THE FIRST MONUMENT TO NJEGOŠ ERECTED IN TREBINJE

The monument to the great poet Petar II Petrović Njegoš was unveiled by Jovan Dučić in the presence of the king’s envoy on May 28 and 29, 1934, on land that Dučić personally purchased from the Catholic Church, as noted on the Tourist Organization of Trebinje’s website.

Created by renowned sculptor Toma Rosandić, a student of the famous Ivan Meštrović, this was the first monument in the world dedicated to Njegoš. The granite pedestal was crafted by Belgrade architect Dragiša Brašovan.

Petar II Petrović Njegoš served as the Serbian Orthodox bishop of Montenegro and the Hills, and as ruler of Montenegro from 1830 to 1851. Born in the village of Njeguši near Cetinje, Njegoš was educated in several monasteries in Montenegro and became the spiritual and secular leader after the death of his uncle, Petar I.

His focus was on unifying Montenegrin tribes and establishing a centralized state. He introduced regular taxes and a set of new laws to replace those of his predecessors, which sparked several rebellions among Montenegrin tribes.

Njegoš’s rule was also marked by continuous political and military conflict with the Ottoman Empire.

A fervent advocate for the liberation and unification of all Serbs, he was willing to forgo his secular powers in favor of unification with Serbia. Njegoš is revered as a poet and philosopher, best known for his epic poem The Mountain Wreath, regarded as a masterpiece of Serbian and South Slavic literature.

Other notable works include The Ray of the Microcosm, The Serbian Mirror, and The False Emperor Šćepan Mali.

He was laid to rest in a small chapel on Mount Lovćen, which was destroyed by Austro-Hungarian forces during World War I. His remains were transferred to the Cetinje Monastery and then re-interred in the rebuilt chapel in 1925. In 1974, with the support of the Yugoslav government, this chapel was replaced by Meštrović’s mausoleum.

Author: SeeSrpska