Among the proposals for the names of streets in Podgorica, participants of the National Liberation Struggle (NOB) still dominate, while in many cities of the former Yugoslavia there is a trend of changing the names of existing streets named after those people.
This is shown by the data provided to "Vijesta" by the president of the Council for proposing names of settlements, streets and squares Boris Pejović who is also a member of the ruling Movement Europe Now (PES).
There are currently 19 unnamed streets in the capital, of which 18 are in the Zagorič settlement, and one is in Murtovina. Proposals to rename some streets were submitted to the council.
In the last four mandates, including the current one, proposals were submitted to name some of the streets in Podgorica after the participants of the People's Liberation Struggle, national heroes: Komnen Cerović, Bogdan Vujošević, Marko Kulić, Nikola Lekić Goranin, Ljub Vučković, Danilo Lekić Španac, To Jefta Caj Šćepanović, Dževdet Deti Mustagrudić, to the brothers Vidak and Mileta Radosavović, Radislav Raško Božović, popular Sim Popović, Milovan Novaković, To Ilija Milačić, Milo Vukčević, Božina Boj and Rad Prelević, but also according to the lieutenants of the Yugoslav Army Milan Spasić i To Sergej Mashera. On April 17, 1941, Spasić and Masera, refusing to recognize the capitulation of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia in the April War and to obey the order to surrender the ship to the enemy, sacrificed their lives and blew up the destroyer "Zagreb"...
In addition to these, a proposal was submitted to return the old name of Petr Matović to the part of Kralja Nikola Street, from the School for Higher and Secondary Vocational Education "Sergije Stanić" to the Elementary School "Vuk Karadžić" - after the NOB participant and bearer of the Partisan Monument.
In 2004, the city government "merged" and renamed the streets of Petar Matović, Braća Zlaticanin and Ilija Milačić as Street of King Nikola, that is, the street was named after the prince and king from the Petrović dynasty who ruled Montenegro for more than half a century.
Even today, on one of the houses in Zabjelo, there is a sign with the name - Petra Matovića Street, because one of the locals did not let it be taken down, as "Vijesti" wrote about earlier. At the end of 2021, about a hundred people from Zabjelka submitted a petition to the capital city to return the present-day Kralja Nikola Street to the name it had decades after the Second World War - Petar Matović...
Sociologist Obrad Samardzic He explains to "Vijesti" that after the breakup of Yugoslavia, when it comes to the region, "a strong ideological process of erasing the socialist symbols that were written into the texture of the urban space followed."
He points out that radical changes in social systems also imply changing certain symbolic elements of the identity of the "old system", which is reflected in changing the names of streets, squares, roads, institutions, and adds that street names are not only landmarks in the city area, but also bearers of cultural historical symbols that to a significant extent form the identity of the city.
He believes that Podgorica has not undergone significant changes in the sphere of urban texture when it comes to street names from this period, while he cites the Croatian capital Zagreb as an example of the opposite practice, where the newly established government implemented a policy of decisive distancing from any form of Yugoslavism.
According to him, in Podgorica, the capital city was partially "detitized" by restoring its old name (it was previously called Titograd).
"At the same time, a somewhat more extensive restoration of the memory of the Petrović dynasty was carried out and, consequently, its memorialization in the urban texture of Montenegrin cities. (Josip Broz) Tito was sent to the museum, and the king Nikola to the central squares which are crowned with the erection of monumental busts of the 'King on horseback' - first in the central square (Trg Slobode) in Nikšić, and then in Podgorica on Bulevar Svetog Petar Cetinjski, opposite the Parliament building. In addition to the monumental memorialization, King Nikola is also 'inscribed' in the texture of the (h)odons of Podgorica", says the interlocutor of "Vijesti".
According to Samardžić, the main reason for the smaller number of street name changes in Podgorica compared to the region is, on the one hand, conditioned by the fact that Montenegro, together with Serbia, took over the "inherited" prerogatives of guarding the FRY and, consequently, a strong process of distancing itself from the past did not follow. former SFRY.
