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All Croatia Malička Petrova Gora

Petrova Gora

This huge metal monument is slowly being stripped to its concrete skeleton.

Malička, Croatia

Added By
Dylan Thuras
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Monument to the Uprising of the People of Kordun and Banija   Sandor Bordas/CC BY-SA 3.0
Monument to the Uprising of the People of Kordun and Banija   Sandor Bordas/CC BY-SA 3.0
Monument to the Uprising of the People of Kordun and Banija   Public Domain
Petrova Gora   tomislavmedak/CC BY-SA 2.0
Petrova Gora   tomislavmedak/CC BY-SA 2.0
Petrova Gora   tomislavmedak/CC BY-SA 2.0
Petrova Gora   tomislavmedak/CC BY-SA 2.0
Petrova Gora   tomislavmedak/CC BY-SA 2.0
Petrova Gora   tomislavmedak/CC BY-SA 2.0
  Bordás Sándor
Petrova Gora   maybeyoulike / Atlas Obscura User
Petrova Gora   maybeyoulike / Atlas Obscura User
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About

Built in memory of the Croatian partisan victims of World War II, Petrova Gora stands in remembrance of those who fought bravely against the spread of fascism. However, to enterprising Croat locals all of that is old news and Petrova Gora is simply a convenient source of shiny new building materials.

Built in 1981 by Vojin Bakić, the Petrova Gora monument stands 12 stories tall, atop a mountain of the same name. "Petrova  Gora" or "Peter's Mountain" is also home to a system of underground chambers and tunnels which served as both a secret field hospital during WWII and a printing press for the League of Communists of Yugoslavia. 

The former Yugoslavian countries are full of futuristic brutalist monuments and most of which are under the protection of the Croatian state. However, the Petrova Gora monument has a problem. The site apparently lacks the proper legal documentation and papers, and with no one to protect it the monument has become an easy target for locals looking for free building materials. It has been slowly losing its exterior metal, panel by panel, for years.

However, despite the destruction, the monument doesn't seem to be going anywhere. Underneath all that valuable metal is a huge poured concrete skeleton twisting up the 12 stories like a stretched Guggenheim. It would take quite a bit of effort to destroy the concrete interior, likely more effort than the local government cares to expend, so the monument remains in a permanent state of disassembly. 

As Croatia has changed, so has the meaning of their monument. This particular monument is no longer seen as a proud reminder of Croatia's past. Instead the monument's current rough appearance mirrors a Croatia primarily interested in building its future, even if it means dismantling its past.

However more recently, the monument has found one practical new use. It is used as a broadcasting tower for Croatian Television and T-Mobile service. 

Related Tags

Monuments Ruins Abandoned Communist Architecture Communist Monuments World War Ii War Memorial War History Architecture Military

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The actual location is accessible via paved roads.

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Balkans Road Trip: Serbia, Croatia & Bosnia and Herzegovina

Traverse the beauty and history of the Balkans through locals' stories.

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Community Contributors

Added By

Dylan

Edited By

mnml, maybeyoulike, Meg, benetruce

  • mnml
  • maybeyoulike
  • Meg
  • benetruce

Published

May 6, 2014

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Sources
  • http://blog.archpaper.com/wordpress/archives/20717
  • http://blog.archpaper.com/wordpress/archives/9052
  • http://balkansproject.ips-dc.org/?page_id=120
  • http://www.crobihtour.com/index.php/en/lokacije/republika-hrvatska/opcina-vojnic/item/spomenik-na-petrovoj-gori
  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petrova_Gora
  • http://openbuildings.com/buildings/petrova-gora-memorial-park-profile-39349#
Petrova Gora
Unnamed Road
Malička, 44415
Croatia
45.316374, 15.805294
Get Directions

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