This is a photograph showing a Serbian woman, Milica Tepić, escaping her village with her two children just before Ustaše (a Croatian fascist) burned it. The photo was taken in January 1944 by George Skrigin, who was part of the partisan resistance and accidentally stumbled upon Milica.
Milica died in 1949. Her husband, Branko, a partisan resistance fighter, was hanged by the Nazis in 1942. Like his father, the little boy on Milica's back was called Branko. He was born one month after his father's death. He died in 2022 at the age of 81. His sister Dragica died in 1983.
The photograph as a witness of suffering and struggle for survival is one of the exhibits in the Holocaust Museum in Auschwitz.
This powerful image embedded itself in my memory at a young age. Today whenever I hear about refugees or displaced people, this image comes to my mind.
What would have happened to her and her children if she was not allowed to escape the horrors behind her? What would have happened if she was forced to go back? Thinking of today's refugee and displaced people situation, I decided to create this visual essay using Milica's image.
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Mirko Ilić's blog post on refugees is a powerful reminder of the resilience and strength of those who have had to leave their homes in search of safety. In a similar vein of expressing individuality and identity, custom embroidery hats can be a meaningful way to show solidarity and support.
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