Sebastian Press · Facsimile Edition
A Rare Serbian Treasure’s Extraordinary Journey to North America
Nothing is as sacred to me as my Church and my forefathers’ law and custom, and nothing so precious as liberty, well-being, and the advancement of my people and my brothers, and for these two, the church and the people, wherever I am, I’ll be ready to lay down my life.
About the Book
The Služabnik printed by Božidar Vuković in Venice in 1520 is not merely an old book — it is the cornerstone of Serbian and Slavic written culture, one of the oldest surviving works from the first Serbian printing house in Venice, of priceless value to Serbian and Slavic heritage and literature.
This rare 235-leaf liturgical service book was printed by Božidar Vuković, a Serb from Montenegro who fled the Ottoman conquest of Podgorica to become a renowned printer in Venice. This printed version of the Divine Liturgy was preserved for centuries in the Tesla family, crossed the ocean, and today rests in the Truman Presidential Library — an extraordinary journey to North America.
There are few grammatical mistakes in the book and due to this, on one of the last pages Božidar asks for "forgiveness — not curses" from anyone using and reading this book — a humble plea that has survived five centuries.
The book had been crudely repaired at the head, tail, and four corners with dyed sheepskin. A leather hinge had been applied inside over the original board papers, front and back, and a modern fly-leaf was added at the front. New headbands were made from modern unbleached linen rolled around a cord.
The leaves were extremely soiled and abraded, with numerous stains throughout the book. There were 111 major tears in the leaves, 354 heavy paper patches, and 40 losses around the edges, and the paper was breaking at the edge of the heavy hinges along the inner margin. The restoration was carried out in 1977 by Carolyn Horton & Associates of New York.
Contents of the Book
Most frequently used — pages worn and stained from centuries of service.
Cleaner, served less frequently — only ten times per year.
Daily services — margins stained from daily use.
Record of saints through the liturgical year, with rubrics and annotations.
Wax marks visible on these pages — silent witnesses of countless Holy Weeks.
With lists of sins and questions for the confessor — the spiritual medicine of centuries.
A Journey Through Centuries
For more than five centuries this book has accompanied the history of the Serbian people — from Božidar Vuković’s print shop in Venice, through the Tesla family, to the collection of the President of the United States.
Božidar Vuković, a Serb who fled the Ottoman conquest of Podgorica, founds the first Serbian printing house in Venice and prints the Služabnik there. The book becomes the cornerstone of Serbian written culture.
The Very Reverend Milutin Tesla, father of the great inventor, kept the Služabnik as one of the most prized items in his large library. The book was used in divine services — wax marks and worn pages bear witness to its daily sacred use. Nikola Tesla recalled: "My father was an omnivorous reader and possessed a large library."
After Father Milutin’s death, his widow Djuka (née Mandić) kept the book. After her death, Nikola Tesla took the rare copy to New York and had it restored. From 1884 until 1943, the book remained safely in his possession, among his most prized personal belongings.
After Nikola’s death in 1943, the book passed to his nephew Sava Kosanović, who lived in America from 1941–1944. He returned to Yugoslavia in 1944 and in 1946 was appointed Yugoslav Ambassador to the United States. In 1950, as his tenure was ending, Kosanović presented the book to President Harry S. Truman as his farewell gift. For a time, the Renaissance volume resides in the White House before eventually entering the Truman Presidential Library.
The book resides in the Archives and Research room of the Truman Library in Independence, Missouri — in the heartland and physical center of the United States. Restored in 1977, it is in excellent condition. It is not on public display, but appointments to view it can be arranged under strict regulations.
Preserving a Five-Century Legacy
At the heart of the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library rests a remarkable treasure: a Serbian liturgical book printed in Venice in 1520 by the renowned printer Božidar Vuković. Preserved by the family of Archpriest Milutin Tesla, inherited by his son Nikola Tesla, and ultimately presented to President Harry S. Truman, this extraordinary volume today stands as a unique witness to the intertwined histories of faith, culture, immigration, and innovation.
Known as The Tesla–Truman Služabnik, this rare book is more than a historical artifact. It is a living bridge between Renaissance Europe and modern America, between the spiritual world that shaped Nikola Tesla and the nation that became his home.
The Tesla–Truman Heritage Project seeks to preserve, study, reproduce, and share this remarkable treasure with future generations through scholarship, public exhibitions, and educational outreach.
Proposed Exhibition
Project Components
A museum-quality facsimile edition reproducing the original 1520 volume in its entirety, accompanied by scholarly essays, historical commentary, and translations.
High-resolution digitization of the complete volume, ensuring its long-term preservation and making it accessible to researchers, educators, students, and the public worldwide.
A professional exhibition presented at libraries, museums, universities, cultural institutions, and Serbian heritage centers throughout North America and beyond.
Lectures, publications, documentaries, and curriculum materials exploring Nikola Tesla's spiritual heritage and the Serbian contribution to American society.
Significance
The Tesla–Truman Služabnik links Renaissance printing, Orthodox Christianity, Serbian cultural history, American immigration, presidential history, and the family legacy of one of humanity’s greatest inventors.
Values
By preserving and sharing this treasure, we honor not only the past but also the enduring values of knowledge, faith, creativity, and human progress that continue to inspire future generations.
Invitation
We invite benefactors, foundations, cultural institutions, corporations, and individuals to join us in bringing this remarkable story to life.
Preserving the Book that Traveled from Tesla to Truman.
Support the ProjectSebastian Press · 2026
For the first time in history, this extraordinary book becomes available to a wider world in the form of a luxury facsimile edition faithfully reproducing every detail of the original. Limited print run. Numbered copies. Your name in the book.
Each copy is hand-bound in premium leather, faithfully modeled on the 16th-century original, in the tradition of the old masters of bookbinding.
Printed on the finest paper, faithfully recreating the tone of the original parchment pages, more than five centuries old.
Every copy bears a unique sequential number, engraved or impressed within the book, confirming its authenticity. The print run is strictly limited.
The name of every subscriber will be inscribed in a special register printed within the book itself — a permanent record of support for this cultural undertaking.
Each of the 235 leaves is faithfully reproduced using the most advanced photography and printing techniques, preserving every trace, color, and detail of the original.
The edition is accompanied by a study of the book's history, its liturgical contents, and its cultural and historical significance for the Serbian people.
Gallery
Limited Edition
X per copy
We invite you to become a subscriber to the facsimile edition of Tesla’s Služabnik. Your name will be inscribed in a special register of subscribers to be printed within the book itself — a permanent and dignified record of your support for this unique cultural undertaking.
Each copy bears a unique sequential number
Inscribed in the subscriber register — for all time
Crafted in the manner of the 16th-century original
Confirming the number and authenticity of your copy
(The subscription form is not yet functional)
Publisher
Sebastian Press is a Serbian-American publishing house dedicated to publishing books of special significance for Serbian cultural, spiritual, and historical heritage. This facsimile edition of Tesla’s Služabnik represents one of the most significant publishing undertakings in modern Serbian culture.