The fire that broke out this morning at around 5 o'clock in one of the oldest houses in Podgorica almost reduced the first modern attic in the city to ashes.
With the first mansard in Podgorica, a part of history burned down...
In the very center of the city, almost unknown, the house of Vasilij Begović, who returned to Montenegro from America before the First World War, is the legacy of the Popović family, which produced famous Montenegrin architects.
The father of Pavlo Popović, one of the most important builders of Montenegro, engineer and architect Veliša Popović, after the bombing in 1941, while reconstructing the current building of the Capital City, moved with his family to Stara varoš, where they lived as tenants for five years.
Although he says that he is in his father's shadow, Pavle built Montenegro as much as he did.
Among other things, the regional and spatial plan of Montenegro, the general urban plan of Boka Kotorska, the detailed urban plan of Igalo and Tivat, the municipal building in Žabljak, the office buildings of the Aluminum Plant, the Telenor building, the Assembly of the Capital City, the Radosav Ljumović Library were created according to his ideas. Sketches and drawings, on the basis of which Montenegro was built, potentially disappeared in the fire.
There were also important works of art in the attic, the fate of which will be known only after the house, after the fire, is safe for a detailed damage assessment...
Although the importance of the Popović house for the identity of Podgorica was known to the authorities, it was never given the status of a cultural and historical asset. The family didn't even ask for it, but a few years ago, they proposed to place a marker that the first Podgorica municipality was located there.
However, the mayor at the time, Miomir Mugoša, did not see any importance in this, and for now there was no interest from the current authorities either.
Bonus video:
