Milan Karanović

He was born in 1882 in the village of Novlja, Velika Rujiška, which at the time was part of Bosanska Krupa County and is now within the Municipality of Novi Grad. He completed his elementary education in Bosanska Krupa and later moved to Sarajevo, where he enrolled in the "Country Craftsmen's School" in 1897, majoring in carpentry. He joined the school in the second grade with the intention of enrolling in the first grade of the Gymnasium. During his first year in seminary, he published his first work on migrations from Old Serbia and Herzegovina via Bosnia to Northern Dalmatia, Croatia, and Slavonia. This work earned him personal praise from the renowned geographer Jovan Cvijić, along with a fee of 150 dinars. Subsequently, he received an invitation from Cvijić to visit him in Belgrade, although this meeting did not happen immediately.

After completing theological school, he married Milo Blagojević and was appointed to a parish in the village of Rujnica near Cazin in 1909. In 1911, he was elected an honorary member of the Diocesan Church Court in Banja Luka, and in 1913, he was transferred to Velika Kladuša. Due to his exceptional efforts, a new church was built in Kladuša in 1913, for which he received special commendation from the metropolitan. During World War I, in November 1914, he was placed under house arrest and later taken to a military court in Banja Luka, where he was released after four months due to a lack of evidence. Tragically, his wife Mila passed away during this period, leaving him to continue his life as a widowed priest.

In March 1918, he was transferred from Kladuša to the Čađavička parish. After the war, Karanović was elected as a member of the People's Council of Bosanski Novi. In 1919, Karanović finally visited Jovan Cvijić in Belgrade to present his work on the origins of the population in Pounje. However, Cvijić was at the Peace Conference in Versailles at the time. Cvijić later invited him to Belgrade, recommending that he contact Ljuba Davidović at the Ministry of Education. Although Karanović was offered a secretarial position at the Spiritual Court in Belgrade, he was more interested in working at the National Museum in Sarajevo, a position discussed with Vladimir Ćorović. Karanović eventually met with Cvijić on March 28, 1920. Following this meeting, he received a letter from the Minister of Education directing him to work at the National Museum in Sarajevo, where Dr. Ćiro Truhelka welcomed him and arranged for his accommodation with Vladislav Skarić at the Institute for the Study of the Balkans. In 1923, Karanović decided to marry Zora Stefanović from Zemun and subsequently left the priesthood. He worked as an ethnographer-curator at the National Museum in Sarajevo until 1946. He passed away in 1955.

From an early age, Karanović was fascinated by the anthropogeographic conditions in the Krajina region. His job as a priest allowed him to maintain constant contact with the local population, which he used to collect historical and ethnographic data. Under the guidance of Professor Vladislav Skarić, Karanović began a fruitful collaboration with Jovan Cvijić in 1904. Initially as a parish priest and later as an ethnologist, Karanović devoted years to studying the rich cultural heritage of the Krajina region, collecting folk songs, embroidery, customs, and traditions over nearly fifty years of work. Through his connection with Petar Kočić, Karanović became acquainted with the Zmijanje region and undertook the study of its turbulent history and traditions.

Karanović was a prolific researcher, leaving behind more than 300 articles and studies. His most significant works focused on the Bosnian Krajina, including "Pounje in the Bosnian Krajina," "Saničke Župa in the Bosnian Krajina," "Chatting of Duke Petar Mrkonjić - King Peter in the Bosnian Krajina 1875-1878," and "Bosnian Krajina – A Brief Historical, Anthropogeographic, and Ethnographic Overview." His book, "Chatting with Duke Petar Mrkonjić in the Bosnian Krajina 1875-1876," was based on his conversations with King Petar's lieutenant, Laza Škrbić from Stabanja. Karanović contributed to numerous newspapers, including "Srpska Rije," "Narod," "Srbobran," "Novi Život," "Prosveta," "Srpsko Kolo," and "Politika." His scientific endeavors earned him recognition, with many reviews and studies written about his work. His ethnographic contributions, along with those of priest Petar Radjenović, are considered significant in the understanding of local history.

Selected Bibliography:

• "Study of the Village," Sarajevo, 1907.
• "From Una," Sarajevo, 1907.
• "About the Scientific Work of Jovan Cvijić," Sarajevo, 1925.
• "Christmas in Serbian Folk Songs," Sarajevo, 1925.
• "Pounje in Bosnian Krajina," 1925.
• "About the Types of Houses in Bosnia," Sarajevo, 1927.
• "Bosnia and Herzegovina: Historical-Ethnographic Overview," 1928.
• "About the Ancient Folk Costume of the Bosnian Krajina," Sarajevo, 1932.
• "Gomionica Monastery," Belgrade, 1934.
• "The Legend of the Treasure of Tsar Lazar," Belgrade, 1935.
• "Saint Sava in the Folklore of the Bosnian Krajina," 1936.
• "Usko and Falcon's Nest on Una," Belgrade, 1936.
• "Cvijić's Efforts to Study Bosnia," Sarajevo, 1937.
• "Imlja Folk Costume, Embroidery, and Dyeing"