Karađorđe Monument, Belgrade
The older one was built in 1913 in the Greater Kalemegdan section of the Belgrade Fortress and demolished by the occupying Austro-Hungarian forces in 1916 during World War I.
Though the monument to the almost mythical hero was meant to homogenize the nation after centuries old Ottoman occupation, as one of the most powerful men in the state at the time, Vučić-Perišić wasn't much interested into celebrating the ruling dynasty, as ruling prince Alexander Karađorđević was a ceremonial ruler.
After the Saint Andrew's Day Assembly in 1858–1859, the dethroned Miloš Obrenović was restored to power and the idea of erecting a monument to Karađorđe was abandoned.
Propaganda was needed both due to the tragic occurrence by which the Obrenović dynasty was removed (bloody May Coup), and the ensuing decisive confrontation with the remains of the Ottoman Empire in the Balkans.
Propositions stipulated that the artists must be from Serbia, that monument has to be in the straightforward military-historical vein, and that Karađorđe's appearance must be livelier and more imposing than the surrounding figures.
This wasn't much of a surprise, as Vučetić was sort of the royal painter, who already made two portraits of King Peter I, which was considered a great privilege.
Old guslar slowly walks after the rebels, with gusle in his bag, who will boost the spirit of the Serbian avengers in the leafy woodlands.
Moša Pijade, a student of Vučetić, was one of the main objectors ("bronze abomination, disgrace for Serbia which should be demolished with the pickaxe").
Public considered that Karađorđe's appearance is not heroic enough, that it doesn't resemble the fierce rebellion leader and having unnatural facial expression, while some openly called for the "patched" monument to be demolished.
When on the unveiling ceremony he was asked by the Prince George, king's oldest son, what he thinks of the monument now, Nušić replied he now prays to be a member of the Demolition Board.
It is exceptionally preserved so city authorities decided to return it to Kalamegdan and to place it close to the Monument of Gratitude to France and its previous location, by the end of 2019.
[1][3][4][5] Archaeologist and Belgrade Fortress researcher Marko Popović suggested return of the guslar's figure back in 2000.
As the solitary sculpture "Blind Guslar", it was ceremonially placed close to the monument's original location on 11 November 2020.
City's Institute for the Protection of the Cultural Monuments selected the location, a small mound on top of the Vračar plateau.
[8][9] City then organized the browning of the statue, founding of the mound and installation of the piles, finding sponsors for the works.
A slab of the size and quality stipulated by the design, couldn't be found in Yugoslavia, nor could it be produced in such a short period of time.
