Spomenik palim Šumadincima

The Monument of the fallen Sumadija soldiers - the most important information

The monument represents one of the most important historical landmarks of Kragujevac as well as of former Yugoslavia. It was built in 1932 near the city center, designed by Antun Augustincic, a Croatian sculptor. It is dedicated to the Serbian soldiers who fought in liberation wars.

History of the monument
The monument is composed of a few parts: the circural staircase, four-legged pedestal with two soldiers facing forward and central pilion with a girl with the right arm up in the air, holding a crown. After The Second World War the crown was replaced with laurel wreath but in 1990 the crown was returned to its place. All the statues are made of bronze in a very realistic way. The Parisian newspaper L'Illustration wrote about this monument. It was proclaimed a monument of great importance in 2001.

The pedestal of the monument symbolizes four historical eras through four events: The First and Second Serbian Uprising, Balkan wars and The First World War. In the middle parts of the pedestal legs there are motives from the wars: Slavery, Sorrows of Great Mothers, Rows of Tombs and Flying Birds. The Ministry of Culture and Informing funded the restoration of the monument in 2016.

Significance of the monument
Each of the wars represented through the monument has taken many lives in the name of peace and liberty. By paying homage to the gone soldiers it is not only their life that is celebrated but the one of the people who came after and the patriotism itself. The monument glorifies fight for oneself, defiance, preservation of heritage and unity necessary for the survival of society and its further development.

How to get to the monument
The monument is located nearby the national museum, the 27. Mart Street leads up to it. It can be reached by taxi or bus lines: