Slobodiste, Krusevac

Kruševac is a city and administrative centre of the Rasina District in central Serbia but it is also home to Slobodiste.

Slobodiste, also known as Mount Bagdala, is a memorial park.

The memorial park is reached on foot and although the main purpose of the park brings a strong sense of sadness, it is also a very peaceful place. You will see many people wandering with their dogs or cycling the grassy paths.

It is a place in which a German camp once stood and the area in which the shootings of nearly 1,650 people, mainly Partisans, Chetniks, and Roma occurred during the German occupation of Serbia.

After being designed by Architect Bogdan Bogdanović, building of the complex began in 1960 and was completed five years later in 1965. Bogdan Bogdanovic was also a politician and one-time Belgrade mayor.

Fun Fact: Slobodište is a name derived from the Serbian word for "freedom".

There is an inscription on one of the monument which reads;

"Under this sky, human, straighten up. Bread and freedom are the same thing to us."

The basic elements of the complex are burial mounds named Gate of Death, Valley of Giving Respect and Valley of the Living Ones.

The Slobodište area is a historical complex which is widely visited by both Balkan locals and tourists.

Although these structures were built as memorials they seemingly invite you to explore.

Rather than your typical solid structure, designed to be observed respectfully from a distance, many of the sculptures featured here include staircases to viewing platforms or interior spaces for learning and reflection.

They invite visitors to pass through them, appearing to change shape when viewed from different angles so that the complete experience can only be had by exploring every corner, path and stair.

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