Click on Image to Enlarge
The Republic of Serbia's Monument to the Unknown Hero is located atop Mount Avala, southeast of Belgrade. The memorial, designed by sculptor Ivan Meštro vić, was built between 1934 and1938 on the site where an unknown Serbian World War I soldier was buried. The current structure replaced a smaller monument to the unknown dedicated in 1922. The unknown was transferred to the present memorial when it was dedicated.
 |
| The Tomb: Inscription Includes Balkan Wars and WWI |
The monument is in the form of a sarcophagus made of black granite, said to resemble the Tomb of Cyrus the Great in Iran. The sarcophagus in surrounded by statues representing all the peoples of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. They depict Bosnian, Montenegrin, Dalmatian, Croatian, Slovenian, Vojvodina’s, Serbian, and South Serbian mothers of fallen soldiers. The top of the sarcophagus is marked with an inscription reading "Alexander I, King of Yugoslavia to the Unknown Hero." The tomb is marked only by the date "1912–1918," the duration of the Balkan Wars and World War I. The monument is placed on a five-step pyramid that symbolizes the five centuries of Ottoman occupation of Serbia. Caryatids, who are keeping the peace and sanctity of the burial place, actually represent mothers of the fallen soldiers.
 |
| Mothers of the Fallen |
As in other countries, the site is used for commemorations of important historical events, such as 15 September, when in World War I the Macedonian Front was broken by the Allies.
Sources: Atlas Obscura; Wikipedia
"It's fascinating to see how the design of the monument encapsulates so much of Serbia's history, from the Balkan Wars and WWI to the centuries-long Ottoman occupation. The inclusion of mothers from various regions also reflects the broader scope of the Yugoslavian kingdom and the collective grief experienced."
ReplyDelete