artist Ante Džolan Roki, who, along with his team, worked tirelessly for nine nights to bring the memory of Rumboci's heroes to life. "This work on the wall is art without competition, a huge, beautifully painted wall without a single insult or trace of hatred," the community highlights.
The project's initiator, Ivan Iličić, and his family expressed satisfaction that what began as a family project gained broader support. Residents contributed financially to the creation of this grand piece, raising the bar very high and showing great hearts, as they put it.
Among the fallen defenders whose names are immortalized on the mural is Mijo Franjić, a member of the "Tigers" who gave his life in Vukovar at Sajmište near Prvomajska Street. His remains were exhumed during the peaceful reintegration of the Croatian Danube region and were given a dignified burial in his native Rumboci in 1998.
There are also Ilija Kapčević, Kapara, an HVO captain wounded at Zvirnjača near Kupres on April 26, 1992, and Ivan Franjić, Kič, a captain killed on May 28, 1992, at Ravašnica by a mortar shell. Both were posthumously awarded the Order of Petar Zrinski and Fran Krsto Frankopan with a gilded wattle.
Mile Petrović, Pivač, a captain, was killed on August 5, 1992, in Ravno near Kupres, and his body was exhumed and exchanged on June 5, 1993. Radovan Baketarić, a colonel and deputy commander of the "Rama" brigade, was fatally wounded on October 3, 1992, at Ravašnica by a leftover anti-personnel mine.
The mural also commemorates Ante Džolan, Crni (killed in Prozor on October 24, 1992), Ljuban Ćuk (died on November 12, 1992, at KBC Split after a traffic accident in Ripci), and Miško Zelić (killed on January 24, 1993, at Alipašića brijeg). Dragan Baketarić was treacherously killed on February 12, 1993, in Uzričje, while Mijo Kovačević, Čare lost his life in a tragic accident at Ometala on March 18, 1993.
Mijo Šarčević, Vegac was killed on April 24, 1993, at Rodići-Bokševica, and Franjo Jakovljević was treacherously killed on April 27, 1993, in Voljički Pale, his remains were exhumed on May 1, 1995. Ivan Zelić and Ilija Cvitanović were killed on the same day, September 14, 1993, at Pržine-Uzdol during an enemy attack on the barracks.
Ante Nikolić, Stipić and Toma Baraban, Bisko were killed on November 12, 1993, at Zavišće, and their remains were exchanged on February 9, 1994, in Uskoplje. Branko Cvitanović died in a traffic accident in Stainach, Austria, on June 30, 1994, while Tadija Ćuk was killed in Zagreb on March 17, 1993.
Ante Nikolić, Šimin, a captain, was killed on November 20, 1995, on the doorstep of his family home in Rumboci. Ivan Džolan, a Croatian Army volunteer, was killed on August 7, 1995, in Glina during liberation operations. Šimun Fofić, Fofa, a brigadier and the first commander of the "Rama" brigade, was killed on July 7, 1992, at Rosoj, while Ante Pavlović, a retired colonel and former brigade commander, passed away on February 29, 2020, and was buried in the Alley of Croatian Defenders at Mirogoj. Šimun Žutić, a volunteer and former brigade commander, passed away on March 19, 2012.
All were posthumously awarded the Homeland War Memorial Medal, and most also received the Order of Petar Zrinski and Fran Krsto Frankopan. "May the fallen defenders of Rumboci rest in eternal peace, and thank them for their sacrifice," the community conveys.
