Incredible Abandoned Yugoslavian Monuments #2

On August 9, 2015 by Tim Newman

 

This is your second installment of amazing Yugoslavian war monuments. CLICK HERE for part 1 and part 3. If you missed the first installment, here’s a recap:

After the terrors of World War II monuments sprung up across former Yugoslavia to commemorate victories and losses, heroes and massacres. With Western media becoming ever more anti-Russian, it’s easy to forget the Soviets were on our team in WWII and had significantly more casualties than we did.

The design of these WWII monuments (often by well respected designers and architects) were often in remote rural areas meaning that since the dissolution of Yugoslavia into six countries, they have mostly been abandoned and left to rot. (Although I am reliably informed that some are now being brought back to life).

The Soviet style, as you might remember from those Soviet era bus stops, might be described as surrealist art deco. They are so very different from anything you would find in Western Europe. I love them.

Below are a handful of these WWII monuments from throughout ex-Yugoslavian lands.

Croatia

Monument To Fallen Fighters – Đurđevac

Yugoslavian WWII Monuments - Monument To Fallen Fighters - Đurđevac

Designed by Slavko Šoša, built in 1952.

Monument to Victims of Fascism from Podhum

Monument to Victims of Fascism from Podhum

Designed by Šime Vulas and built in 1970.

Monument to Victims of Fascism from Podhum

This monument is dedicated to residents of Podhum village. In 1942 Italian fascists raided the village, killed 100 or so residents and took the remaining 800+ to concentration camps. Their homes were destroyed.

Monument to the December victims of 1943 – Zagreb

Yugoslavian WWII Monuments - Monument to the December victims of 1943 - Zagreb

Designed by Dušan Džamonja, built in 1961. Dedicated to 16 antifascists who were hung by Ustaša (Croatian fascists) in Dubrava on 20 December in 1943.

“Seagull’s Wings” – Podgora

Yugoslavian WWII Monuments - Monument Seagull's wings Podgora

Designed by Rajko Radović, built in 1962.

Yugoslavian WWII Monuments - Monument Seagull's wings Podgora 2

Dedicated to the foundation of the Yugoslav partisan navy in 1942.

Yugoslavian WWII Monuments - Monument Seagull's wings Podgora 3

Monument to Fallen Fighters and Victims of Fascism from Slabinja

Yugoslavian WWII Monuments - Monument to fallen fighters and victims of fascism from Slabinja

Built in 1981.

Yugoslavian WWII Monuments - Monument to fallen fighters and victims of fascism from Slabinja 2

Monument to the Liberation of Zagreb

Yugoslavian WWII Monuments - Spomenik Pleso Velika Gorica

Designed by Marijan Burger, built in 1978. Dedicated to the breaking of Ustaša and German defense circle around Zagreb by Yugoslav army units in 1945.

Republic of Macedonia

Makedonium – Kruševo

Yugoslavian WWII Monuments - Makedonium in Kruševo, Macedonia

I think this is my favourite of all the monuments. It was designed by Jordan and Iskra Grabuloska, built in 1974.

Yugoslavian WWII Monuments - Makedonium in Kruševo, Macedonia 2

The monument is dedicated to fallen fighters of the Ilinden Uprising (a revolt against the Ottoman empire in 1903) and the People’s Liberation Struggle (WWII in Macedonia).

You can even go inside:

Yugoslavian WWII Monuments - Makedonium in Kruševo, Macedonia 3

Mausoleum of the Fallen Fighters and Victims of Fascism

Yugoslavian WWII Monuments - Mausoleum of the fallen fighters and victims of fascism

Monument to Freedom – Gevgelija

Yugoslavian WWII Monuments - Monument To Freedom

Designed by Jordan Grabuloski, built in 1969.

CLICK HERE FOR PART ONE AND PART THREE

@media all and (max-width: 228px) { div#darkbackground, div.visiblebox { display: none; } }