UVOD

U ovome se radu donosi kronologija događanja vezana uz kosinjski otpor projektu HES Kosinj, odnosno izgradnji akumulacije i potapanju Gornjega Kosinja i Mlakve. Kad smo uvidjeli načine provođenja aktivnosti i radova u samim početcima, smatrali smo da su nezakoniti ili barem neljudski. Odmah nam je bilo jasno da će i cijeli projekt ići tako, bez obzira na to što je poslije proglašen strateškim projektom države.¹

U tome je važan bio pokojni elektroinženjer Branimir Pinčić. Više je puta dolazio u Kosinj, a sastajali smo se i u Otočcu. Njegova mišljenja i istraživanja također su dospjela u medije.² On je osporavao projekt mnogo prije nego što smo mi u Kosinju pokrenuli naše aktivnosti. Blisko je surađivao i s pokojnim biskupom mons. dr. sc. Milom Bogovićem. Biskup Bogović protivio se projektu i propitivao zašto se mora graditi baš takva akumulacija, postoji li alternativa kojom bi se izbjeglo iseljavanje ljudi, a ipak dobila potrebna električna energija.

Pinčić je predlagao alternativni sustav s više manjih hidroelektrana gdje bi se voda skupljala na nenastanjenim poljima, u manjim retencijama, pa se ne bi potapale kuće. Zatim bi se preko Markova ponora u Donjem Kosinju odvodila prema Senju. Za takvo bi rješenje, međutim, trebalo promijeniti postojeće postrojenje kako bi se vodni potencijal bolje iskoristio.³

Riječ je bila i o reverzibilnom radu postrojenja: kada bi bilo viška energije, voda bi se vraćala u bazene, a kada bi energije nedostajalo, iz tih bi se bazena ponovno koristila. Postoje i druga prirodna izvorišta koja bi se mogla povezati s takvim sustavom. Govorilo se i o povezivanju sa solarnim elektranama i vjetroelektranama. Važna je bila stabilnost vodnog potencijala koju bi reverzibilna hidroelektrana mogla osiguravati. No, nitko iz HEP-a, ministarstava i Vlade RH nije htio ozbiljno saslušati i proučiti Pinčićev prijedlog.

Slika 1. Shematski prikaz alternativnog projekta inženjera Branimira Pinčića4

Zbog svega navedenog u Kosinju su od najava projekta HES Kosinj postojale ideje i razgovori o potrebi uključivanja domicilnog stanovništva, no nije bilo jasno kako djelovati. S vremenom je narod Kosinja shvatio da mora neprestano biti aktivan i upozoravati na nove okolnosti, sve kako bi tema došla u javnost i ostala u njoj prisutna. Kasnije je zatražena pravna pomoć, potpora znanstvenih i stručnih krugova, udruga za zaštitu okoliša i poznatih osoba. Priča nije smjela ostati samo u Kosinju. Trebalo je pronaći ljude koji će se baviti projektom i pokazati zašto smatramo da je promašen, da je financijski neisplativ te da su brojke u studijama, primjerice o količini vode i proizvodnji električne energije, prenapuhane.

ŠTO JE SPORNO U PROJEKTU HES KOSINJ

Prvo i najvažnije, radi se o odnosu moćnika i vlasti prema ljudima. Kada su radovi počeli, trebalo je sazvati ljude, obavijestiti ih, objasniti projekt i razgovarati s njima. Predstavnici vlasti ili HEP-a to nikada nisu učinili. U Kosinju je bio samo jedan sastanak, ali taj nije bio organiziran na razini institucija ili HEP-a, već na razini udruge građana i u vezi s udrugom „Kosinjska dolina“ koju predstavlja njen predsjednik Milan Sigurnjak. Na tom se sastanku željelo prikazati da iza toga stoje općina ili županija, no to nije bilo tako.

Nadalje, kad su se radile procjene za izvlaštenja, kroz kuće i imanja procjenitelji su prolazili vrlo brzo, doslovno u minutama. U tom kratkom vremenu oni nisu mogli pregledati svaku prostoriju, izmjeriti kvadraturu i utvrditi je li prostor uređen. Trebalo je dokumentirati i sve izvan kuća, primjerice bunar, šternu i druge objekte. To se ne može kvalitetno napraviti na način kako su radili procjenitelji. Jako puno ljudi se žalilo da im je već pri katastarskoj izmjeri (koja je prethodila procjenama) smanjena upisana površina zemljišta ili da dio nekretnina uopće nije upisan.

Bez obzira na to, većina je ljudi pristala na ponuđene iznose – jer je većina Kosinjana živjela i živi izvan Kosinja. To je njihova privatna odluka, no cijene su bile iznimno niske. Istina, bilo je i ruševnih ili zapuštenih kuća. Kad je pojedini vlasnik dobio 20, 50 ili 70 tisuća eura, u tom se trenutku činilo da je dobro prošao. Danas se vidi da su to bili vrlo niski iznosi. O tome smo razgovarali na našim kosinjskim sastancima mnogo puta. Govorili smo da će se tim pristupom postupno smanjivati broj ljudi koji se protive projektu: najprije bi jedni prihvatili ponudu, zatim bi preostalima u novome krugu podigli cijenu i tako su iz HEP-a redom smanjivali broj nezadovoljnih i spremnih na prosvjede i reakcije.

Radila se i cesta od Kosinjskog Bakovca do Kosinjskog mosta. Radovi su išli vrlo sporo. Tvrtka GP Krk odustala je na pola radova, a cesta je ostala nedovršena. Nije izgledalo da sve ide prema jasnome planu HEP-a. Isto vrijedi i za cestu prema HE Sklope i akumulacijskom jezeru Kruščica. I ta je cesta ostala nedovršena, a potom završila u sudskom sporu. Jedina pristupna županijska cesta od Kosinjskoga mosta prema Gornjem Kosinju u tim je radovima bila u potpunosti uništena. Postavlja se pitanje kakav je to odnos vlasti i HEP-a prema ljudima koji tu žive, rade i svaki dan putuju na posao u Gospić, Perušić, Otočac? Kako otići liječniku, jer liječnika u Kosinju nema godinama? Što je s putovanjem djece u školu iz Donjeg u Gornji Kosinj i tako redom? Mjesecima smo pisali, pozivali medije, vršili pritisak dok se gospoda iz županije i HEP-a nisu konačno odlučila asfaltirati tih 2–3 kilometra potpuno uništene i jedine prometnice iz Gornjeg Kosinja prema unutrašnjosti Like.

Slika 2. Stanje županijske ceste Gornji Kosinj, 2024. godina5

I na kraju, potpuno ignoriranje kulturno-povijesne važnosti Kosinja. U središtu je te priče tvrdnja da je u Kosinju bila prva hrvatska tiskara, da je ondje tiskan Misal po zakonu rimskoga dvora i da je prvi hrvatski tiskar bio Kosinjanin. Naravno, povijest Kosinja nije počela s tiskarom. Na njegovu je području, koliko znamo, oko četrdeset arheoloških nalazišta, a nijedno nije sustavno istraženo. Na nekoliko je mjesta HEP platio samo sondažna istraživanja, dok potrebna zaštitna arheološka istraživanja nisu provedena. Sporan je, dakle, izostanak potrebnih zaštitnih istraživanja prema Zakonu o zaštiti i očuvanju kulturnih dobara. U bilo kakvim građevinskim radovima, nailaskom na arheološko nalazište, investitor mora financirati zaštitno arheološko istraživanje i pričekati njegov dovršetak (čl. 45. i 46. tada važećega Zakona o zaštiti i očuvanju kulturnih dobara, NN 69/1999 s izmjenama i dopunama). Govorimo o 20-ak arheoloških lokaliteta koji su u području zahvata projekta HES Kosinj, a do danas ni na jednom od njih nije obavljeno zakonom propisano zaštitno arheološko istraživanje.

Tu je Ban Dvor, odnosno Ban Stol, koji govori o starijoj povijesti ovoga područja i o hrvatskim banovima. Ono što danas imamo ostatci su bogate prošlosti. Važni su i Pisani kamen, vodnogospodarski spomenik „in situ“ iz 1. st., tu je najveće i vjerojatno najstarije stablo jele u Europi – Jela Car, brojni izvori i špilje te zaštićeni Kosinjski most.

Jedan od pokazatelja povijesne važnosti Kosinja, prema istraživanju dr. sc. Ivana Mancea, jest i zastupljenost Kosinja na starim kartama: Kosinj je prikazan na oko 225 karata od 16. do kraja 19. stoljeća. O svim ovim aspektima Vlada RH, a ni HEP, nisu od početka, a tako ni danas, vodili nikakvu brigu. Stoga je bilo potrebno aktivno uključivanje u cijeli proces, gdje se autor ovoga rada prometnuo u svojevrsnog voditelja i organizatora toga otpora i svih aktivnosti kosinjskoga stanovništva.

ANONIMNO PISMO BISKUPU ZDENKU KRIŽIĆU

Cijela je priča započela anonimnim pismom krajem 2020. godine tadašnjem biskupu gospićko-senjskom mons. Zdenku Križiću. Ni danas nam nije poznato tko je napisao to pismo, no očito je da se radilo o nekom iz Kosinja ili nekome komu je iznimno stalo do Kosinja. U njemu je napisana cijela tadašnja situacija i problematika oko Kosinja i projekta HES Kosinj, kako se ljudi osjećaju i zašto im je teško.

Biskupa je to pismo doista pogodilo. U razgovoru i propitivanjima oko stanja u Kosinju ključno je bilo sljedeće pitanje biskupa: je li istina da ljudi ne žele otići iz Kosinja i da se protive projektu? Na temelju te prve biskupove reakcije na anonimno pismo i njegova pitanja, odlučili smo prikupiti potpise Kosinjana oko neslaganja s projektom HES Kosinj, a kako bi biskup mogao vidjeti koliko se ljudi protivi iseljavanju i potapanju.

Prikupilo se između 630 i 700 potpisa. Potpisivali su ljudi iz Gornjeg Kosinja koji ondje žive, ali i oni koji ne žive ondje, no imaju vlasništvo na području Gornjeg Kosinja. Potpisivali su i ljudi iz Kosinjskog Bakovca i Donjeg Kosinja. Sve je to završilo kod biskupa i on je iz te peticije uvidio da je to iznimno ozbiljno pitanje i da se ljudi doista protive projektu, a što je bio svojevrsni okidač za kasnije aktivnosti i znatno važniju biskupovu podršku.

