Monument to the Uprising of the People of Kordun and Banija
Petrova Gora National Park, Vojnić, Croatia
Designed by Vojin Bakić, 1981
When Axis forces took over Yugoslavia in 1941, they formed a puppet state called The Independent State of Croatia (NDH). It was led by the Ustaše party which was inspired by fascist ideals. Under this regime, actions were carried out to clean the NDH from non-Croatian ethnic groups. Jews, Roma, and mainly ethnic Serbs.
The roomers of ethnic deportation actions traveled fast across the country. In July 1941 a group of farmers and peasants from the Kordun and Banija regions decided to form an armed resistance. They fled to the forests of Petrova Gora mountains and formed a base camp that was fortified and reinforced as more and more ethnic-Serb farmers joined the resistance.
At its peak, this partisan stronghold contained 15,000 people.
On March 1942 Ustaše launched an attack over the Petrova Gora keep. When the attack failed, the spirit of the Serbs in nearby villages rose, and many joined the partisan rebels armed with pitchforks and without any military training.
Only in May that year did the Ustaše forces manage to break the fortress and take down the rebelling forces. It is estimated that at least 300 farmers were killed on that strike. Hundreds more were executed and the ones left alive were deported to Jasenovac concentration camp.
The Spomenik, situated on the highest of Petrova Gora’s peaks, was designed by Vojin Bakić. It was part of a large-scale memorial complex that was originally planned to include a visitor center, a congress hall, a library, a cafe, and a museum, most of which were never built due to a lack of funding.
Bakić designed an amorphic 37m high structure with a spiraling staircase leading to an observatory on its roof. Similarly to many of his sculptures which demonstrated the breaking and radiation of light, he covered the building with shiny metal plates that shone over the hills of Petrova Gora as a beacon of light and were seen for miles away.
During the years the Spomenik was deserted and neglected. Most of the metal plates were removed and stolen, exposing a naked rusty skeleton and weary concrete. Being a memorial site for many ethnic Serbs, It suffered greatly during the Croatian war in the 90s.
In recent years it drew all kinds of unwanted settlers and vandalists. In acts of ignorance, the place was even used as a set for commercials shootings, and reality shows.
When I tried to reach the Spomenik, I was stopped by a locked metal gate at the bottom of the heal. Locals told me the place was closed to protect the Spomenik from being destroyed by vandalists.
I turned back and on the next day went offroad through the forests until I managed to reach it.
I cautiously approached the deserted monster, not knowing what I would find inside. Took some photos from the outside and slowly opened the metal door. I waited at the door letting my eyes get used to the darkness; I could feel my heart beating. Surprisingly enough, the place looked like someone had cleaned it. All the debris was gone. It was empty but clean.
I was fascinated by the amorphic spiral staircase and how the outside was seen through
the structure’s skeleton. It was a day that would stay with me for a long time.
The image above expresses my interpretation of this Spomenik’s story. I wanted to show how even when it’s worn and broken, it still spreads light and tells the story of the farmers’ rebellion. A beacon of history and memories of the past.
This and more information about the Spomenik can be found here:
https://www.spomenikdatabase.org/petrova-gora