The Freedom Memorial Complex on Jasikovac Hill in Berane could finally be declared a cultural asset of Montenegro.
This was confirmed to "Vijesti" by the director of the Polim Museum in Berane, Violeta Folić, who said that the new government sent a letter to that cultural institution hinting at such a possibility.
"For ten years, we have persistently sent initiatives to the former minister and the Ministry of Culture to declare this memorial complex a cultural asset, but so far it has had no effect. Only the new government and the new minister responded to us to suspend the planned activities regarding the announced and planned valorization of this place, because they are working on declaring this monument a cultural asset," Folić said.
She explained that it was precisely because of this that the activities that were in the final phase of the preparation of the conceptual solution for the arrangement and valorization of the Jasikovac memorial complex were stopped.
"If this monument were to be declared a cultural asset, as was announced to us, that would imply a different approach. The issue of arrangement and valorization would then be transferred to the competence of the line ministry, that is, that ministry would assess what can be done there and what possibly cannot laughs".
In 1977, a unique monument in the territory of Montenegro was erected on Jasikovac hill, just one kilometer from the city center.
The monument is the work of the famous architect Bogdan Bogdanović and is a symbol of the struggle for liberation that took place in this region during the Balkan, First and Second World Wars.
The monument was erected at the place where the German occupiers shot Beran patriots on July 17, 1941.
"The memorial-complex on Jasikovac consists of the 18-meter-high Freedom Monument. It is in the shape of a coupe and resembles a bullet or bullet. Around the coupe are arranged forty large blocks of polished granite with inscriptions and ornaments, two hundred and fifty square meters of ornamentation and 10.000 letters were written, which tell about the history of this region," says Folić.
And the history of Beran, as he says, begins right here. On the Jasikovac hill. There, after the battles on Rudeš in 1862, the Turks built a military fortification and only occasionally moved to the left bank of Lim to appease the rebellious population.
"Ornaments reflect the most refined elements, Montenegrin costumes and weapons, and symbolize the flame and wind that in the past centuries swept across the Vasojević family, while the letters flow like a torrent into words and form a wonderful yearbook under the open sky, from which one can read about events with excitement, events, sufferings and victories ordered during the last three and a half centuries in the Beran region," says Folić.
The Jasikovac memorial complex and the park area form a unique whole with a paved staircase, walkways and vaulted passages that lead to the central part of the monument, designed as an amphitheater.
"During 2015, the conservation and restoration of the memorial complex was carried out. Polim Museum experts cleaned all parts of the monument - the conical part, forty stećaks, walkways, amphitheater. After cleaning, all stone surfaces were protected from further deterioration by adequate measures and returned to is the original shine," says Folić.
According to her, the park area of the memorial complex covers 24 hectares and gives the opportunity to turn the memorial complex with the park area into the center of the city's cultural life by arranging the space.
"The place where it is located offers the best view of the entire city, then the rich content that makes up the written history of this region on granite stones, the memorial architecture and the space that allows and enables this excursion site to contain cultural, sports and all other contents that would fully satisfy tourist offer of the city".
The proposal to declare the memorial complex a cultural asset has been forwarded to the Administration for the Protection of Cultural Assets of Montenegro several times over the past ten years.
"The existing conceptual solution for the arrangement of the Jasikovac memorial complex includes the arrangement of the fence, lighting, walkways, parking area, horticulture, installation of video surveillance and location planning for a viewpoint or restaurant. That was our original plan, which will largely depend on the relevant ministry if the memorial complex is declared a cultural asset," says Folić.
She adds that by arranging the complex, the whole city would gain a new dimension.
"The favorite picnic spot would become ideal, especially for cultural events and tourist offers. There is no better space for outdoor theatrical performances in the city, nor beyond, due to the specific ambience and fantastic audio-visual experience, and this has been shown in the past years when we there, as part of the Beran cultural summer event, they moved and organized a series of musical and cultural events".
Folić says that the "Jasikovac" complex would be attractive to the local population, but also to tourists.
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