SV. MISA IZ GORNJEG KOSINJA I ŠIME STRIKOMAN

U rujnu 2021., odmah nakon proslave Dana hrvatskih mučenika na Udbini, HRT je prenosio svetu misu iz Gornjega Kosinja. Prijenos je dogovoren s urednikom na HRT-u.⁶ Misa se mogla pratiti u cijeloj Hrvatskoj i njezina je gledanost, koliko mi je rečeno u reportažnim kolima, bila vrlo velika; spominjalo se više od pola milijuna gledatelja. To je bilo važno za početno predstavljanje Kosinja hrvatskoj javnosti, a u župnim oglasima govoreno je i o problemu projekta.

Za isti smo dan dogovorili dolazak fotografa Šime Strikomana,⁷ poznatoga po milenijskim fotografijama kojima promiče mjesta, ljude i događaje diljem Hrvatske. Nakon mise snimljene su dvije takve fotografije, a u narednom razdoblju dolazio je ponovno, pa su iz Kosinja ukupno nastale četiri Strikomanove fotografije. Za prvu su ljudi na livadi ispod crkve stali tako da oblikuju riječ „Kosinj” latinicom. Druga je prikazivala riječ Kosinj glagoljicom. Na četvrtoj fotografiji su bili učenici Osnovne škole „Anž Frankopan” Kosinj, snimljeni ispred škole. I to je bilo važno za promidžbu Kosinja. Kada je Strikoman objavljivao fotografije, govorio je i o značenju mjesta te o problemima koji pogađaju Kosinj.

Slika 3. Šime Strikoman, 746. milenijska i prva Kosinj8

Slika 4. Šime Strikoman, 800. milenijska i glagoljski Kosinj9

PRVI PROSVJED – GROBLJE MANCE DRAGA

Prvi je prosvjed aktiviralo neljudsko postupanje s posmrtnim ostatcima prilikom ekshumacije groblja u Mance Dragi. Riječ je o starim grobljima Mance Draga 1 i Mance Draga 2, koja su s vremenom spojena u jedno groblje. Prvo, starije groblje nije bilo u uporabi; imalo je samo nekoliko spomen-obilježja. Na drugom, mlađem groblju jasno su bili vidljivi spomenici i križevi. Općina Perušić obavijest o stavljanju izvan uporabe groblja Mance Draga objavila je u Službenom glasniku Ličko-senjske županije,¹⁰ ali nije sazvala sastanak s ljudima, koji ništa o tim radovima nisu znali. U Kosinju su se u jednom trenutku vidjeli strojevi i događanja na groblju u Mance Dragi.

Kako bi strojevi mogli proći uskim putem do groblja, jednom su mještaninu srušili suhozid. On se prvi usprotivio, pa su s njim izvođači kratko pregovarali. Strojevi su ipak došli do groblja i počeli iskopavanje 12. ili 13. kolovoza 2021. Najbliži su susjedi čuli radove, otišli onamo te fotografirali strojeve i aktivnosti. Problematično je bilo to što se strojevima vrlo brzo prekapalo groblje. Iskopavali su zemlju, bacali je na hrpe i pomicali se dalje. To nikako nije izgledalo kao primjeren način ekshumacije posmrtnih ljudskih ostataka. Vrlo brzo smo sazvali sastanak, organizirali se i pokušali zaustaviti radove. Policija je, prema našim pozivima, dolazila na teren pet ili šest puta.

U međuvremenu smo saznali da se groblje u katastru vodi kao vlasništvo župe sv. Antuna Padovanskoga u Gornjem Kosinju. Prema zakonu, groblja su trebala potpasti pod lokalnu samoupravu, u ovom slučaju pod općinu Perušić i njeno nadležno komunalno poduzeće. Međutim, promjena vlasništva nije bila gruntovno ni katastarski provedena, što je bio veliki propust u poslovanju Općine Perušić. Dakle, župnika Kosinja, koji formalnopravno zastupa Župu sv. Antuna Padovanskoga, vlasnicu groblja, nitko nije upitao za dozvolu o premještanju posmrtnih ostataka s toga groblja. U pokušajima zaustavljanja radova i u dolascima policije predočen je gruntovni izvadak i objašnjen je problem vlasništva. U tome su prošli mjeseci natezanja s Općinom Perušić.

Odlazili smo rano ujutro u Mance Dragu, doslovno kao da idemo u rat.

Slika 5. Kapelica i grob Jose Klobučara, sahranjenog 1976. godine. Izvor: Ivan Mance, 2011. godine.

Većina posmrtnih ostataka s groblja Mance Draga danas se nalazi u Kosinjskom Bakovcu. Za grobove bez spomen-obilježja izgrađene su dvije kosturnice u koje su premješteni posmrtni ostatci s groblja Mance Draga. S druge strane, posmrtni ostatci koji su imali spomen-obilježja nisu završili u kosturnicama, već su za njih morali osigurati zasebna grobna mjesta i odgovarajuća obilježja na novome groblju u Kosinjskom Bakovcu. Međutim, nismo sigurni da su svi posmrtni ostatci završili ondje, jer smo u međuvremenu saznali da je dio posmrtnih ostataka odlagan u jednoj privatnoj garaži na imanju u Donjem Kosinju.

O cijelom slučaju je na kraju bila emisija na RTL-u. Sve smo prijavili DORH-u, koji je našu prijavu kasnije odbacio kao neutemeljenu.¹¹ No, ni danas ne znamo što se dogodilo s dijelom ljudskih kostiju, prekopanih bagerima i ostavljenih u spremnicima na imanju u Donjem Kosinju. Ne radi se o kostima divljih životinja, nego o ljudskim kostima. Govorimo o našim predcima, o Hrvatima koji su živjeli, radili, stvarali i umirali u Kosinju, govorimo o obiteljima i ljudima najužega kruga Gornjega Kosinja.¹²

Slika 6. Prekopano groblje Mance Draga13

Sve to neljudsko postupanje s posmrtnim ostatcima kosinjskih predaka aktiviralo je prvi prosvjed koji smo organizirali oko Svih svetih 2021.¹⁴ Ciljano smo odabrali vrijeme kada ljudi dolaze na grobove svojih pokojnika, a bio je i vikend. Pozvali smo i ljude izvan Kosinja, među njima i predstavnike braniteljskih i drugih udruga. Za naše prilike to je bilo vrlo ozbiljno organizirano. Na montiranoj bini izmjenjivali su se govornici među kojima su najistaknutiji: prof. dr. sc. Stanko Uršić, predstavnik braniteljske udruge iz Gospića, mještanin Gornjega Kosinja i do danas jedan od najaktivnijih zagovornika očuvanja Kosinjske doline Dragan Prša – Paja Genin, autor ovog rada, te predstavnik udruge Eko-Zagreb.

Prosvjed je bio snimljen mobitelima, manjim kamerama i sl. Nakon prosvjeda svi smo uzeli svijeće, odnijeli smo ih na groblje i pomolili se za duše ljudi čiji su se posmrtni ostaci tako nehumano premještali. Taj je prosvjed bio početak našeg javnog otpora.

Slika 7. Prvi prosvjed na groblju Mance Draga, vlč. Pero Jurčević15

U konačnici smo, vezano uz groblje Mance Draga, angažirali odvjetnika i predmet je završio na sudu, upravo zbog zakonskog roka od stotinu godina od posljednjeg ukopa. Visoki upravni sud Republike Hrvatske pravomoćno je presudio da se to nije smjelo na taj način učiniti, no do danas za taj postupak i bez obzira na presudu, nitko nije moralno, prekršajno ili kazneno odgovarao.¹⁶

Slika 8. Molitva za uznemirene pokojne, groblje Mance Draga17

DVA PROSVJEDA U ZAGREBU 2022. GODINE

Nakon prosvjeda u Gornjem Kosinju, ispod groblja Mance Draga, organizirana su još dva prosvjeda u Zagrebu, pred dvama ministarstvima u 2022. godini.¹⁸ Iako Kosinjana nema puno, a u početcima nismo imali gotovo nikakvu medijsku pažnju, odjek naših zagrebačkih prosvjeda bio je velik i prilično dobro medijski zapažen. I još važnije, nakon tih prosvjeda dogodio se prijelomni trenutak u našim nastojanjima i naporima.

U to je vrijeme autor ovog rada bio izabran u Prezbitersko vijeće Gospićko-senjske biskupije. Na prvoj sjednici novoga sastava prezbiterskog vijeća detaljno je iznesen kosinjski problem uz naglasak da biskupija mora izreći svoj stav o projektu i svemu što se događa s ljudima na području Kosinja. Razvila se ozbiljna i vrlo plodna rasprava, da bi biskup Križić odlučio kako će se o tome govoriti na sjednici sa svim svećenicima. Tako je i bilo. Na sljedećoj sjednici svih svećenika Gospićko-senjske biskupije svi su upoznati s kosinjskim problemom, nakon čega je biskup Križić sastavio dopis koji su uz biskupa ovjerili gotovo svi svećenici biskupije. Tim činom biskup je javno stao uz narod Kosinja. Nije se izjasnio protiv projekta kao takvoga, nego je poručio da se s ljudima ne smije postupati na nehuman način. Treba voditi računa o tome što će s ljudima biti i, ako se već moraju preseliti, omogućiti im primjeren smještaj ili naknadu.

Imalo je to velik odjek. Ta je izjava privukla pozornost medija već i zato što se biskup uključio u problem ljudi svoje biskupije i jasno javno izrekao svoj stav. Nakon toga je i otpor mještana Kosinja postao puno ozbiljniji. Biskupov stav dao je vjerodostojnost i potporu župniku Kosinja u nastavku borbe za ljude koji su mu povjereni.

Već je u ovom radu spomenuto kako je teško pridobiti medijsku pozornost. U početcima gotovo nitko nije htio prenositi događanja iz Kosinja. Od prvoga dana pratio nas je portal Lika Club i prati nas do danas. Na tome im od srca i ovom prigodom zahvaljujemo. Nakon javnog istupa biskupa Križića (vidi prilog 1) mediji su se javljali sa svih strana: televizije, novine i portali. O Kosinju su uz Lika Club počeli izvještavati Nova TV, HRT i RTL, Radio Gospić, Radio Otočac i mnogi drugi mediji.

