Who Was Aleksandar Lekso Saičić

Aleksandar Lekso Saičić (Vinicka near Berane, 5 August 1873 – Cetinje, 7 April 1911) was a Montenegrin and Russian officer of Serbian Vasojević tribal origin. He was known by the nickname Lekso, and in popular memory he remains a champion duelist and an outstanding swordsman. According to numerous retellings, during the Russo-Japanese War (1904–1905) he defeated a Japanese warrior in a duel in full view of two armies.

His military service took him through the Montenegrin army, the Ottoman guard in Constantinople, and the Russian army in Manchuria. There he was promoted to the rank of captain and commanded a cavalry squadron of a dragoon regiment. He received several Russian, Montenegrin and other decorations for his service.

He died in his 38th year from injuries sustained while trying to save valuables from the burning royal palace in Cetinje. His life story is still retold in newspaper features, books and popular culture.

Origins and Childhood

Lekso Saičić was born in the village of Vinicka near Berane, in the Vasojević region. According to the historian Đuro Batrićević, author of the study “Montenegrins in the Russo-Japanese War,” he came from a family that traces its roots to Vuk Brajotić and the renowned commander Vaso Saičić.

His family had well-known warriors, so he chose a military path early on. His paternal cousin Milo was the commander of the Donjovasojević Brigade, which speaks to the family’s standing in the region.

Folk tradition attributes exceptional agility and strength to the young Lekso. It is said that he mounted a horse at full gallop, slipped beneath it while running, and leaped over even large animals. Shepherds on Mount Turija above Rožaje, in the place called Lastovica, still point out two stone markers that show his famous jump of more than six meters. This is an oral tradition that cannot be independently verified.

Education

Saičić began his primary school and gymnasium studies in Cetinje as a ward of the then Prince Nikola Petrović. He continued his gymnasium education in Dubrovnik and then went to Belgrade, where he graduated from the Infantry Non-Commissioned Officers’ School.

The sources differ on details. The obituary in “Glas Crnogorca” from 1911 speaks of schooling in Cetinje and a move to Serbia, while other texts also mention the gymnasium in Dubrovnik. Most contemporary sources nevertheless name Cetinje, Dubrovnik and Belgrade as the key stages of his education.

Early Military Career

After completing military school, Saičić returned to Montenegro. For three years he served as adjutant of the Vasojević Brigade. The Serbian Wikipedia states that his military service lasted from 1889 to 1911.

Wishing to improve himself as a soldier, he went to Constantinople. There he served for three years in the Ottoman (Turkish) imperial guard. Most sources say he held the rank of lieutenant, while one source mentions the rank of corporal, so the details of his rank differ.

The Russo-Japanese War

When the Russo-Japanese War broke out in early 1904, Saičić left Ottoman service and went to Russia, and then to Manchuria. He joined the Russian army as a volunteer and received the rank of second lieutenant. A Montenegrin detachment led by Jovan Lipovac also took part in the war.

According to the Serbian Wikipedia, he was wounded three times during the war. First he was struck on the head by a saber near Junjcjuan, then in the right flank near Peiančang, and a third time near Labataj close to Mukden. The historian Batrićević likewise records three serious wounds in three battles.

Most sources say he served in the Amur Dragoon Regiment, while the Serbian Wikipedia mentions the Primorsky Dragoon Regiment. Because of this discrepancy, the name of the unit should be treated with caution.

The Duel at Jundžuan

According to tradition, the most famous event of Saičić’s life took place in eastern Manchuria, near a place called Jundžuan (also written Jun-džu-an in Serbian sources). Two armies stood facing each other, and the Japanese side sent forward a rider with a white flag. He demanded that the Russian commander choose one warrior to meet a Japanese fighter in a duel before the battle.

The Russian staff deliberated for a long time. Refusing the challenge would have been shameful, while accepting it carried great risk, since victory in the duel meant a psychological advantage. When a call for a volunteer rang out, Saičić was the first to step forward, presenting himself as a subject of the Montenegrin prince who was now in imperial service.

According to the accounts, he chose a saber and a horse that could change direction quickly. He then rode out into the middle of the field to the sound of military music. Opposite him came a Japanese warrior dressed in black fur. In the first clash Saičić was struck on the forehead by a saber, but he managed to dodge and strike back. The Japanese warrior fell, and Saičić approached the body, bowed to it and returned to his own lines.

Versions of the story differ. One stresses that the opponent was caught in his stirrup while his horse fled toward the Japanese lines. Another claims that Saičić waited for the Japanese warrior to bow and attacked him then. Popular retellings also mention congratulations from Russian generals, as well as from Admiral Heihachiro Togo. Since the well-known admirals operated at sea, those details are probably later additions. The duel should therefore be accepted as part of folk and press tradition rather than as a fully documented event.