"The second reason is the carelessness of local and republican authorities to 'inscribe' the capital city with symbols that express a clear cultural and historical valence and which, as such, form the true identity of the city. In addition, it should be noted that Podgorica is the only city on the territory of the former Yugoslavia that even today has streets named after the capitals of six former Yugoslav republics and two autonomous provinces: Belgrade, Zagreb, Sarajevo, Ljubljana, Skopje, Novi Sad and Pristina," says the interviewee. News”.
The name as the identity of the company
Samardžić points out that the people after whom the streets are named should first of all be the bearers of the true values of a society, i.e. that their name should carry the meaning of a strong and important builder of the identity of a society.
However, he notes, ideological-political constructions of identity are subject to the whims of the political elite and often create confusion about the selection of these important figures.
As he adds, the example shows how important the names of streets and squares are as sediment in the process of ideological (re)construction of identity Stefan Nemanja which is from 1948-2005. "changed or changed place three times".
"First, during the time of socialism, in 1948, Stefan Nemanja as a 'ossified' feudal Serbian ruler gave way to a 'progressive' ideologue of socialism - To Edward Cardelj, so that at the beginning of the 90s, with the collapse of socialism, the name of Stefan Nemanja, who regained 'his shore', would be re-commemorated," explains Samardžić.
He adds that in 2004, with the change in the national course of the ruling ideology, Stefan Nemanja was "moved" to the other bank of the river Ribnica, by renaming the traditional (h)odonima (street name) "Predgrad" to "Nemanjina obala", where "society" makes him the remains of a Turkish fortress which, according to local traditions, was called "Nemanjin's town".
The interlocutor of "Vijesti" notes that, although street names, among other things, should be "visible to the eye" guardians of the cultural heritage of a nation while respecting the heritage and great personalities of other nations, there is a trend of increasing colors of "invested personalities" who get their names on the streets of Podgorica .
"A glaring example of this insight is the 'King's Park' in Podgorica, the renovation of which was financed by the Government of Azerbaijan, and which, in honor of the coronation of the Montenegrin King Nikola I Petrović Njegoš, allegedly provided the 'neighborhood' and to Hussein Javid who, in addition to writing poetry, is also known for his fight against the Stalinist regime," notes Samardžić.
He adds that Husein Javida was presented by the ruling establishment as a famous Azerbaijani poet and playwright, and thanks to this, an official act decided to erect a memorial bust to him in the King's Park, right across the street from the bust of the first printer and publisher - Božidar Vuković Podgoričanin.
He also reminds that as a sign of Montenegrin-Azerbaijani friendship, the street that stretches from Mihaila Lalić Boulevard to Studentska Street, which leads to the statue of Husein Džavid, is named after the capital of Azerbaijan - Baku.
"This practice has become an almost established initiation in Podgorica, that when an investor arrives in Montenegro, he often becomes the founder of an urban emblem - whether he receives a memorial bust from the city as a gift or the authorities of Podgorica conveniently name him a street after some sign or personality from his country of origin. Thus, following the same template, and due to the connection with the 'investment fund' of the United Arab Emirates, the city administration decided to name one of its busiest streets Sheikh Zaid bin Sultan Al Nahija Street," says Samardžić.
In addition to this, several other proposals for changing the existing street names were submitted to the Council.
A group of citizens of the Local Community "Proleter" demanded that Pavla Paša Vukovića Street be renamed Cara Street Dušan or Milan Tepić, the company "Master inženjering" from Podgorica requested that the branch of Ulica Jaglica Adžić be renamed Bulevar Knjaza Danilo. The proposal to rename Tom Asanov Miranović Street to Tom Asanović was submitted by his descendants, while the proposal to rename Sula Radovo Street in Tološi was submitted by the residents of Koman, because they wanted the boulevard between Podgorica and Danilovgrad, which passes through this local community, to be named after him.
Religious figures, heroes, cultural creators
In addition to heroes from the Second World War, there are a large number of proposals to name the streets of the Capital City after heroes from the wars of liberation from the Ottoman Empire.