ZNANSTVENO-STRUČNA KONFERENCIJA U KOSINJU

Prva, po tome i povijesna, znanstveno-stručna konferencija Kosinjska dolina – jučer, danas i sutra održana je 30. rujna 2022. u Osnovnoj školi Anža Frankopana u Gornjem Kosinju. Konferenciju je organizirao Institut društvenih znanosti Ivo Pilar, a među suorganizatorima pojavio se cijeli niz institucija: Hrvatski institut za povijest, Institut za hrvatski jezik i jezikoslovlje, Odjel za nastavničke studije u Gospiću Sveučilišta u Zadru, Državni arhiv u Gospiću, Muzej Like Gospić te Znanstveno i kulturno društvo Kosinj (vidi prilog 2).¹⁹ Pokrovitelj konferencije bila je Gospićko-senjska biskupija, a biskup Zdenko Križić svojim je prisustvom i uvodnim govorom²⁰ uveličao taj povijesni znanstveni skup.

Na konferenciji je održano 36 izlaganja o Kosinju, a sudjelovali su znanstvenici i stručnjaci iz različitih područja. To je bilo iznimno značajno u to vrijeme kosinjskoga otpora projektu HES Kosinj, a značajno je i danas. Žal ostaje samo na tome što skup nije jače medijski promoviran. Radilo se o povijesnom događaju za Kosinj, ali i o važnoj znanstvenoj konferenciji za povijest Kosinja, Like i Hrvatske te se moralo snažnije raditi na medijskom praćenju. Nakon četiri godine, upravo 2026. u Kosinju je, povodom 200. obljetnice kosinjskoga školstva, održana druga znanstveno-stručna konferencija Kosinjska dolina – školstvo, jezik, baština. Glavni je organizator bio Hrvatski institut za povijest.²¹

SUČELJAVANJE U MATICI HRVATSKOJ

Zbog medijskog se odjeka vrlo brzo javila i Matica hrvatska. Bilo je to razdoblje kada je Matica hrvatska redovito organizirala tribine sučeljavanja. Kontaktirali su nas s prijedlogom oko sučeljavanja s predstavnicima HEP-a. Nismo dvojili ni sekunde, jer nam je tada iznimno bila važna javna vidljivost i medijsko praćenje naših napora, a događaji koje organizira Matica hrvatska, kao jedna od najstarijih hrvatskih kulturnih institucija, sjajno su popraćeni ne samo medijski, već i interesom znanstvenih i stručnih krugova. Sučeljavanje je održano 22. studenog 2022. u Matici hrvatskoj u Zagrebu.

Sa strane HEP-a nastupio je dvojac vodećih HEP-ovih ljudi povezanih s projektom: tadašnji direktor kapitalnih investicija HEP-a mr. sc. Vedran Jurić i Tomislav Tomić, dipl. ing., kao glavni operativac provedbe projekta HES Kosinj na terenu. S kosinjske strane sudjelovali su dr. sc. Ivan Mance i autor ovoga rada.

Slika 9. Sučeljavanje u Matici hrvatskoj, slijeva nadesno: Ivan Mance, Pero Jurčević, Branimir Bilić, Vedran Jurić i Tomislav Tomić.22

Slika 10. Sučeljavanje u Matici hrvatskoj, Vedran Jurić pokazuje grb Republike Hrvatske.23

Skup je vodio poznati HRT-ov voditelj Branimir Bilić, što je samo po sebi privuklo veći broj zainteresiranih posjetitelja.²⁴ Sučeljavanje je kasnije sjajno popraćeno i na YouTube kanalu.²⁵

Po skromnom dojmu autora ovog rada, HEP-ovi predstavnici nisu bili dobro pripremljeni, dok je publika postavljala izvrsna pitanja. Jurić i Tomić nisu uvjerljivo objasnili i opravdali projekt. Vedran Jurić u jednom je trenutku, vidno uzrujan, mahao s hrvatskim grbom, govoreći publici, Manceu i Jurčeviću da se bore protiv grba i protiv države, što je ispalo u potpunosti apsurdno. Mi smo se borili za svoja prava i tražili da se postupa po zakonu ako projekt ide dalje. Drugom predstavniku HEP-a, Tomiću, bilo je vidno neugodno zbog cijele situacije. Sučeljavanje je, gledano iz kosinjske perspektive, prošlo jako dobro, a ostvareni su i kontakti s najvažnijim predstavnicima HEP-a vezano uz projekt HES Kosinj. Na njihov prijedlog nastavili smo razgovarati, za što je bio zadužen dr. sc. Ivan Mance zbog njegove zagrebačke adrese, no ti razgovori i kontakti nisu doveli do konkretnoga dogovora ili rješenja. HEP je nažalost nastavio raditi kao i ranije.

DVA KOSINJSKA DOKUMENTARCA

HRT-ov dokumentarni film Slučaj Kosinj dogovoren je posredstvom dr. Ivana Mancea i tada glavnog urednika HRT-ove emisije Mir i dobro Nike Kostanića. Prikazan je 2023. u dva dijela.²⁶ Koliko nam je poznato, Niko Kostanić imao je poteškoća oko njegova prikazivanja, ali i oko svojega statusa na HRT-u. Očito je tema bila osjetljiva i problematična kako za projekt tako i za institucije koje su ga proglasile strateškim državnim interesom. HRT-ova ekipa snimala je u Kosinju desetak dana. Film je vrlo dobro prikazao cjelokupnu situaciju i sve ono što se u to vrijeme događalo na terenu. Zahvaljujemo uredniku Niki Kostaniću, snimateljima, toncima i ostaloj ekipi na tom vrlo važnom dokumentarcu koji je na kraju uspješno realiziran i prikazan.

Kasnije iste godine snimljen je još jedan dokumentarni film, u produkciji Vida TV. Film je u 30 minuta jako dobro opisao Kosinj i kosinjske prilike oko projekta, osim završnoga dijela u kojem se govorilo o fašistima i ustašama.²⁷ U kontekstu potapanja Kosinja to zaista nije bilo potrebno, tim više što su mnogi u filmu govorili o tome kako su odnosi između Hrvata i pravoslavnih stanovnika Mlakve i Lipova Polja uvijek bili dobri, pa i za vrijeme Domovinskoga rata.²⁸

KNJIGA KOSINJSKA TISKARA I PREDSJEDNIK REPUBLIKE HRVATSKE ZORAN MILANOVIĆ

U našem aktivizmu bilo je mnogo trenutaka kada nismo znali što dalje. Bilo nas je malo i činilo nam se da nemamo nove ideje, ali bi se svaki put nešto dogodilo ili bi se uključio netko novi pa bi priča ponovno dobila novu energiju i zamah.

Jedna od najvažnijih stvari za povijest Kosinja bio je doktorski²⁹ i istraživački rad povjesničara Ivana Mancea. On nije istraživao samo Kosinjsku tiskaru, kako se zove njegova knjiga proizišla iz doktorata, nego i mnogo širu povijest Kosinja te povijesne zapise o njemu. Istraživao je gotovo dvadeset godina kako bi svoju tezu o prvoj tiskari u Kosinju potkrijepio izvorima i činjenicama te pokazao kakvo je mjesto Kosinj imao u hrvatskoj i europskoj povijesti.³⁰

Nakon obrane doktorskoga rada uslijedila su predstavljanja knjige Kosinjska tiskara na mnogim lokacijama — ukupno četrdesetak predstavljanja po cijeloj Hrvatskoj. To je bilo vrlo zahtjevno, ali važno, i mediji su pratili predstavljanja. Knjiga je predstavljena dva dana i u Beču; pratila je to i tamošnja televizija.

Stalno smo razmišljali kako našu priču podignuti na višu razinu. Jedna od ideja bila je doći do predsjednika Republike Hrvatske Zorana Milanovića, razgovarati s njim i upoznati ga s Kosinjem i kosinjskim problemom. Takve su ideje isprva zvučale gotovo neostvarivo: lako je doći na ideju, ali je teško ideju provesti u djelo. Kako je došlo do susreta s predsjednikom Milanovićem prikazat će se u sljedećem osobnom osvrtu.

U razgovoru sa župnikom u Plaškom saznao sam da je predsjednik ondje već bio. Župnik u Plaškom obećao mi je javiti dovoljno rano ako predsjednik najavi novi dolazak u Plaški. Tako je i bilo. Otprilike godinu dana po našem razgovoru predsjednik je ponovno došao u Plaški na poziv općinskog načelnika.³¹ Župnik Plaškog omogućio mi je preko načelnika općine mjesto u predsjedničkom protokolu. Savjetovali su mi da govorim vrlo kratko jer neću imati mnogo vremena. Ako zainteresiram predsjednika, razgovor može dulje potrajati. Ponio sam mu knjigu Kosinjska tiskara s opširnom autorskom posvetom. Budući da poklon nije bio najavljen, sigurnosna služba u početku mi je zaustavila pristup s knjigom, no na kraju se i to riješilo. U minutu-dvije iznio sam predsjedniku sve važno o projektu HES Kosinj, problemima ljudi i povijesnoj baštini koja bi mogla biti potopljena. Bio sam zadovoljan što sam uspio reći sve ono što sam planirao. Predsjednik se zainteresirao i počeo je postavljati pitanja: koliko je ljudi otišlo, kako napreduju radovi, kakvo je stanje na terenu. Stekao sam dojam da ga je tema snažno zainteresirala. Rekao mi je kako nije jednostavno suprotstavljati se takvu projektu. Shvatio sam to kao upozorenje da se, kako se kaže, „igram s vatrom”. Pitao me odakle sam, a zatim smo se malo našalili i završili naš dulji razgovor. Predao sam predsjedniku u ruke naš poklon, knjigu Kosinjska tiskara.

Predsjednik nije ništa konkretno obećao. Rekao je da će razmisliti i razgovarati sa svojim savjetnikom za energetiku kako bi se upoznao s pitanjem. Nažalost, nismo dobili povratnu informaciju kakvu smo očekivali, no to je tako u politici. Ipak i na kraju, naš susret vjerojatno je donio još jednu novu i iznimno zanimljivu okolnost.

