The President of the National Assembly of the Republic of Srpska, Dr. Nenad Stevandić, attended a memorial service today at the Drakulić memorial ossuary in the Banja Luka suburb. The service honored more than 2,300 Serbs who were brutally murdered by the Ustaše 84 years ago in this settlement, the villages of Motike and Šargovac, and the Rakovac mine.
Following the memorial service, which was led by priests of the Banja Luka Eparchy, wreaths and flowers were laid. Wreaths were laid on behalf of the institutions of the Republic of Srpska by: Nenad Stevandić, President of the National Assembly; Milorad Dodik, President of SNSD; Radan Ostojić, Minister of Labor and Veterans' Affairs; and the Serbian member of the BiH Presidency.
Representatives from Serbia, including the State Secretary in the Ministry of Labour and the Consul General of Serbia in Banja Luka, also laid candles. Additionally, flowers were laid by ministers of the Government of Srpska, MPs, delegations from veterans' organizations, the Third Infantry (the Republic of Srpska) Regiment of the BiH Armed Forces, and the Republic Center for Research on War, War Crimes, and Searching for Missing Persons.
A Holy Hierarchical Liturgy preceded the ceremony at the Church of the Holy Great Martyr George in Drakulić, served by Bishop Sava.
President Stevandić emphasized that the Republic of Srpska serves as a guarantor that crimes against the Serbian people, such as the 1942 massacre, will never happen again.
"With the creation of the Republic of Srpska, self-respect was born, and for the first time, we began to speak openly about the truth that we were forced to remain silent about during the communist dictatorship," Stevandić told reporters.
He noted that the massacre in Drakulić and the surrounding villages represented the largest single-day crime in the Independent State of Croatia (NDH). He reminded the public that over 2,000 Serbs were killed, including 551 children, without a single shot being fired.
"I am completely sure that there would have been no Drakulić or Jasenovac if the Republic of Srpska had existed then. That is why it must exist—to prevent such crimes from repeating," Stevandić concluded.
Historical Context: The 1942 Massacre
In the early morning of February 7, 1942, Ustaše forces began a massacre in the villages of Drakulić, Motike, Šargovac, and the Rakovac mine. A total of 2,315 Serbs were murdered, including 551 children.
The main organizer was the Ustaše official Viktor Gutić. The execution was carried out by members of the 2nd company of "Ante Pavelić's Bodyguard Brigade" under the command of Lieutenant Josip Mišlov, with the active participation of Franciscan chaplain Miroslav Filipović Majstorović.
The slaughter began at the Rakovac mine, where 52 out of 60 Serbian miners were killed.
Roughly 400 Ustaše members moved from house to house. The victims were exclusively civilians—women, children, and the elderly—as most military-aged men were in captivity at the time.
The massacre was carried out without a single bullet, using axes, knives, and pickaxes, highlighting the extreme cruelty and intent of the perpetrators.
