A Few Grains from the History of Kumane – by Protoiereus Stevan A. Mirković

How This Booklet Came to Be

When my article titled “Kumane” appeared in the Yugoslav Daily on August 2, 1931 (issue no. 202), my parishioners received it with great enthusiasm. It was read aloud in gatherings and on street corners before groups of listeners. Soon, many expressed the wish that it be printed as a small booklet and distributed among the people of my parish.

Responding to that wish, and remembering that for over fifty years I have been visiting my parishioners’ homes with holy water—baptizing, marrying, and burying thousands of them—I decided to fulfill their request and publish this modest booklet. I do not expect it to withstand the scrutiny of scholars, for it was not written as a scientific study, but as a simple record: a few grains from the history of this village, intended primarily for my parishioners.

Kumane, on the Feast of Saint Parascheva, 1931
Stevan A. Mirković, Parish Priest of Kumane

Kumane

Kumane is one of the ten villages that once belonged to the Great Kikinda District. According to the 1931 census, it had 5,757 inhabitants and 1,361 households, while the description of the Temišvar Eparchy from 1758 mentions 142 households. Aside from a few Hungarian families (about 120 people), two German families, and two Jewish families, the rest of the population consisted entirely of Serbs.

The village is tidy and orderly, especially its central part, where the municipal and parish buildings, the notary’s residence, and school facilities stand alongside several fine private houses. In front of the parish and municipal buildings lies an open area that awaits diligent hands to transform it into a park—something that would be both an adornment to the village and a delight to passersby.

In the center of the village stands a beautiful marble cross, surrounded by an iron fence, erected in 1889 thanks to the efforts of the then-municipal notary Stevan Sekulić and his son-in-law, the curate Stevan Mirković, with donations from the devout residents and church funds.

Historical Records

The oldest written record about the village is a baptismal register from 1757, where the settlement is referred to as “the fort of Kuman.” In the 1758 description of the Temišvar Eparchy, it is listed as “the fort of Kumani.” Its modern name, Kumane, is now used officially, though locals sometimes still say Kumani.

In 1717, the village belonged to the Veliki Bečkerek (Zrenjanin) district and consisted of only 13 houses. In 1752, Serbian border guards from the Tisa–Mureș frontier settled here, establishing a military company. Officers recorded at the time include Captain-Lieutenant Marko Milosavljević, Hadnagy Jovan Nosić, and Sergeant Zarija Plačković.

In 1774, Kumane was annexed to the Great Kikinda District, remaining part of it until the district was dissolved in 1876. The village was relocated to its present location between 1810 and 1812, moving from its old site near the Tisa River.

The Church and Its Clergy

The present-day church, dedicated to Saints Archangels Michael and Gabriel, was built between 1822 and 1832, with its iconostasis completed in 1854. The woodcarving was done by Janić from Arad, and the icons were painted by academic painter Nikola Aleksić, also from Arad.

During the First World War, the church bells were confiscated for military purposes, and new ones were cast and consecrated in 1923 by Pavle Pantelić’s bell foundry in Zemun. A new tower clock was installed in 1926.

The church was renovated in 1913 by contractor Dimitrije Đukanov from Mokrin, and the paintings were restored by Stevan Aleksić, grandson of Nikola Aleksić. The consecration was performed by Archimandrite Isak Došen with the assistance of several priests from neighboring parishes.

Priests Who Served in Kumane (1757–1931)

1. Vasilije Marković (1757–1763)
2. Jovan Veselinović (1757–1781)
3. Stefan Marinković (1758–1779)
4. Stefan Sekulić (1767–1814)
5. Mojsije Jančić (1787–1790)
6. Jovan Nikolić (1779–1780)
7. Stefan Veselinović (1791–1821)
8. Vasilije Nikolić (1814)
9. Atanasije Veselinović (1821–1855)
10. Jeftimije Sekulić (1852–1891)
11. Matej Predragović (1854–1891)
12. Aleksandar Sekulić (1859–1877)
13. Petar Predragović (1859–1904)
14. Stevan Mirković (1881–1934)
15. Sava Stankov (1905–1915)
16. Stevan Sekulić (1917–1931)

Notable People and Heritage

Kumane is known for Theodor Češljar, a renowned 18th–19th-century academic painter whose embroidered epitaphios (burial shroud) still adorns the village church. The village also produced the famous blind violinist Jaša Nemešev, who performed in Novi Sad before 1848, as well as the celebrated actor Laza Telečki, the musician and writer Jovan Borjanović, and physicians Dr. Milan Doroslovac and Dr. Zoran Miletić.

About the Author

Stevan A. Mirković (Protoiereus-Stavrophor)
Served as parish priest in Kumane from 1881 to 1934. Author of the first written history of the village — “Selo Kumane: A Few Grains from the History of the Village of Kumane” (1931).

The Orthodox Church in Kumane

Church of Saints Archangels Michael and Gabriel, built in 1891