Predsjednik Milanović darovao je Papi repliku Misala po zakonu rimskoga dvora,³² a kasnije je istu knjigu njegov ured poklonio i Aleksandrijskoj knjižnici.³³ Budući da je Prvotisak otisnut u Kosinjskoj tiskari i ključan je za istraživanja o Kosinjskoj tiskari, a u Manceovoj knjizi se u tom kontekstu temeljito analizira Prvotisak, moguće je da je predsjednik, ili netko od njegovih suradnika, na ideju poklanjanja pretiska Prvotiska došao čitajući Kosinjsku tiskaru. To, naravno, ne možemo znati pouzdano; riječ je o pretpostavci koju temeljimo na predsjedničkim izjavama³⁴ i aktivnostima nakon što je iz Kosinja primio knjigu Kosinjska tiskara.

Slika 11. Slijeva nadesno: Zoran Milanović i Pero Jurčević, Plaški 2023.

Možemo pretpostaviti da je kontakt župnika Kosinja s predsjednikom Republike Hrvatske Zoranom Milanovićem mogao pridonijeti vrlo važnoj i uspješnoj promociji Kosinja i kosinjske povijesti na svjetskoj razini. Time ne samo da je Kosinj dobio na važnosti i značaju u međunarodnim okvirima, već je i borba kosinjskoga naroda dobila novu dimenziju i prepoznatljivost u kulturnom, znanstvenom i medijskom prostoru.

I Kosinjska tiskara je na kraju došla do Pape, a potom i do Aleksandrijske knjižnice. Pitali smo se kako uopće doći do Pape, ali se i ta zamisao Božjom providnošću vrlo brzo i lako ostvarila. Prilikom posjeta svećenika Gospićko-senjske biskupije Rimu knjiga je predana kao poklon papi Lavu XIV. U Aleksandrijsku knjižnicu knjiga Kosinjska tiskara dospjela je kao poklon knjižnici od strane autora, za što se Manceu osobno zahvalio direktor Aleksandrijske knjižnice, prof. Ahmed A. Zayed (vidi prilog 3).

Slika 12. Sveti Otac, papa Lav XIV. s knjigom Kosinjska tiskara35

PROJEKT POPRSJA PRVOM HRVATSKOM TISKARU AMBROZU KACITIĆU

Nakon istraživanja i knjige Kosinjska tiskara željeli smo ta saznanja trajno obilježiti, pa i time na neki način pomoći u vidljivosti Kosinja i njegovom spašavanju. Nastala je zamisao o brončanoj bisti Ambroza Kacitića, autohtonog Kosinjanina i dokazanog prvog hrvatskog tiskara, i spomen-pločama na mjestima koja povezujemo s njim i Kosinjskom tiskarom: na mjestu nekadašnjega pavlinskog samostana sv. Marije, danas kapele sv. Petra i Pavla u Donjem Kosinju, u Vukelićima u Donjem Kosinju, negdašnjem Duboviku, odakle potječe Ambroz Kacitić, te kod kapele sv. Vida u Kosinjskom Bakovcu, crkve na koju su prenesene originalne glagoljske ploče Anža Frankapana s obližnjeg grada Kosinja i mikrolokacije Kosinjske tiskare.

Uoči blagdana sv. Petra i Pavla 29. lipnja, tj. Petrove 2024., Manceu je sinula ideja o spomeniku. Dolazio je u Kosinj jer je na Petrovu bilo krštenje njegove kćeri Pavle u kapeli sv. Petra i Pavla u Donjem Kosinju.³⁶ Prolazeći kroz Vukeliće, razmišljao je da bi bilo jako dobro napraviti bistu prvomu hrvatskom tiskaru. Izložio je zamisao autoru ovoga rada i odmah su krenuli razgovori o tome gdje bi bistu bilo najbolje postaviti.

Razmatrani su Vukelići i prostor oko župne crkve sv. Ivana Krstitelja. U prostoru župne crkve bilo bi vrlo praktično postaviti bistu, jer onamo dolazi mnogo ljudi i spomenik bi bio u uređenom i ograđenom prostoru. No, crkva sv. Ivana Krstitelja u vrijeme njegova života i rada nije postojala. Trebalo je uzeti u obzir povijesnu povezanost mikrolokacije s Ambrozom Kacitićem, pa je zaključeno da je najprimjereniji prostor kod kapele sv. Petra i Pavla. Ambroz je bio pavlin i redovnik, a u njegovo je vrijeme na tom mjestu stajao pavlinski samostan sv. Marije, osnovan 1453. godine.

Vrlo brzo pokrenuli smo provedbu projekta. Trebalo je pronaći akademskog kipara za bistu i klesara za postolje. Razmatrali smo jednoga poznatog zagrebačkog kipara, ali smo od njega brzo odustali zbog njegovih veza s HEP-om i politikom. Zatim smo se dosjetili akademskoga kipara Slavena Miličevića. Njegov brat Marinko Miličević jedan je od svećenika Gospićko-senjske biskupije, a kipar Slaven imao je sjajnu suradnju s pokojnim biskupom Milom Bogovićem u izradi spomenika Ivanu Pavlu II. kod Crkve hrvatskih mučenika na Udbini. Stupili smo s njim u kontakt i brzo se dogovorili, a Slaven nas je ohrabrio da započnemo, bez obzira na to što u tom trenutku nismo ni približno osigurali potrebna financijska sredstva.

Nositelj projekta bila je župa Kosinj, jer smo željeli da to bude projekt župa Gornjega i Donjega Kosinja i njihovih župljana. Gospićko-senjska biskupija odmah je podržala projekt, uključujući i veliku financijsku pomoć. Kipar je predložio klesara, a mi smo počeli prikupljati donacije i slati zamolbe na brojne adrese. Iza svega je bilo mnogo rada, ali projekt je, s obzirom na složenost, napredovao začuđujuće brzo i uspješno.

Glavni dio projekta ostvaren je prije Petrove 2025., a na samu Petrovu, 29. lipnja 2025., održano je svečano otvorenje i blagoslov biste Ambroza Kacitića. Misu je predvodio gospićko-senjski biskup mons. Marko Medo, uz koncelebriranje deset ličkih svećenika.³⁷

Slika 13. Misno slavlje prilikom otvorenja i blagoslova biste Ambroza Kacitića u Kosinju, 2025.

Važno je napomenuti da smo otvorenje spomenika organizirali na vrlo visokoj razini, premda to nije bilo lako s obzirom na prostor spomenika i nepostojanje bilo kakvih komunalnih službi. Sam je teren nepristupačan, što je otežalo i postavljanje spomenika i organizaciju otvorenja. Bez obzira na sve prepreke, postavljeni su pozornica i razglas, događanje su popratili mnogobrojni mediji,³⁸ a nakon svečanog misnog slavlja i biskupovog blagoslova biste, uslijedio je kulturno-umjetnički program. Neposredno prije početka izbio je požar na drugoj strani Donjega Kosinja i počeo se širiti dim. Angažirani su vatrogasci, a požar su gasili i kanaderi.³⁹ To se dogodilo možda pola sata prije početka otvorenja spomenika. Zahvaljujući vrijednim vatrogascima i povoljnom smjeru vjetra, na sreću je sve dobro završilo.

Slika 14. Blagoslov biste, 2025.

Uz projekt spomenika vezana je i nova knjiga Ivana Mancea Prvi hrvatski tiskar Broz žakan.⁴⁰ Prvotno zamišljena kao manji prospekt o cijelom projektu spomenika Ambrozu Kacitiću, brzo je ta ideja prerasla u novo Manceovo povijesno istraživanje u kojem je dokazao postojanje pavlinskog samostana u Kosinju te opisao život i rad Ambroza Kacitića i cijeli projekt od ideje do ostvarenja. Knjiga je potom predstavljena na više mjesta, a predstavljanja se organiziraju kroz cijelu 2026. godinu. To je ponovno privuklo medije i pomoglo da se govori o značenju Kosinja i Kosinjske tiskare te o spašavanju naše hrvatske povijesti.

Slika 15. Bista Ambrozu Kacitiću

Slika 16. Spomen-ploča Ambrozu Kacitiću u Vukelićima

ŠTO DALJE?

Što se tiče mještana i projekta HES Kosinj, sada su ključni odvjetnici koji ih zastupaju, izvansudski pregovori i sudski postupci. Nije riječ samo o tome da pojedini vlasnici postignu bolju otkupnu cijenu svojih nekretnina, nego i o sudskim predmetima važnima za osporavanje cijelog projekta. Koliko je poznato, postoje najmanje tri pravomoćne presude, a tužbi je mnogo više. To investitoru trenutačno stvara velike probleme. U postupcima se propituje i imaju li nositelji projekta sve potrebne dozvole, jesu li ih pravodobno ishodili te jesu li još valjane ili ih treba obnavljati. Nedavni gospićki slučaj s nezakonitim odlaganjem otpada i onečišćenjem podzemnih voda i okoliša tu bi mogao imati važnu ulogu. Prema mišljenjima pojedinih ekoloških stručnjaka, postoji jako dobra osnova za propitivanja i eventualno rušenje studije utjecaja na okoliš HES Kosinj, koju je HEP, kao novu inačicu, dao izraditi 2017. godine. Otada se situacija drastično promijenila, jer onečišćene vode Novčice i Like u Gospiću dolaze u Kosinjsku dolinu. Stoga je legitimno postaviti pitanje kako nova akumulacija, koja se puni tzv. vječnim kemikalijama, može utjecati na promjene okoliša Kosinjske doline, a time vrlo posredno i Gacke doline te potom Senja i otoka?

Ni na terenu situacija ne ide na ruku HEP-u. Radovi na terenu napreduju vrlo sporo, mnogo je toga započeto, a gotovo ništa nije dovršeno. Grade se ceste, koje se ne dovršavaju, odvodni tunel između Kosinjskoga Bakovca i Lipova Polja također nije dovršen, iako je već duže vrijeme pred završetkom. Na više mjesta stvari su investitoru zapinjale, među ostalim i zbog sudskih sporova.

Za kosinjsku priču najteže je to što je većina ljudi već izvlaštena i isplaćena. U Gornjem Kosinju ostalo ih je tridesetak ili manje, a u pravoslavnoj Mlakvi možda desetak. Cilj HEP-a svakako je što prije iseliti sve ljude kako bi se projekt mogao neometano nastaviti. Mještani koji su ostali pod velikim su pritiskom. Njima se sada nude znatno veće naknade nego prije, samo da bi pristali otići. Godinama se u medijima i javnosti govori kako je ovo posljednji Božić,⁴¹ posljednji Uskrs ili posljednja proslava svete Ane u Kosinju. No bez obzira na sve to, Kosinj i dalje traje, Kosinjani se i dalje ne predaju.

