BIOGRAPHY

He was born on 15th May in ancient village Sevce, lost among giant forests, between Prizren and Brezovica, settled by autochthonous Serbian people, in the district of Sirinica, under the mountain of Sara. The father, Nikola Arsic, respectable head of a household, was dealing with manufacturing of wooden usable objects. The mother Cveta, a daughter of respectable householders Stojan and Ilinka Stojanović. At the end of last century, his father, as many peasants from Kosovo and Metohija, went in America, in order to improve his material position. His relatively secure life was interrupted by the First World War. He joined as a volunteer, giving to many Serbs in America an example and stimulus to put themselves in the service of homeland. After the end of war, he returned back in his homeland. At that time have started his great difficulties. The homeland, as it often happens, has forgotten quickly its heroes and Nikola Arsic barely succeeded to feed his family. The whole childhood of Svetomir Arsic Basara was fulfilled with the poverty and privation, hunger and strong feelings of injustice.

Attends comprehensive school in Sevce. Not having means for support and schooling, he became a village servant.

1942.
In order to help his family he started to work in a chromium mine Jezerina" on Sara. He got acquainted with communist ideas about equality social justice. Finding in it the similarity with his feelings and understanding of new world, he joined to illegal movement in the mine.

1944.
He joined the Second Brigade of Kosovo. As a warrior of its First battalion, he was participating in fights in area of Drenica, and than goes to scouting headquarters company of 52nd Division.

1945.
At the end of October, he was demobilized.

1946.
He entered a lower level of high school in Urosevac where, under shorten program, he had finished all four classes.

Enters the High School in Kosovska Mitrovica. After that he moved in Prizren. Getting to know that in Nis was opened a School for applied arts, and not having
money for travel to Nis to pass entrance examination, he wrote a letter to Ministry of Education to allow him a transfer in the same. From the second semester he became a student of the School of Arts.

1948–1952.
Takes part in the voluntary mass of young people on construction of highway „Brotherhood-Unity", on construction of New Belgrade, railroad Doboj-Banja Luka, on construction of Hydro System Vlasina.

1950.
Appears his first independent sculpture, the Head of Girl.