The monument to fallen soldiers in the Battle of Pljeval and victims of fascist terror was built half a century ago, but it was never fully completed - the names of all the dead were not recorded.
Vidoje Despotović, the long-time former president of the National Liberation War fighters, says that the names of 236 partisans who died this year, on the XNUMXth anniversary of the battle, could be inscribed on the monument on Stražica.
"The monument was never completely finished. The idea remained to inscribe the names of fallen fighters on the walls, from the inside. There were several attempts by the Fighters' Alliance to finish it, but it was delayed for various reasons. Back in 1961, not all names had been processed yet, and there was a lack of material resources. The names of all the fallen fighters from 14 Montenegrin municipalities are now known. I heard, and we are grateful to the President of the Municipality, that this year the names of the dead could be recorded," he told "Vijesti".
The construction of the work of architect Mirko Đurić was completed in 1961 - on the twentieth anniversary of the largest battle in enslaved Europe in 1941, and the then president of the Socialist Republic of Montenegro, Blažo Jovanović, spoke at the opening.
The monument is characterized by an elegant obelisk raised 27 meters with a five-meter high crypt.
At the base of the obelisk, on three sides, monumental bronze figures are placed, and on its top, on the east and west sides, there is a pentagram - a symbol of the People's Liberation Struggle.
In the southern part of the crypt there is a sarcophagus with the bones of fallen fighters, while on its inner walls, on the east and west sides, there are mosaics by Aleksandar Prijić, Branko Filo Filipović and Drago Đurović.
On the outside of the northwest part of the crypt, a bronze relief of Đurović is placed, while on the northeast side of the same wall there is a text with cast bronze letters: "Before the greatness of your sacrifice, before the momentum of your submission, we fold our battle flags and say eternal thanks to you comrades".
In 2000, the Municipal Assembly of Pljevlja declared Stražica a Memorial Center "1. December".
Several partisan battalions, about four thousand fighters strong, attacked the fortified Pljevlja on December 1, where the Italian garrison was well armed and equipped.
The goal was to disarm the Italian Pusterija unit and create space for the accommodation of the Supreme Headquarters of the People's Liberation Army and partisan detachments, which left Serbia after the fall of the Užice Republic.
Pljevlja was not liberated despite fierce fighting, and according to historical sources, the outcome could hardly have been different, given that the partisans attacked the fortified town and strong enemy forces without artillery...
Despotović says that the fighting lasted 24 hours.
"The idea of attacking Pljevlja came from the Supreme Staff, which included Ivan Milutinović... On that day, patriots from Montenegro and the neighboring municipalities of Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina attacked with steel hearts, patriotism against enslavement and traitors... The city was not liberated, but the occupier was made aware of what awaited him from a people for whom freedom was always more important than life. The Montenegrin partisan detachment under the leadership of the headquarters, which consisted of Arso Jovanović, Bajo Sekulić and Boško Đuričković, took part in the battle, with a strength of 3.690 fighters. After crossing the Tara River, they are joined by a Pljeval partisan company of 150 fighters and around 50 citizens as guides in the fight," said Despotović.
He says that 33 female partisans attacked Pljevlja, among whom were two women from Pljevlja - Olga Jović, who died on the Neretva in 1943, and Dana Rosić, who survived the war.
"Out of 33 women, Dobrila Ojdanić from Beran was declared a national hero". A total of six participants were awarded that order.
Fighters from all over Montenegro remained at the scene of the battle, and a monument was erected in their honor on the forested hill of Stražica, in the southern part of the city. In the common grave of the monument rest 214 of the total of 236 fighters killed in the Battle of Pljeval.
"A total of 412 fallen soldiers rest on Stražica, 214 of whom died in the Battle of Pljeval. In those tombs are the remains of four national heroes who died in the Battle of Pljeval - Vuk Knežević, political commissar of the Jezersko-Saran battalion, Dušan Obradović, commander of that battalion, Petar Jovićević, machine gunner from the Lovcen battalion and Lazar Radojević, deputy battalion commander. says Despotović.
Reconstruction began in 2015 and has not yet been completed
Work on the reconstruction of the monument on Stražica began in 2015, but it has not been completed to date, even though it was planned to finish all the work in five months.
In accordance with the contract, the restoration of damaged walls, granite and marble slabs, interior mosaics and reliefs on the outer walls of the monument, atmospheric sewerage, installation of video surveillance, and disconnection of electricity inside the monument were to be done.
The last renovation was done at the beginning of the eighties of the last century...
See more:
Download the app and follow the news
FOLLOW US ON