Ostvarenje projekta HES Kosinj i iseljavanje stanovnika značilo bi propast Kosinjske doline kao cjeline. Kosinjski Bakovac, gdje živi možda šezdesetak ljudi ili manje, ne može sam održavati cijelo područje. Ni Donji Kosinj, s približno 300 stanovnika, među kojima je mnogo starijih, ne može dugoročno opstati bez ostalih naselja. Mladih obitelji vrlo je malo. Takvo stanje nije održivo i nažalost otvara vrata i nekim budućim projektima potapanja i Donjega Kosinja, a time i cijele Kosinjske doline. Ipak, ono što autor ovoga rada govori od samih početaka jest to da je Božja posljednja. Vjerujemo da je u svemu što smo poduzimali bilo Božjega blagoslova i pomoći. Sami ne bismo mogli toliko toga ostvariti ni toliko dugo ustrajati. Ulazimo već u sedmu godinu te borbe, a Kosinj i dalje traje, Kosinjani se i dalje ne predaju.

Na osobnom planu tih posljednjih šest, sedam godina bilo je mnogo uspona i padova, mnogo fizičkog i mentalnog izlaganja, velikog iscrpljivanja. Na kraju mi je došla i Crohnova bolest, a operacije su jedva preživljene. Prema tumačenju liječnika, stres je odigrao veliku ulogu. Nakon operacije i za vrijeme oporavka poruke su bile jasne: više se nikada nećeš vratiti u Kosinj. Odgovor je bio još jasniji: kad se vratim, zajedno ćemo popiti piće i ja ću počastiti. I vratio sam se. Pritisci, poruke i određene prijetnje nisu bili usmjereni samo prema meni osobno, već i prema drugim ljudima važnima za kosinjsku priču.

Kakvi su planovi dalje? Ne tražim nikakvu slavu ni nastavak ove priče. Uključio sam se zbog tih ljudi, zbog mojih župljana. Kada se to pitanje riješi na ovaj ili na onaj način, bit ću duhovno ispunjen, a do tada predajem sve Bogu u ruke jer, ponavljam, Božja je zadnja.

ZAKLJUČAK

Bilo je zaista mnogo molitve. Uplaćene su brojne misne nakane za blagoslov Kosinja nasuprot projektu HES Kosinj. Blagoslivljali smo Kosinj na različite načine. U određeno bismo vrijeme prošli kroz cijeli kraj s Presvetim Oltarskim Sakramentom, molili i blagoslivljali. Blagoslovljenu sol posipali smo po Kosinju, a blagoslovljene medaljice postavljali na različitim mjestima, ne samo u Kosinjskoj dolini, nego i putevima prema Gospiću i Otočcu. Dobivali smo i blagoslovljene ruže od sestara karmelićanki, povezane sa svetom Terezijom od Djeteta Isusa. I njih smo donosili u Kosinj. Nisu samo u Kosinju svećenici molili. Karmelićanke u Gospiću od svojega dolaska u Liku svakodnevno mole za Kosinj. One su nam velika duhovna potpora, kao i Gospićko-senjska biskupija. Sasvim je sigurno da se i mnogi drugi ljudi, u Kosinju i izvan njega, mole za opstanak i spas Kosinja. Prema tome, na duhovnom je planu učinjeno zaista mnogo i to je jedan od najvažnijih dijelova ove priče. Neki ljudi koji na duhovni život gledaju drugačije, ne govoreći ovdje o vizijama, uvjereni su da Kosinj nikada neće biti potopljen.

Iz svećeničke je perspektive nezamislivo bilo što postići na duhovnom planu bez Božje pomoći i blagoslova. Ali nije dovoljno jednom se pomoliti i reći: Bože, sada ti to riješi. Svatko mora sa svoje strane učiniti sve što može, a pritom moliti i tražiti Božju pomoć i zaštitu. Vjerujem da bez toga ne bismo ostvarili ono što jesmo. Govorim iz vlastitoga iskustva i ne mislim samo na sebe, već i na cijelu Kosinjsku dolinu. Ljudi možda ne znaju, no Kosinj je dao mnogo duhovnih zvanja, svećenika i redovnica. Ovdje su služili i mnogi župnici čije molitve i djelovanje pripadaju duhovnoj povijesti ovoga kraja. Od jedanaest srednjovjekovnih crkava na području Kosinja, uz koje je postojao i pavlinski samostan, do danas je sačuvano sedam. Među njima je crkva sv. Antuna Padovanskog, nekada crkva sv. Jeronima – koja kao jedini primjer u ličkoj sakralnoj povijesti snažno upućuje na kosinjsko glagoljaštvo i tiskarstvo. Tu je i kapela sv. Ane s grobnim ostatcima s kraja 10. stoljeća, dakle iz vremena bana Pribine, koji je možda banovao s obližnjeg Bana Dvora. To su mjesta na kojima se stoljećima molilo i ta duhovna baština ne nestaje odlaskom ljudi.

Kosinj je bio snažno vjersko, crkveno, glagoljaško, upravno – dakle hrvatsko povijesno središte i ta je duhovna snaga prisutna i danas, premda je vjera s vremenom u mnogih ljudi oslabila. Možda se kosinjska duhovnost najsnažnije i danas osjeti upravo na lokaciji negdašnjeg pavlinskog samostana, danas kapele sv. Petra i Pavla u Donjem Kosinju i mjestu spomenika Ambrozu Kacitiću. Kada čovjek u svojoj prolaznosti i slabosti učini što može i pouzda se u Boga, ne može unaprijed znati kada će se i kako nešto promijeniti, ali može biti uvjeren da će njegova molitva, njegov iskren i predan trud i rad donijeti ploda.

INTRODUCTION

This paper presents a chronology of events relating to resistance in Kosinj to the Kosinj Hydropower System project, that is, the construction of a reservoir and the inundation of Gornji Kosinj and Mlakva. When we saw how activities and works were being carried out at the very outset, we considered them unlawful or at least inhumane. It was immediately clear to us that the entire project would proceed in the same manner, regardless of its subsequent designation as a strategic state project.¹

The late electrical engineer Branimir Pinčić played an important role in this. He visited Kosinj several times, and we also met in Otočac. His views and research also received media coverage.² He had been challenging the project long before we in Kosinj began our activities. He also worked closely with the late Bishop Mile Bogović, PhD. Bishop Bogović opposed the project and questioned why this particular reservoir had to be built and whether there was an alternative that would avoid the relocation of residents while still generating the electricity required.

Pinčić proposed an alternative system involving several smaller hydropower plants, with water collected in smaller retention basins in uninhabited fields so that houses would not be inundated. The water would then be channelled towards Senj via the Markov ponor sinkhole in Donji Kosinj. Such a solution would, however, require modifications to the existing plant to make better use of the hydropower potential.³

The proposal also involved operating the plant in pumped-storage mode: when there was surplus energy, water would be pumped back into the reservoirs, and when energy was in short supply, the water in those reservoirs would be used again. Other natural springs could also be connected to such a system. There was also discussion of integrating it with solar and wind power plants. An important consideration was the stability of the hydropower potential that a pumped-storage hydropower plant could provide. Yet no one at HEP, in the ministries or in the Government of the Republic of Croatia was willing to give Pinčić’s proposal a serious hearing and examine it.

Figure 1. Schematic representation of the alternative project proposed by engineer Branimir Pinčić4

For all these reasons, ever since the Kosinj Hydropower System project was announced, people in Kosinj had discussed ideas about the need to involve local residents, but it was unclear how to act. Over time, the people of Kosinj realised that they had to remain constantly active and draw attention to new developments so that the issue would enter the public domain and remain there. Legal assistance was later sought, along with support from academic and professional circles, environmental associations and well-known individuals. The issue could not remain confined to Kosinj. We needed to find people who would examine the project and show why we considered it misguided and financially unviable, and why the figures in the studies, for example those concerning water volumes and electricity generation, were inflated.

WHAT IS CONTENTIOUS ABOUT THE KOSINJ HYDROPOWER SYSTEM PROJECT

First and foremost, the issue is how those in positions of power and the authorities treat people. When work began, residents should have been brought together, informed, given an explanation of the project and engaged in discussion. Representatives of the authorities or HEP never did this. There was only one meeting in Kosinj, but it was not organised by the institutions or HEP; rather, it was organised at the level of a citizens’ association and in connection with the association “Kosinjska dolina”, represented by its president, Milan Sigurnjak. At that meeting, an attempt was made to suggest that the municipality or county was behind it, but this was not the case.

Furthermore, when valuations were carried out for expropriation, the valuers went through houses and properties very quickly, literally in a matter of minutes. In such a short time, they could not inspect every room, measure the floor area and establish whether the space had been fitted out. Everything outside the houses, such as wells, cisterns and other structures, also needed to be documented. This cannot be done properly in the way the valuers worked. A great many people complained that, during the cadastral survey preceding the valuations, the registered area of their land had already been reduced or that some of their property had not been registered at all.

Nevertheless, most people accepted the sums offered, since most people from Kosinj were living, and still live, outside Kosinj. That was their personal decision, but the prices were exceptionally low. Admittedly, some houses were dilapidated or neglected. When an owner received €20,000, €50,000 or €70,000, it seemed at the time that they had done well. It is now apparent that these were very low sums. We discussed this many times at our meetings in Kosinj. We said that this approach would gradually reduce the number of people opposing the project: some would first accept the offer, then the price would be raised for those remaining in the next round, and in this way HEP progressively reduced the number of people who were dissatisfied and willing to protest and respond.

Figure 2. Condition of the county road in Gornji Kosinj, 20245

A road was also being built from Kosinjski Bakovac to Kosinj Bridge. Work progressed very slowly. The company GP Krk withdrew halfway through, leaving the road unfinished. It did not seem that everything was proceeding according to a clear HEP plan. The same applies to the road towards the Sklope hydropower plant and the Kruščica reservoir. That road, too, remained unfinished and subsequently became the subject of litigation. During these works, the only county access road from Kosinj Bridge towards Gornji Kosinj was completely destroyed. What does this say about the attitude of the authorities and HEP towards the people who live and work here and commute daily to Gospić, Perušić and Otočac? How are they to visit a doctor, when Kosinj has had no doctor for years? What about children travelling to school from Donji Kosinj to Gornji Kosinj, and so on? For months, we wrote, contacted the media and applied pressure until the gentlemen from the county authorities and HEP finally decided to resurface these 2–3 kilometres of completely destroyed road, the only route from Gornji Kosinj towards the interior of Lika.

