Njegoš Mausoleum

Njegoš Mausoleum, located atop Mount Lovćen in Montenegro, is the burial place of Petar II Petrović-Njegoš, a renowned Montenegrin ruler and poet. It was commissioned to be built by Ivan Meštrović, a Croatian sculptor, on the site of a destroyed church that Njegoš himself had constructed in 1845. This church, dedicated to his predecessor Petar I, was destroyed multiple times, including during both World Wars. In 1974, despite protests from local Christians, Montenegrin communists demolished the church and built a new mausoleum following secular principles, aiming to "de-Serbianize" Njegoš. In 1955, after his remains were transferred from the Cetinje Monastery, the mausoleum became a national symbol, with architecture and decorations that differed from the original Byzantine forms. The new mausoleum was officially inaugurated in 1974. Interestingly, the site was mentioned in the popular Montenegrin folk song "Oj, svijetla majska zoro," which became the national anthem of Montenegro in 2004. The mausoleum and its connection to Montenegrin cultural heritage make it a significant site in the national and historical consciousness of the region.