Casey Fox
Tjentište
The Tjentište war memorial commemorates the Yugoslav Partisan victory in the 1943 Battle of Sutjeska. Tito had memorials erected all over Yugoslavia in the 60s and 70s, which you've probably seen in those listicles titled "16 Amazing Abandoned Communist Monuments You Won't Believe!" Some really big-shot sculptors and architects designed them, and yes, I agree with the hyperbole of the internet. They are amazing.
I'd seen photos of Tjentište, but nothing could prepare me for the experience of driving 45 minutes on a winding mountain road (that wasn't technically wide enough for two cars but was two-way nonetheless) in a slow drizzle to the semi-maintained Sutjeska National Park in Republika Srpska. After a while the houses disappeared and we were surrounded by what could have been Tolkien's inspiration for the Misty Mountains.
And then there it was.
I have to give Tito credit -- the guy knew how to make a splash. Photos can't convey the majesty of this monument. First of all it is HUGE. Much bigger than I anticipated. It's strategically placed on a hill with an artfully designed staircase leading up to it, and you cannot get the full effect unless you climb it and look at it from the back. The rain may have hampered our driving, but I wouldn't have wanted to see Tjentište in any other weather. The mist and the drizzle were so atmospheric. I'm not sure if it felt more like another planet or another time, but either way, it was a singular experience.
Tjentište
The Tjentište war memorial commemorates the Yugoslav Partisan victory in the 1943 Battle of Sutjeska. Tito had memorials erected all over Yugoslavia in the 60s and 70s, which you've probably seen in those listicles titled "16 Amazing Abandoned Communist Monuments You Won't Believe!" Some really big-shot sculptors and architects designed them, and yes, I agree with the hyperbole of the internet. They are amazing.
I'd seen photos of Tjentište, but nothing could prepare me for the experience of driving 45 minutes on a winding mountain road (that wasn't technically wide enough for two cars but was two-way nonetheless) in a slow drizzle to the semi-maintained Sutjeska National Park in Republika Srpska. After a while the houses disappeared and we were surrounded by what could have been Tolkien's inspiration for the Misty Mountains.
And then there it was.
I have to give Tito credit -- the guy knew how to make a splash. Photos can't convey the majesty of this monument. First of all it is HUGE. Much bigger than I anticipated. It's strategically placed on a hill with an artfully designed staircase leading up to it, and you cannot get the full effect unless you climb it and look at it from the back. The rain may have hampered our driving, but I wouldn't have wanted to see Tjentište in any other weather. The mist and the drizzle were so atmospheric. I'm not sure if it felt more like another planet or another time, but either way, it was a singular experience.