Finally, there is the complete disregard for Kosinj’s cultural and historical importance. Central to this is the claim that Kosinj was home to the first Croatian printing house, that Misal po zakonu rimskoga dvora was printed there and that the first Croatian printer was from Kosinj. Naturally, Kosinj’s history did not begin with the printing house. As far as we know, there are around forty archaeological sites in the area, none of which has been systematically investigated. At several sites, HEP paid only for trial excavations, while the necessary rescue archaeological excavations were not carried out. The issue, therefore, is the failure to undertake the necessary rescue excavations under the Act on the Protection and Preservation of Cultural Property. During any construction work, if an archaeological site is encountered, the developer must fund rescue archaeological excavations and await their completion (Articles 45 and 46 of the Act on the Protection and Preservation of Cultural Property then in force, Narodne novine 69/1999, as amended). We are speaking of some twenty archaeological sites within the area affected by the Kosinj Hydropower System project, none of which has to date undergone the rescue archaeological excavations required by law.

There is Ban Dvor, also known as Ban Stol, which bears witness to the earlier history of this area and to the Croatian bans. What survives today are the remnants of a rich past. Other important features include Pisani kamen, a first-century water-management monument preserved “in situ”; Jela Car, the largest and probably oldest fir tree in Europe; numerous springs and caves; and the protected Kosinj Bridge.

According to research by Ivan Mance, PhD, one indication of Kosinj’s historical importance is its representation on old maps: Kosinj appears on around 225 maps dating from the sixteenth to the late nineteenth century. Neither the Government of the Republic of Croatia nor HEP paid any attention to these aspects at the outset, nor do they today. Active involvement in the entire process was therefore necessary, and the author of this paper came to act as a kind of leader and organiser of this resistance and of all the activities undertaken by Kosinj’s residents.

AN ANONYMOUS LETTER TO BISHOP ZDENKO KRIŽIĆ

It all began with an anonymous letter sent in late 2020 to the then Bishop of Gospić-Senj, Zdenko Križić. Even today, we do not know who wrote it, but it was clearly someone from Kosinj or someone who cared deeply about it. The letter described the situation and the issues surrounding Kosinj and the Kosinj Hydropower System project at the time, how people felt and why they were suffering.

The letter deeply affected the bishop. In the discussions and enquiries about the situation in Kosinj, the bishop’s key question was whether it was true that people did not want to leave Kosinj and opposed the project. On the basis of his initial reaction to the anonymous letter and his question, we decided to collect signatures from people from Kosinj expressing their opposition to the Kosinj Hydropower System project, so that the bishop could see how many people opposed relocation and inundation.

Between 630 and 700 signatures were collected. The signatories included people living in Gornji Kosinj and those who did not live there but owned property in the Gornji Kosinj area. People from Kosinjski Bakovac and Donji Kosinj also signed. All of this was submitted to the bishop, and the petition showed him that this was an exceptionally serious issue and that people truly opposed the project. This became something of a catalyst for later activities and for the bishop’s much greater support.

MASS BROADCAST FROM GORNJI KOSINJ AND ŠIME STRIKOMAN

In September 2021, immediately after the celebration of Croatian Martyrs’ Day in Udbina, HRT broadcast Mass from Gornji Kosinj. The broadcast was arranged with an editor at HRT.⁶ The Mass could be watched throughout Croatia and, from what I was told in the outside broadcast vehicle, viewing figures were very high; more than half a million viewers were mentioned. This was important in initially bringing Kosinj to the attention of the Croatian public, and the parish announcements also addressed the problem of the project.

Figure 3. Šime Strikoman, the 746th Millennium Photograph and the first Kosinj photograph7

For the same day, we arranged a visit by the photographer Šime Strikoman,⁸ known for his Millennium Photographs promoting places, people and events throughout Croatia. Two such photographs were taken after Mass, and he returned in the following period, ultimately producing four photographs in Kosinj. For the first, people stood in the meadow below the church to form the word “Kosinj” in the Latin script. The second showed the word Kosinj in the Glagolitic script. The fourth photograph featured pupils of Anž Frankopan Primary School in Kosinj, photographed in front of their school. This, too, was important in promoting Kosinj. When Strikoman published the photographs, he also spoke about the significance of the place and the problems affecting Kosinj.

Figure 4. Šime Strikoman, the 800th Millennium Photograph and Kosinj in the Glagolitic script9

THE FIRST PROTEST – MANCE DRAGA CEMETERY

The first protest was prompted by the inhumane treatment of human remains during the exhumation at Mance Draga cemetery. These were the old cemeteries of Mance Draga 1 and Mance Draga 2, which had gradually been merged into a single cemetery. The first, older cemetery was no longer in use and had only a few grave markers. In the second, more recent cemetery, monuments and crosses were clearly visible. The Municipality of Perušić published a notice that Mance Draga cemetery was to be closed in the Službeni glasnik Ličko-senjske županije,¹⁰ but did not convene a meeting with residents, who knew nothing about these works. At one point, machinery and activity could be seen at the cemetery in Mance Draga.

To allow the machinery through the narrow access road to the cemetery, a local resident’s dry-stone wall was demolished. He was the first to object, and the contractors briefly negotiated with him. The machinery nevertheless reached the cemetery and excavation began on 12 or 13 August 2021. The nearest neighbours heard the work, went there and photographed the machinery and activities. What was troubling was the speed with which the machinery dug through the cemetery. They excavated soil, threw it onto heaps and moved on. This did not in any way look like a proper method of exhuming human remains. We quickly convened a meeting, organised ourselves and tried to stop the works. Responding to our calls, the police came to the site five or six times.

Meanwhile, we discovered that the cemetery was recorded in the cadastre as belonging to the Parish of St Anthony of Padua in Gornji Kosinj. Under the law, the cemeteries should have come under the local authority, in this case the Municipality of Perušić and its responsible municipal services company. However, the transfer of ownership had not been entered in either the land register or the cadastre, a major failing in the Municipality of Perušić’s administration. Thus, no one had asked the parish priest of Kosinj, who legally represents the Parish of St Anthony of Padua, the owner of the cemetery, for permission to relocate human remains from it. During our attempts to stop the works and the police visits, a land register extract was presented and the ownership issue explained. Months of wrangling with the Municipality of Perušić followed.

We would go to Mance Draga early in the morning, literally as if we were going to war. Most of the human remains from Mance Draga cemetery are now in Kosinjski Bakovac. Two ossuaries were built for graves without markers, and remains from Mance Draga cemetery were transferred into them. Remains from graves with markers, on the other hand, did not end up in the ossuaries; separate grave plots and appropriate markers had to be provided for them in the new cemetery in Kosinjski Bakovac. However, we are not certain that all the remains ended up there, since we subsequently learned that some had been stored in a private garage on a property in Donji Kosinj.

Figure 5. The small chapel and grave of Joso Klobučar, buried in 1976. Source: Ivan Mance, 2011.

The whole case was eventually covered in a programme on RTL. We reported everything to the State Attorney’s Office of the Republic of Croatia (DORH), which later dismissed our complaint as unfounded.¹¹ Yet even today, we do not know what happened to some of the human bones dug up by excavators and left in containers on a property in Donji Kosinj. These are human bones, not the bones of wild animals. We are speaking of our ancestors, of Croats who lived, worked, created and died in Kosinj, of families and people from the immediate Gornji Kosinj area.¹²

Figure 6. Mance Draga cemetery after excavation13

All this inhumane treatment of the remains of Kosinj’s ancestors prompted the first protest, which we organised around All Saints’ Day in 2021.¹⁴ We deliberately chose a time when people visit the graves of their loved ones, and it was also a weekend. We invited people from outside Kosinj, including representatives of veterans’ and other associations. By our standards, it was a very thoroughly organised event. Speakers took turns on the temporary stage, the most prominent among them being Professor Stanko Uršić, PhD; a representative of a veterans’ association from Gospić; Dragan Prša – Paja Genin, a resident of Gornji Kosinj and to this day one of the most active advocates for preserving the Kosinj Valley; the author of this paper; and a representative of the association Eko-Zagreb.

The protest was recorded on mobile phones, small cameras and similar devices. Afterwards, we all took candles to the cemetery and prayed for the souls of those whose remains had been relocated so inhumanely. That protest marked the beginning of our public resistance.

Figure 7. The first protest at Mance Draga cemetery, the Reverend Pero Jurčević15

Ultimately, we engaged a lawyer in connection with Mance Draga cemetery, and the case went to court precisely because of the statutory period of one hundred years from the last burial. In a final judgment, the High Administrative Court of the Republic of Croatia ruled that this should not have been done in that manner. Yet to this day, despite the judgment, no one has been held morally accountable or liable for a misdemeanour or criminal offence in connection with these actions.¹⁶

Figure 8. Prayer for the dead whose rest was disturbed, Mance Draga cemetery17

TWO PROTESTS IN ZAGREB IN 2022

After the protest in Gornji Kosinj, below Mance Draga cemetery, two further protests were organised in Zagreb in 2022, outside two ministries.¹⁸ Although there are few people from Kosinj and we initially received almost no media attention, our Zagreb protests had a considerable impact and attracted fairly substantial media coverage. More importantly, those protests were followed by a turning point in our endeavours and efforts.

At that time, the author of this paper had been elected to the Presbyteral Council of the Diocese of Gospić-Senj. At the first meeting of the newly constituted council, the Kosinj issue was presented in detail, with an emphasis on the need for the diocese to state its position on the project and on everything happening to people in the Kosinj area. A serious and very fruitful discussion followed, and Bishop Križić decided that the issue would be discussed at a meeting with all the priests. This duly happened. At the next meeting of all the priests of the Diocese of Gospić-Senj, everyone was informed about the Kosinj issue. Bishop Križić then drafted a letter endorsed by almost all the priests of the diocese as well as by the bishop himself. Through this act, the bishop publicly stood alongside the people of Kosinj. He did not declare himself opposed to the project as such, but stated that people must not be treated inhumanely. Their future had to be taken into account and, if they did have to move, they had to be provided with suitable accommodation or compensation.

