Milan Kakashi - a Forgotten Legend | Old Belgrade stories

Milan Kakashi was not a native Belgrader. In fact, he didn't even live in Belgrade for most of his life. He only spent the last twenty years of his life there, reaching old age. During his lifetime, he was a very mysterious, magnificent, and unique character, but he died in Belgrade and was buried at New Cemetery, almost forgotten and unknown.

His exciting life journey could fill an extensive biography. We will present him briefly through the most interesting anecdotes that are sufficient to outline his personality.

Milan Kakashi was Hungarian, an Austro-Hungarian cavalry officer, and according to some sources, he was even a descendant of the famous Hungarian noble family Karolji. Allegedly, he despised his supreme commander, Crown Prince Franz Ferdinand, considering him perpetually grumpy and narrow-minded. He reportedly received the news of the Sarajevo assassination indifferently, believing that the assassination of the crown prince was no loss.

According to the code of chivalry, for such words, he should have either taken his own life or resigned from his officer position in the Austro-Hungarian army and joined its opponents. He chose the latter option - he crossed over to Serbia where he was naturally received with great reservation on the eve of the Great (First World) War. He was sent to the Danube Front and fought "like a lion" against Austria in the battles near Rama, proving himself to his new army while sustaining severe and lasting injuries to his jaw, ribs, and some organs.

He retreated with the Serbian army through Albania, and with the help of allies, he made it to France, where he worked for Serbian propaganda, once again proving his "Serbianness." Moreover, if anyone questioned it, he would feel deeply offended, while being eternally grateful to those who never criticized his Austro-Hungarian past.

After the war, he returned to Serbia, where, as a great horse lover, he managed several studs. Adoring animals, he would often get into fights with peasants who would beat the livestock with sticks. The Serbian people considered him heroic, honorable, and fearless, but they could never reconcile with the idea of hitting and cursing domestic animals.

Milan Kakashi experienced the beginning of the Second World War in his house in Belgrade. After the first bombings on April 6, 1941, a group of soldiers and generals passed by his house, carrying a white sheet as a sign of surrender. His famous words addressed to them were: "If we, gentlemen generals, had carried white sheets on Kajmakčalan, today Thessaloniki would also be in Austria. I kindly ask you to feel ashamed and leave my yard because I don't want you to surrender to the Germans there and have my son Dušan witness it, so he could take it as an example in life..."

M.J. Stojimirović writes that after the war, Kakashi lived in great poverty. When he died, he had exceeded the age of eighty. At his modest funeral, his few remaining friends met after several decades - a testament to loyalty, love, and respect even after so many years.