After World War II, many monuments were designed and built across former Yugoslavia. They were built to commemorate battles, heroes, and massacres.
The design of the monuments (often by renowned designers and architects), and their position in remote rural areas means that since the dissolution of Yugoslavia into six countries, they have mostly been abandoned and left to rot.
The Soviet-esque style, as you might remember from those Soviet era bus stops, might most easily be described as surrealist art deco.
Below are a handful of those WWII monuments from across ex-Yugoslavian lands.
Designed by Serbian architect Bogdan Bogdanović, opened in 1965.
The area fell to wrack and ruin and was heavily damaged in the war in 1992. But in 2006, the cemetery was proclaimed a national monument of Bosnia and Herzegovina and given the spit and polish treatment.
Since 2006, however, the cemetery has once again fallen victim to neglect, heavy vandalism, and rubbish dumping.
This World War II memorial was created by Dušan Džamonja. It’s located at Mrakovica, one of the highest peaks of Kozara mountain.
The monument is dedicated to the fierce battle and 2,500 Yugoslav partisan fighters and 68,500 mostly Serb civilians killed or deported to Ustaše concentration camps during German-Ustaše-Hungarian Kozara Offensive – June/July 1942.
Located in Novi Travnik, Bosnia and Herzegovina. It was opened in 1975 to commemorate around 700 victims executed at this site during the Second World War.
The area around the monument was, until recently, riddled with landmines meaning that it fell into disrepair.
Now cleared of bombs, the vandals have moved in.
Designed by Zlatko Ugljen and built in 1969. This odd monument commemorates the deaths of 62 Partisan fighters and illegal migrant workers.
World War II memorial sculpture by Dušan Džamonja, located in Podgarić, Berek, Croatia.
This epic oddity is dedicated to the people of Moslavina during World War II.
This World War II monument sits on the highest peak of Petrova Gora. It’s on the site of a tragic World War II episode, when about 300 desperate Serb peasants armed only with pitchforks, died attacking Ustaše – Croatian fascist troops who were hell bent on ethnically cleaning Croatia.
Today it is routinely robbed of its stainless steel and left to the elements.
Located on the Pelješac peninsula near the village of Gornje Pijavičino.
It is dedicated to 395 fallen Yugoslav partisans and civilians killed in Italian and ustasha concentration camps. Designed by Ivan Mitrović and Zlatko Jerić, built in 1983.
Dedicated to the concentration camp victims at the Jasenovac camp, held by the Ustaše.
This was one of the largest concentration camps in Europe, renowned for its brutality.
The majority of victims at Jasenovac were ethnic Serbs, whom the Ustaše wanted to remove from the NDH (new Croatian state), along with the Jews, anti-fascist or dissident Croatians, and Roma.
This huge concrete flower was designed by Bogdan Bogdanović, built in 1966
Dedicated to the Partisan victory in Slavonia. Built in 1968 on the Blažuj hill.
It was once the biggest abstract sculpture in the world. The Croatian army destroyed the monument in 1992.
If you’d like to see more incredible monuments, HERE’S PART TWO AND PART THREE OF YUGOLSLAV MONUMENTS..