This had a considerable impact. The statement attracted media attention simply because the bishop had become involved in a problem affecting people in his diocese and had clearly stated his position in public. Resistance among Kosinj’s residents subsequently became much more substantial. The bishop’s stance gave the parish priest of Kosinj credibility and support in continuing the struggle for the people entrusted to his care.

The difficulty of attracting media attention has already been mentioned in this paper. Initially, almost no one wanted to report on events in Kosinj. The news portal Lika Club covered our activities from the first day and continues to do so. We take this opportunity to thank them sincerely. After Bishop Križić’s public intervention (see Appendix 1), media outlets approached us from all sides: television channels, newspapers and news portals. Alongside Lika Club, Nova TV, HRT and RTL, Radio Gospić, Radio Otočac and many other media outlets began reporting on Kosinj.

A SCHOLARLY AND PROFESSIONAL CONFERENCE IN KOSINJ

The first scholarly and professional conference, and therefore a historic one, The Kosinj Valley – Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow, was held on 30 September 2022 at Anž Frankopan Primary School in Gornji Kosinj. It was organised by the Ivo Pilar Institute of Social Sciences, with a range of institutions as co-organisers: the Croatian Institute of History, the Institute of Croatian Language and Linguistics, the Department of Teacher Education Studies in Gospić at the University of Zadar, the State Archives in Gospić, Muzej Like Gospić and Znanstveno i kulturno društvo Kosinj (see Appendix 2).¹⁹ The conference was held under the patronage of the Diocese of Gospić-Senj, and Bishop Zdenko Križić’s presence and opening address²⁰ lent distinction to this historic scholarly gathering.

The conference featured 36 presentations on Kosinj, with scholars and professionals from various fields taking part. It was exceptionally important at that stage of Kosinj’s resistance to the Kosinj Hydropower System project, and remains so today. The only regret is that it was not promoted more widely in the media. It was a historic event for Kosinj, as well as an important scholarly conference on the history of Kosinj, Lika and Croatia, and greater efforts should have been made to secure media coverage. Four years later, in 2026, a second scholarly and professional conference, Kosinjska dolina – školstvo, jezik, baština, was held in Kosinj to mark the 200th anniversary of schooling in the area. Its principal organiser was the Croatian Institute of History.²¹

A DEBATE AT MATICA HRVATSKA

The media response soon prompted Matica hrvatska to contact us. This was a period when Matica hrvatska regularly organised public debates. They approached us with a proposal for a debate with HEP representatives. We did not hesitate for a second, because public visibility and media coverage of our efforts were exceptionally important to us at the time. Events organised by Matica hrvatska, one of Croatia’s oldest cultural institutions, attract excellent media coverage and considerable interest from academic and professional circles. The debate took place on 22 November 2022 at Matica hrvatska in Zagreb.

HEP was represented by two of its leading figures involved in the project: Vedran Jurić, MSc, then HEP’s Director of Capital Investments, and Tomislav Tomić, dipl. ing., the principal person responsible for implementing the Kosinj Hydropower System project on the ground.

Figure 9. The debate at Matica hrvatska, from left to right: Ivan Mance, Pero Jurčević, Branimir Bilić, Vedran Jurić and Tomislav Tomić.22

Figure 10. The debate at Matica hrvatska: Vedran Jurić displays the coat of arms of the Republic of Croatia.23

Ivan Mance, PhD, and the author of this paper represented Kosinj.

The event was chaired by the well-known HRT presenter Branimir Bilić, which in itself attracted a larger number of interested visitors.²⁴ The debate subsequently also attracted considerable attention on YouTube.²⁵

In the humble opinion of the author of this paper, HEP’s representatives were not well prepared, while the audience asked excellent questions. Jurić and Tomić did not convincingly explain or justify the project. At one point, a visibly upset Vedran Jurić waved the Croatian coat of arms, telling the audience, Mance and Jurčević that they were fighting against the coat of arms and the state, which came across as completely absurd. We were fighting for our rights and demanding that the law be followed if the project went ahead. HEP’s other representative, Tomić, was visibly uncomfortable with the whole situation. From Kosinj’s perspective, the debate went very well, and contact was established with HEP’s most important representatives involved in the Kosinj Hydropower System project. At their suggestion, we continued the discussions. Ivan Mance, PhD, took responsibility for these because he was based in Zagreb, but the discussions and contacts did not lead to any concrete agreement or solution. Unfortunately, HEP continued to act as before.

TWO DOCUMENTARIES ABOUT KOSINJ

The HRT documentary Slučaj Kosinj was arranged through Ivan Mance, PhD, and Niko Kostanić, then editor-in-chief of HRT’s programme Mir i dobro. It was broadcast in two parts in 2023.²⁶ As far as we know, Niko Kostanić encountered difficulties both over its broadcast and regarding his position at HRT. The subject was clearly sensitive and problematic for both the project and the institutions that had declared it a strategic state interest. The HRT crew filmed in Kosinj for around ten days. The film portrayed the overall situation and everything happening on the ground at the time very well. We thank editor Niko Kostanić, the camera operators, sound technicians and the rest of the crew for this very important documentary, which was ultimately successfully completed and broadcast.

Later that year, another documentary was made, produced by Vida TV. In thirty minutes, the film gave a very good account of Kosinj and the local circumstances surrounding the project, apart from the final section, which discussed fascists and the Ustaše.²⁷ In the context of the inundation of Kosinj, this was really unnecessary, particularly as many people in the film spoke about how relations between Croats and the Orthodox residents of Mlakva and Lipovo Polje had always been good, even during the Croatian War of Independence.²⁸

THE BOOK THE KOSINJ PRINTING HOUSE AND THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF CROATIA, ZORAN MILANOVIĆ

There were many moments in our activism when we did not know what to do next. There were few of us and it seemed we had no new ideas, but each time something would happen or someone new would become involved, giving our efforts renewed energy and momentum.

One of the most important contributions to the history of Kosinj was the doctoral²⁹ and other research undertaken by the historian Ivan Mance. He investigated not only the Kosinj Printing House, which gives its name to the book based on his doctorate, but also the much broader history of Kosinj and the historical records concerning it. He spent almost twenty years researching in order to substantiate his thesis about the first printing house in Kosinj with sources and facts, and to show Kosinj’s place in Croatian and European history.³⁰

After the defence of his doctoral thesis, the book The Kosinj Printing House was presented at many venues, with around forty presentations throughout Croatia. This was very demanding but important, and the media covered the presentations. The book was also presented over two days in Vienna, with coverage by local television.

We constantly considered how to raise our efforts to a higher level. One idea was to reach the President of the Republic of Croatia, Zoran Milanović, speak with him and acquaint him with Kosinj and its problems. Such ideas initially sounded almost impossible: it is easy to have an idea, but difficult to put it into practice. How the meeting with President Milanović came about is described in the following personal account.

In conversation with the parish priest in Plaški, I learned that the president had already visited the town. The parish priest promised to let me know sufficiently early if the president announced another visit to Plaški. That is what happened. About a year after our conversation, the president returned to Plaški at the invitation of the municipal mayor.³¹ Through the mayor, the parish priest of Plaški secured me a place in the presidential programme. I was advised to speak very briefly, as I would not have much time. If I interested the president, the conversation might last longer. I brought him the book The Kosinj Printing House with a lengthy inscription by its author. Since the gift had not been announced, the security service initially prevented me from approaching with the book, but this was eventually resolved. In a minute or two, I told the president everything important about the Kosinj Hydropower System project, the problems facing residents and the historical heritage that might be inundated. I was pleased that I had managed to say everything I had intended. The president became interested and began asking questions: how many people had left, how the works were progressing and what the situation was on the ground. I had the impression that the subject had greatly interested him. He told me it was not easy to oppose such a project. I understood this as a warning that I was, as the saying goes, “playing with fire”. He asked where I was from, then we joked a little and concluded our lengthy conversation. I handed the president our gift, the book The Kosinj Printing House.

The president made no specific promises. He said he would reflect on the matter and speak to his energy adviser to familiarise himself with the issue. Unfortunately, we did not receive the response we had expected, but that is how politics works. Nevertheless, our meeting probably did ultimately bring about another new and exceptionally interesting development.

President Milanović presented the Pope with a replica of Misal po zakonu rimskoga dvora,³² and his office later gave the same book to the Bibliotheca Alexandrina.³³ Since the First Printed Croatian Book was printed at the Kosinj Printing House and is central to research on it, and Mance’s book analyses the First Printed Croatian Book in detail in that context, it is possible that the president or one of his associates came up with the idea of presenting a facsimile of the First Printed Croatian Book while reading The Kosinj Printing House. Of course, we cannot know this for certain; it is a supposition based on the president’s statements³⁴ and activities after he received the book The Kosinj Printing House from Kosinj.

Figure 11. From left to right: Zoran Milanović and Pero Jurčević, Plaški, 2023.

We may suppose that the parish priest of Kosinj’s contact with the President of the Republic of Croatia, Zoran Milanović, may have contributed to the very important and successful promotion of Kosinj and its history worldwide. This not only enhanced Kosinj’s international importance and profile, but also gave the struggle of its people a new dimension and greater recognition in cultural, academic and media circles.

And The Kosinj Printing House ultimately reached the Pope and then the Bibliotheca Alexandrina. We had wondered how to reach the Pope at all, but through Divine Providence this idea, too, was realised very quickly and easily. During a visit to Rome by priests of the Diocese of Gospić-Senj, the book was presented as a gift to Pope Leo XIV.

The book The Kosinj Printing House reached the Bibliotheca Alexandrina as a gift from its author, for which the library’s director, Professor Ahmed A. Zayed, personally thanked Mance (see Appendix 3).

Figure 12. The Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, with the book The Kosinj Printing House35

THE PROJECT FOR A BUST OF THE FIRST CROATIAN PRINTER, AMBROZ KACITIĆ

Following the research and the book The Kosinj Printing House, we wanted to commemorate these findings permanently and thereby also help, in some way, to raise Kosinj’s profile and save it. The idea emerged for a bronze bust of Ambroz Kacitić, a native of Kosinj and the proven first Croatian printer, and for memorial plaques at sites associated with him and the Kosinj Printing House: the site of the former Pauline monastery of St Mary, now the Chapel of St Peter and St Paul in Donji Kosinj; Vukelići in Donji Kosinj, formerly Dubovik, where Ambroz Kacitić came from; and the Chapel of St Vitus in Kosinjski Bakovac, the church to which the original Glagolitic tablets of Anž Frankapan were transferred from the nearby fortress of Kosinj and the precise site of the Kosinj Printing House.

