This is a mystery post, for try as I might, I cannot find out what this wall represents. The faces are carved on the ends of wooden beams. No sign on it, and Googling all sorts of combinations yielded no results. I can only hope one of my readers, Knez, is reading this and can help! He seems good at finding things out, so if you're there, Knez, what is this? In any case, this wall/monument stands at one end of a park at the intersection of two main thoroughfares, not far from Tito's Tomb. Most likely it is to those who died in one of Yugoslavia's many wars, but which one exactly, I do not know.That's Saint Sava's cathedral way in the background.
29 comments:
Great memorial, sad as well. A beautiful picture.
Pretty amazing.
full of sadness and beauty, for sure.
Is this not the wall my mother always spoke about?
Representing the torture by the ottomans?
Weird, strange and spooky. And very unique. I think your guess about the meaning of these carvings is probably correct...
Rather strange. Disembodied partial faces--nobodies? Tortured, many of them, I would guess.
This is a very unusual monument, but you captured it well.
An Arkies Musings
on dirait des fantômes qui veulent sortir de leur emprisonnement, c'est surprenant
I hope someone finds out. I find it very intriguing as well.
Very disturbing reminder of the horror humans can inflict on each other. Indeed it would be interesting to learn the story on this.
Hmmmm.... I've never seen this monument before. My instinct tells me (as someone else mentioned above) that it may be dedicated to victims of the Ottomans since it does slightly resemble Cele Kula...
What a haunting image.
very cool.
I'm surprised not more is known about this locally. As public art, you'd think it'd be more known?
They sure don't look too happy.
Lorsque ma petite moitié sera réveillée je lui demanderai... Très intriguant!
Odd, interesting and cold looking .
I think it definitely has something to do with the infamous Skull Tower.
Judge for yourself
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skull_Tower
Hope you do find out the actual history of this place. It is haunting, to be sure!
Daryl is right. It is cold looking as if it is carved from stone not wood. The faces remind me of Munch's work.
I'm curious too. They do look tormented.
V
Bibi,
I just found your blog. I am your opposite - a Serbian woman living in the US for thirty years!
I am keeping a blog as well:
http://graciouslivingdaybyday.com/
Please write to me. I'll be reading your comments.
Is it OK if I use your roasted pepper recipe and picture (from 2008)on my blog?
Let me know.
Ljiljana (Liliana)
I am checking all day comment box to find out answer.
Maybe it has some concection with Banjica concetracion camp?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banjica_concentration_camp
this is a monument to the "raja" (=english spoken "raya"). those christians/serbs that didn´t have the wealth/money to pay their religious tax to the turks. so they had to chose between islam or being impaled. this is a collection of the profiles of stokes where christians have been impaled. or - how the church until today says - of the christians who took the right and only decission.
that´s why it´s a small monument, as you cannot celebrate or remember something, that is expected.
impaling was a turkish kind of punishment, but it was 2 serbs that got world famous for it because of missusing it. one was milos obilic and the other was vlad dracul, who ruled in romania/valachy, but was a slav/bojar/serb. the romanians gave him the names "vlad dracul" (son of the dragon, as his father was member of the orden of dragons) or vlad tepes (vlad the impaler), while the serbians gave him the name that is the most famous serbian word from a global view "vampir" or the "bloodsoaker" or more precise the "blooddrinker" which you can take literally.
his masterpiece or opus magnum was the "forrest of turks", when he impaled the whole first line of a turkish army, a punishment expedition, some 40.000 men.
his whole biography can only be recomended.
but i think i´m getting down into details ...
Knez sez :)
Since I've been living abroad for 20 years myself, I had to resort to Internet as well. It looks like this monument is on the northwestern corner of Hyde Park (in Belgrade), on the intersection of Bulevar Mira (the Boulevard of Peace) and Bulevar Vojvode Putnika (famous Serbian general from WWI). Just below the St. Sava cathedral, one can see the entrance of the famous "Prokop" railroad station (still being built). Based on the plastic sheeting on the base of the monument, I would say it is relatively new (most likely uncatalogued) and probably has to do with the 22. april and Holocaust commemoration in Belgrade. I am going on a limb now...
"Petite moitié" n'en sait pas plus car comme vous l'avez mentionné, cela apparait récent... une reprise du passé plus lointain pour un passé plus récent...
Dear Gibepregiba, Anonymous, and Knez! Thank you for your information. I think it probably isn't for the Banjica camp, though it is a fitting monument, but not in the Banjica location. I tend now to think like Knez, about the Turks. I applaud you all for your research! If I hear more, I will post!
Bibi, I really think it has to do with concentration camps, NOT with Turks. Banjica wasn't the only conc. camp in Belgrade - Topovske Supe was a mere 1km away, towards the highway and Autokomanda. But it is a great picture and those truly are the tormented souls.
Hi, Knez! (Can you write me and leave your email address? Your comments just come in as 'no reply.blogger.com) I am certainly sure that this has something to do with pain and suffering (!), so I will keep looking. I will try to Google 'concentration camps-Topcider/Topovske Supe' or something like that. I know there were others here, like at the Staro Sajmiste, for example.
What an unusual monument. Hope you find out its origin.
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