Some of the unnamed streets in Podgorica could be named after him Sava Radunović, To Sokol Bac Ivezaj, flag bearer Marko Čađenović, Radoj Vukčević, Radu Turovo Plamenac, duke Ivo Radonjić.
In addition to people who "earned" the name of the street by their actions on the battlefield, among the suggestions are those who "proved themselves" as religious figures, cultural creators, doctors...
When it comes to religious figures, bishops were among the suggestions Mardarije Uskoković Kornečanin (metropolitan of Cetinje from 1637-1659), Leopold Mandic (Catholic saint from Boka), Mother Teresa (Catholic saint consecrated in Skopje), metropolitan Antonije Abramović (the first head of the restored Montenegrin Orthodox Church).
Residents of the Capital City, among others, proposed cultural creators, so among the proposals were also Ilija Lakesic, Mihailo Raznatović, Stevan Vrcevic, Luka Tomanović, Stevan Raickovic, Milorad Milo Đukanović, Marko Dragović.
The streets could "get" i Diana Budisavljevic (humanitarian of Austrian origin who saved Serbian children from Ustashi camps), king Mihailo Vojislavljević (King of Dukla/Zeta), ornithologists Raiser i Führer, a doctor Đorđina Škerović and merchant and miner Jovo John Hajduković who, after going to the USA at the beginning of the 20th century, settled in Alaska. Hajduković was highly respected by the Alaskan Athabaskan Indians, to whom, as written, he was a protector and teacher.
In addition to important personalities, the citizens proposed that some of the streets be named "Planinska", "Red Cross", "For the right, honor and freedom of Montenegro".
According to the Rules for determining proposals for names of settlements, streets and squares in the Capital City area, a proposal for the name of a street or square can be made by any natural person, provided that "it is not related to the name of a prominent person who is proposed for naming a street or square and that direct and collateral relatives up to the second degree of kinship, in-law relatives up to the first degree of kinship, conjugal and common-law spouses, adoptive parents and adoptees".
A necessary condition for the proposal to be adopted is that at least 20 years have passed since the death of the proposed individual, and if it is an event, 50 years.
After submitting the name proposal, the Council is obliged to vote on the given proposal, and then send it to the Ministry of Culture, but also to consult the Council of the local community on whose territory that street is located.
The killed cashier of Agrokombinat could also get the street
One of the streets in Podgorica could be named after Slobodan Sekulić, the cashier who was killed in 1976 during an armed robbery.
Cashiers from Agrokombinat stores "13. July" every night, according to the media, at the end of working hours, they brought the day's markets to the office located on Ivan Milutinović Square (today's Independence Square). At one point, two robbers entered the office with the aim of taking money, and Sekulić, who was the cashier, refused to hand over the keys and got into a fight with the armed robbers.
He died on that occasion, and the crime has not been solved to this day.
Harshly against Pavle Bulatović
The non-governmental organizations Center for Civic Education (CGO), Action for Human Rights (HRA) and the Center for Women's and Peace Education ANIMA opposed the proposal of the Democratic councilor to name one of the streets in Podgorica Pavle Bulatović, Minister of Interior and Defense during the wars of the 90s.
Those NGOs recently sent letters to Pejović, Minister of Culture and Media Tamara Vujović, Minister of European Affairs Maida Gorčević and Deputy Prime Minister Aleksa Bečić.
The letter states that Bulatović "ordered the execution of the war crime of deportation of Muslim refugees".
"CGO, HRA and ANIMA believe that the adoption of this proposal for the name of the street would be an insult to the victims and have negative consequences for the international obligations of Montenegro and the process of European integration. We expect a decisive reaction from those responsible for these issues and the prevention of far-reaching damage", the statement of these three organizations states.
An independent councilor and member of the Citizens' Initiative "21. may" Aleksandar Saša Zeković.
He announced that "the politics to which Bulatović belonged, and in the name of which wars were fought, has no humanitarian significance and is in no way responsible for the state, social, economic, scientific or cultural development of Montenegro."
The proposal for Pavle Bulatović to get a street in Podgorica was sent to the Council by the Democratic councilors Mitar Vuković i Vladimir Čađenović.
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