...Born in Trebinje, Herzegovina, Ducic became a school teacher in Bijeljina and Mostar. However, he was soon forced to move to a monastery school in Zitomislic by the Austro-Hungarian government due to his openly expressed Serbian patriotism (*at that time Bosnia-Herzegovina was de facto incorporated into the Austro-Hungarian Empire while parts of Serbia reserved independence). Ducic subsequently pursued higher studies in Switzerland and entered Serbian diplomatic service in 1907. He served in Istanbul, Sofia, Rome, Athens, Cairo, Madrid and Lisabon and he also became the first Yugoslav ambassador to Romania in 1937. Ducic spoke several foreign languages and he is remembered as a distinguished diplomat. More importantly, Ducic endowed us with a wealth of Serbian poetry, depicting romantic love, love for God and love for his home country – Serbia...

The dream of most Serbs in the Diaspora is to return to their place of birth. The great Serbian poet Jovan Ducic was no exception. He left a last will expressing his desire to be returned to his native Trebinje, on the river Trebisnjica, specifying the Crkvina heights above the town for his last resting place. Fifty-seven years after the death of the great poet, his last wish fidally came true his earthly remains were transferred from the St.Sava Serbian Orthodox  Monastery in Libertyville, USA, to Trebinje on October 22, 2000. He was buried at the Herzegovinian Gracanica, built according to the poet’s wishes as a replica of the famous 14^th century architecural jewel of  Kosovo. The Herzegovinian Gracanica Memorial Complex includes: the church of the Holy Assumption, built of brich and a local limestone called siga, with five domes covered in copper, a square bell-tower with three bells, an Administrative Building and residence, 700 sq. m in area, an open amphitheatre seating 600. The Administrative Building and the Amphitheatre are suitable for cultural and spiritual gatherings. Mr. Branko Tupanjac from the United States is fonder of the Gracanica of Herzegovina. The architect is Mr. Predrag Ristic from Belgrade.

The traditional two-day cultural event “The Ducic Evening of poetry” begins every April 7 – the Annunciation – in Trebinje, the great poet’s birthplace. At a solemn ceremony on the first evening, the Ducic Award is presented for the previous year, after which the jury declares the award’s recipiens for the current year. By tradition, a poet’s evening is held on the second day, when recipiens of the Ducic Award, and the other poets attending, from RS, Montenegro and Serbia recite their poetry. By decision of the RS Cabinet, the Ducic’s Evenings of Poetry were declared to be Republic significience. The event is also attended by dignitaries of Serbian Ortodox Church, representatives of the municipal authorites and the regional economy and by guestes from Yugoslavia.