Aleksandar Lekso Saičić

Aleksandar Lekso Saičić (Serbian Cyrillic: Александар Лексо Саичић; 5 August 1873 – 7 April 1911) was a Serbian national hero, from Crna Gora(Montenegro), captain of the Montenegrin Army. He was from the Vasojević tribe. He was remembered for his ability to handle sabres and for a duel with an unnamed Japanese champion, from whom he emerged as the winner.[1]

Aleksandar Saičić
Aleksandar Lekso Saičić
Native name
Александар Саичић
Nickname(s)Lekso
Born(1873-08-05)5 August 1873
Vinicka, Principality of Montenegro
Died7 April 1911(1911-04-07) (aged 37)
Cetinje, Kingdom of Montenegro
AllegianceTemplate:Country data Principality of Crna Gora
Template:Country data Kingdom of Crna Gora(Black Mountain, Montenegro
RankLieutenant
Battles/warsRusso-Japanese War

Biography

He finished elementary school and enrolled at the Gymnasium in Cetinje as a pit of Prince Nikola. He graduated from high school in Dubrovnik from where he moved to Belgrade where he attended the Military School. After a non-commissioned school, he had been in Montenegro for three years, where he had been appointed as the aide of the Vasojević Brigade. As a soldier with a desire for further training he went to Istanbul where he entered the Ottoman Army as a lieutenant of the Imperial Guard where he served for three years.[2]

“They flew towards each other and clashed like two eagles, swinging their swords towards the Sun, armies sang from both sides like some ancient choir” - An unknown poet described the battle between Lekso and the Japanese warrior[3]

He participated in the Russo-Japanese War. The Montenegrin detachment in that war was led by Jovan Lipovac. Lekso was remembered for killing a Japanese warrior in a duel before the battle in 1905. Because of this victory, he was decorated with Russian Orden. The Russian government ordered him forty Napoleons in gold annually for the rest of his life. In Manchuria he was promoted to the rank of captain and until the end of the war commanded the cavalry of the Dragon regiment. The saber, which Lekso won the duel with, is preserved today at the Military Museum in Moscow.[4]

He carried the following medals: St. Anne and St. Stanislaw of II class with swords, St. Vladimir of III class with Swords, St. Anne and St. Stanislaw III Class with Swords, Russian Medal of Wounded in Wars, Medal of the Italian Crown of IV class.

Montenegrin medals he received were Medal of Danilo First of IV class and Silver Medal for Bravery.

In battles he was wounded three times, he never took a break to heal the wounds, but he continued to fighting. He died as a result of a jump from the second floor of the King's Palace in Cetinje during the fire while he was trying to save the rare books that were kept there. He was buried with highest military honors.[5][6][7]

References
  1. "Crnogorac Aleksandar Lekso Saičić posjekao 1905. u dvoboju japanskog samuraja". Montenegrina.net. March 5, 2019. Archived from the original on 28 January 2010. Retrieved 3 March 2019.
  2. "Promovisana knjiga Aleksandar Lekso Saičić". Mladiniksica.me. March 3, 2019. Retrieved 3 March 2019.
  3. "The one who defeated samurai". SlavicAffairs.com. December 7, 2018. Retrieved 7 December 2018.
  4. "Lekso sabljom stekao slavu!". www.novosti.rs (in Serbian). Retrieved 2020-07-05.
  5. "Legendary Montenegrin Warrior Who Defeated a Samurai in a Sword Duel". MeetTheSlavs.com. October 3, 2014. Archived from the original on 18 November 2014. Retrieved 3 October 2014.
  6. "DRAGULJI ISTORIJE: Kako je Crnogorac Lekso Saičić u dvoboju pośekao samuraja". PortalAnalitika.me. April 7, 2016. Retrieved 7 April 2016.
  7. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFTPfPCx3xs. Missing or empty |title= (help)
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