On the eve of the feast of St Peter and St Paul on 29 June 2024, known locally as Petrova, Mance had the idea for the monument. He was coming to Kosinj because his daughter Pavla was to be baptised on the feast day in the Chapel of St Peter and St Paul in Donji Kosinj.³⁶ As he passed through Vukelići, he thought how good it would be to create a bust of the first Croatian printer. He presented the idea to the author of this paper, and discussions immediately began about the best place to install it.

Vukelići and the grounds of the parish church of St John the Baptist were considered. The parish church grounds would have been a very practical location for the bust, since many people visit and the monument would stand in a well-maintained, enclosed area. However, the church of St John the Baptist did not exist during his lifetime and working life. The historical connection between the precise location and Ambroz Kacitić had to be taken into account, so it was concluded that the most appropriate site was beside the Chapel of St Peter and St Paul. Ambroz was a Pauline monk, and in his time the Pauline monastery of St Mary, founded in 1453, stood on that site.

We moved very quickly to implement the project. We needed to find an academically trained sculptor for the bust and a stonemason for the pedestal. We considered a well-known Zagreb sculptor but soon decided against him because of his connections with HEP and politics. We then thought of the academically trained sculptor Slaven Miličević. His brother Marinko Miličević is a priest of the Diocese of Gospić-Senj, and Slaven had worked very successfully with the late Bishop Mile Bogović on the monument to John Paul II beside the Church of Croatian Martyrs in Udbina. We contacted him and quickly reached an agreement. Slaven encouraged us to begin, even though we had nowhere near the necessary funding at that point.

The parish of Kosinj led the project, since we wanted it to be a project of the parishes of Gornji and Donji Kosinj and their parishioners. The Diocese of Gospić-Senj immediately supported it, including with substantial financial assistance. The sculptor recommended a stonemason, and we began collecting donations and sending out numerous requests for support. A great deal of work went into it all, but given its complexity, the project progressed remarkably quickly and successfully.

The main part of the project was completed before the feast of St Peter and St Paul in 2025, and the ceremonial unveiling and blessing of the bust of Ambroz Kacitić took place on the feast day itself, 29 June 2025. Mass was celebrated by Marko Medo, Bishop of Gospić-Senj, with ten priests from Lika concelebrating.³⁷

Figure 13. Celebration of Mass at the unveiling and blessing of the bust of Ambroz Kacitić in Kosinj, 2025.

It is important to note that we organised a ceremony of a very high standard for the unveiling, although this was not easy given the site and the absence of any municipal services. The terrain itself is difficult to access, which complicated both the installation of the monument and the organisation of the ceremony. Despite all the obstacles, a stage and sound system were installed, and the event was covered by numerous media outlets.³⁸ The solemn celebration of Mass and the bishop’s blessing of the bust were followed by a cultural and artistic programme. Just before the ceremony began, a fire broke out on the other side of Donji Kosinj and smoke began to spread. Firefighters were deployed, and Canadair aircraft also fought the fire.³⁹ This happened perhaps half an hour before the unveiling ceremony was due to begin. Thanks to the dedicated firefighters and a favourable wind direction, everything fortunately ended well.

Figure 14. Blessing of the bust, 2025.

The monument project is also linked to Ivan Mance’s new book Prvi hrvatski tiskar Broz žakan.⁴⁰ Originally conceived as a small brochure about the entire project for the monument to Ambroz Kacitić, the idea soon developed into a new historical study by Mance, in which he demonstrated the existence of a Pauline monastery in Kosinj and described the life and work of Ambroz Kacitić and the entire project from conception to completion. The book was then presented at several venues, and presentations are being organised throughout 2026. This once again attracted the media and helped draw attention to the importance of Kosinj and the Kosinj Printing House and to the preservation of our Croatian history.

Figure 15. Bust of Ambroz Kacitić

Figure 16. Memorial plaque to Ambroz Kacitić in Vukelići

WHAT NEXT?

As regards the residents and the Kosinj Hydropower System project, the lawyers representing them, out-of-court negotiations and court proceedings are now crucial. This is not merely about individual owners obtaining a better purchase price for their properties, but also about court cases that are important in challenging the project as a whole. As far as is known, there are at least three final judgments, and many more lawsuits. This is currently causing the developer considerable problems. The proceedings also examine whether those responsible for the project hold all the necessary permits, whether they obtained them in time and whether they are still valid or need to be renewed. The recent case of unlawful waste disposal and groundwater and environmental pollution in Gospić could play an important role here. In the opinion of some environmental experts, there are very strong grounds for challenging and potentially overturning the environmental impact study for the Kosinj Hydropower System, a new version of which HEP commissioned in 2017. Since then, the situation has changed drastically, as polluted waters from the Novčica and Lika rivers in Gospić reach the Kosinj Valley. It is therefore legitimate to ask how a new reservoir being filled with so-called forever chemicals might affect environmental change in the Kosinj Valley and, very indirectly, the Gacka Valley, followed by Senj and the islands.

Nor is the situation on the ground working in HEP’s favour. Work is progressing very slowly: much has been started and almost nothing completed. Roads are being built but not finished, and the drainage tunnel between Kosinjski Bakovac and Lipovo Polje is also unfinished, despite having been close to completion for quite some time. The developer has encountered difficulties at several points, including as a result of litigation.

The most difficult aspect of the Kosinj situation is that most residents have already had their property expropriated and been paid compensation. Around thirty people or fewer remain in Gornji Kosinj, and perhaps around ten in the Orthodox village of Mlakva. HEP’s aim is certainly to relocate everyone as soon as possible so that the project can proceed unhindered. The remaining residents are under great pressure. They are now being offered considerably more compensation than before, simply to persuade them to leave. For years, the media and public discussion have referred to the last Christmas, the last Easter or the last celebration of St Anne’s feast in Kosinj.⁴¹ Yet despite all this, Kosinj endures and its people still refuse to give up.

Completion of the Kosinj Hydropower System project and the relocation of residents would mean the demise of the Kosinj Valley as a whole. Kosinjski Bakovac, with perhaps sixty residents or fewer, cannot sustain the entire area on its own. Nor can Donji Kosinj, with approximately 300 residents, many of them elderly, survive in the long term without the other settlements. There are very few young families. Such a situation is unsustainable and, unfortunately, opens the way to possible future projects to inundate Donji Kosinj as well, and thus the entire Kosinj Valley. Nevertheless, what the author of this paper has said from the very beginning is that God has the final word. We believe that God’s blessing and help have been present in everything we have undertaken. On our own, we could not have achieved so much or persevered for so long. We are now entering the seventh year of this struggle, yet Kosinj endures and its people still refuse to give up.

On a personal level, these past six or seven years have involved many ups and downs, considerable physical and mental strain, and great exhaustion. Eventually, I also developed Crohn’s disease and barely survived the operations. According to the doctors, stress played a major role. After the operation and during my recovery, the messages were clear: you will never return to Kosinj. My answer was even clearer: when I return, we will have a drink together, and it will be on me. And I did return. Pressure, messages and certain threats were directed not only at me personally, but also at other people important to Kosinj’s struggle.

What are my plans now? I seek neither fame nor to prolong this story. I became involved for the sake of these people, my parishioners. When the issue is resolved one way or another, I will feel spiritually fulfilled. Until then, I place everything in God’s hands because, I repeat, God has the final word.

CONCLUSION

There has truly been a great deal of prayer. Offerings have been made for numerous Mass intentions for a blessing on Kosinj in the face of the Kosinj Hydropower System project. We have blessed Kosinj in various ways. At certain times, we would travel throughout the area with the Blessed Sacrament, praying and giving blessings. We scattered blessed salt around Kosinj and placed blessed medals at various locations, not only in the Kosinj Valley but also along the roads towards Gospić and Otočac. We also received blessed roses from Carmelite sisters, associated with St Thérèse of the Child Jesus, and brought these to Kosinj as well. Priests were praying not only in Kosinj. Since their arrival in Lika, the Carmelite sisters in Gospić have prayed for Kosinj every day. They are a great source of spiritual support to us, as is the Diocese of Gospić-Senj. It is quite certain that many other people, both in and outside Kosinj, are also praying for its survival and preservation. Thus, a great deal has truly been done on the spiritual level, and this is one of the most important parts of this story. Some people who view spiritual life differently, without speaking here of visions, are convinced that Kosinj will never be inundated.

From a priest’s perspective, it is inconceivable to achieve anything on the spiritual level without God’s help and blessing. Yet it is not enough to pray once and say: God, now you take care of it. Everyone must do all they can, while praying and seeking God’s help and protection. I believe that without this, we would not have achieved what we have. I speak from personal experience, and I am referring not only to myself but also to the entire Kosinj Valley. People may not know this, but Kosinj has produced many religious vocations, priests and nuns. Many parish priests have also served here, and their prayers and work form part of the spiritual history of this area. Of the eleven medieval churches in the Kosinj area, which also had a Pauline monastery, seven survive today. Among them is the church of St Anthony of Padua, formerly the church of St Jerome, which, as a unique example in Lika’s religious history, strongly points to Glagolitism and printing in Kosinj. There is also the Chapel of St Anne, with burial remains dating from the late tenth century, thus from the time of Ban Pribina, who may have exercised his authority as ban from nearby Ban Dvor. These are places where people have prayed for centuries, and that spiritual heritage does not disappear when people leave. Kosinj was a major religious, ecclesiastical, Glagolitic and administrative centre, and thus a historic Croatian centre. That spiritual strength is still present today, even though many people’s faith has weakened over time. Perhaps Kosinj’s spirituality can still be felt most strongly at the site of the former Pauline monastery, now the Chapel of St Peter and St Paul in Donji Kosinj and the location of the monument to Ambroz Kacitić. When a person, in their transience and weakness, does what they can and trusts in God, they cannot know in advance when or how something will change, but they can be confident that their prayer and their sincere, dedicated efforts and work will bear fruit.