Yugoslavian President Tito bound the various southern slav states together in Yugoslavia with a combination of economic growth, opposition to both the Soviet Union & the United States, and an artificial legacy of unity.
Now 6 or 7 independent countries (depending on your definition for Kosovo), the Former Yugoslavia is still held in high regard by many of the former citizens. One thing Tito did to try to bind the country was to erect monuments (Spomenik in Serbio-Croat) that spoke to a shared history.
These were normally abstract representations dedicated to historical revolt against Fascist enemies in World War 1 and 2 (sometimes against the Ottomans as well).
Many have fallen into disrepair since the end of Yugoslavia. I find them gigantically sad. Products of hopefulness and a shared history and value set. I suppose because I tend to see our country as failing in a shared value set and pulling apart.
Anyway, this is the Necropolis for the Victims of Fascism, remembering the victims of Nazis and local Fascists that murdered Serbians in (what is now) Bosnia. I like this because it is abstract, but definitely echos the feel of the ancient Stecci - Bosnian headstones from the 13th Century.
Here is the Stecci
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| Stecci outside of Stolic. You may remember from my pictures of Bosnia |
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