Even the victory in the duel did not change the outcome of the war for Russia. Historians rate the battle near Jundžuan as inconclusive, and the war ended with a Russian defeat and the peace of Portsmouth on 5 September 1905.

Promotion and Decorations

After the duel, Saičić became a knight of the Russian Order of St. Anne. In Manchuria he was promoted to the rank of captain, and until the end of the war he commanded a cavalry squadron of a dragoon regiment. According to several sources, the Russian government granted him a lifelong annual pension of forty gold napoleons.

In Russia he was reportedly nicknamed “Muromets,” after Ilya Muromets (Russian: Илья Муромец), the hero of Russian epic songs. The nickname symbolized his strength and courage.

According to tradition, the saber with which he defeated his opponent is kept in the Military Museum in Moscow. Several sources repeat this claim, but its origin is not thoroughly documented in the literature consulted.

Return to Cetinje

After the war, Saičić returned to Montenegro. In Cetinje, Prince Nikola confirmed his rank of captain in the Montenegrin army. Nikola was proclaimed king in 1910, so in the last years of his life Saičić was in the service of King Nikola.

According to Politikin Zabavnik, he spent most of his time writing poems and translating from Russian. “Glas Crnogorca” also states that he worked as a translator. His return was greeted as that of a hero, and the reputation he had earned in the war stayed with him to the end of his life.

Tragic Death

Saičić’s life was cut short soon after a fire in the royal palace in Cetinje. The exact date of the fire has not been reliably established. The Serbian Wikipedia says it happened shortly before April 1911, while another source speaks of an event from the previous year.

According to the accounts, when he heard that the ground floor of the palace was burning, Saičić ran over and sought to rescue the valuables on the upper floor, which included precious gifts presented to King Nikola by rulers. According to tradition, he wrapped a wet shirt around his head and ran through the flames. From the upper floor he threw items down to the people below. When the fire threatened him as well, he jumped into the stone-paved courtyard and badly injured his kidneys.

He suffered for a long time, with frequent visits from the king and his family, but no cure helped. He died on 7 April 1911 in the Danilo I hospital in Cetinje, in his 38th year. The Serbian Wikipedia gives a slightly different date of death (19 April in the new-style calendar, or 6 April in the old style), but most sources confirm 7 April.

The funeral took place two days later, accompanied by the state band, an honor guard of perjanici, the court retinue and the diplomatic corps. His decorations were carried on cushions at the head of the procession. On that occasion, it is said, both King Nikola and Queen Milena openly showed their grief. He was buried with the highest military honors.

Private Life

The available sources say very little about Saičić’s family life. Details about a wife and children are not publicly known or cannot be reliably confirmed, so they are not included here.

What is known is that he belonged to a respected Vasojević family and that his paternal cousin Milo was a brigade commander. It is also known that he was close to the Montenegrin court and enjoyed the trust of King Nikola. The exact place of his burial is not confirmed in the sources consulted.

Interesting Facts

• According to folk tradition, Lekso defeated an Italian fencing instructor in Cetinje in a duel and knocked the saber out of his hand.
• His skill with the saber also entered folk poetry.
• In the Russian army he was nicknamed Muromets, after the hero of Russian epic songs.
• His character is honored in the film “Volja sinovljeva” in a scene with a portrait and a saber. Director Nemanja Ćeranić confirmed that the scene was made deliberately.
• There are several versions of the duel, and one claims that he attacked his opponent while he was bowing.
• A book about Saičić has also been published and was presented to the public in 2019.

Awards and Honors

According to the description in Politikin Zabavnik, the following decorations were carried at the head of the procession at Saičić’s funeral:

• the Russian Order of St. Vladimir with swords and ribbon, 2nd class;
• the Russian Order of St. Anne, 1st and 2nd class;
• the Russian Order of St. Stanislaus with swords and ribbon, 2nd and 3rd class;
• the Russian medal for the wounded;
• the Montenegrin medal for bravery;
• the Order of Danilo I, 4th class;
• an Italian cross.

In addition, according to several sources, the Russian government granted him a lifelong pension of forty gold napoleons a year.

Legacy and Influence

Aleksandar Lekso Saičić remains one of the best-known Montenegrin and Serbian soldiers of the early 20th century. His story is often cited as an example of chivalry and courage, and in his home region around Berane he is regarded as one of the most notable Vasojevići.

At the same time, the duel with the Japanese warrior remains a subject of differing interpretations. Some authors present it as historical fact, while others warn of later embellishments and legends. In any case, Saičić was a real person, documented through the obituary in “Glas Crnogorca,” historical studies and modern press features.

His name is still mentioned in the media, in books and in film. This keeps alive the memory of an officer who traveled from Vinicka to Manchuria and died while saving the valuables of his king.