Mausoleum of Negosh (Montenegro): photos and reviews on tourists.

Mount Lovcen Jezierski Upper is a place of pilgrimage of thousands of Montenegrins. And this is not surprising, since at its summit is the mausoleum of Peter Negosh - the man who left a bright mark in the history and culture of the South Slavic peoples. The memory of him is dear to the inhabitants of Montenegro, who consider him to be their greatest poet and statesman.

Who is Peter Negosh

Before telling about one of the most interesting sights of Montenegro, we should say a few words about the person who is in it. Radivoj Tomov Petrovich was born in 1813 in the village of Negushi. Until 12 years the boy lived like ordinary peasant children and spent most of the day following a flock of sheep along the slopes of Mount Lovcen. There he became acquainted with folk songs, legends and legends, which he told the local shepherds.

According to an old tradition, the rulers of Montenegro should have been monks, so they did not have children. They passed their throne to their nephews. Radivoi's uncle was Metropolitan Peter First Petrovich, the senior representative of the clan. He decided to appoint his nephew as his successor. So Radivo was in Cetinje monastery and began to study science, preparing for the prepared for him a career. After some time he took the monastic vows under the name of Peter, and after the death of the Metropolitan in 1830, ascended his throne. In 1833, he went on a trip to St. Petersburg, where he was ordained bishop, and in 1844 - Metropolitan of Montenegro and Berdsky. He died of tuberculosis in 1851, at the age of 37 years.

Merits of Peter Negosh

Few rulers managed to achieve such love and recognition among their people, as this monk poet. Throughout his short life he fought for the independence of Montenegro from the Ottoman Empire and achieved the approval of the border with Austria. In addition, he advocated the unity of the southern Slavs and always had a pro-Russian orientation. It was Peter Negosh who founded the first school in the country in Cetinje, and also became the author of many poetic works. His main achievement was the proclamation of Montenegro's independence, which saved her people from assimilation.

In 1845, shortly before his death, Peter II Petrovich-Nyegosh bequeathed that he must be buried in the chapel, which he founded on Mount Lovcen. The Metropolitan's will was not carried out, as his people were afraid that the grave of their ruler would be defiled by the Turks. To prevent this from happening, he was buried next to the grave of his predecessor, Peter the First Petrovich. Only on August 26, 1855, the remains of the Metropolitan, in accordance with his last will, were transferred to Mount Lovcen. Before this, the prince of Montenegro, Danilo, opened the sarcophagus with his body to see if his remains had disintegrated, since their incorruptibility could be the reason for assigning Peter Negosh to the rank of saints.

It turned out that there were no grounds for the canonization of the Metropolitan poet, and his ashes were finally buried in accordance with the will of the deceased. At the same time, despite the fact that many residents of Montenegro even then still believe that Peter Negosh as anyone else deserves to be recognized as a righteous person.

Further fate of the remains

In 1916, the command of the Austro-Hungarian army decided to destroy the chapel, in which the sarcophagus was laid with the ashes of the famous fighter for freedom of Montenegro Peter Negosh. It was destroyed, and the remains were transferred to a relatively safer place - the Cetinsky Monastery. On the site of the ruined chapel, the winners planned to erect a monument commemorating the feat of Austro-Hungarian soldiers who captured Lovcen. However, they did not even have time to start implementing this idea. After the end of the war, in the autumn of 1925 the Montenegrins restored the chapel and the solemn procession led by the Montenegrin Metropolitan and Crown of Croats, Serbs and Slovenes Alexander the First, transferred there the remains of Peter II. There they remained until April 1942, when the chapel was destroyed, now by Italian troops.

Mausoleum of Negosh (Montenegro)

In 1951, in connection with the centennial anniversary of the death of Peter the Second, Negosh, the authorities of socialist Yugoslavia decided to demolish the chapel. Their goal was to build an entirely new building in its place. The mausoleum of Negosh was commissioned to design Ivan Meshtrovich, who had never been to the mountain Lovcen. This plan aroused indignation among some of the Montenegrins, who rightly argued that the destruction of the chapel contradicted the wishes of the most Nyegosh. Despite all the protests, in the late 1960s the chapel was destroyed, and by 1974 a mausoleum was built in its place, which still exists.

In 1979, Montenegro suffered a serious natural disaster - a catastrophic earthquake, which caused a lot of destruction and casualties on the territory of the republic. Many Orthodox believers considered that this event is a sign from above, meaning that the Lord is angry with their people, which destroyed an important national shrine and violated the last will of its national hero.

Description

The main attraction, thanks to which the mountain Lovcen is famous - the Mausoleum of Negosh. It is built of stone and decorated with two large statues depicting women in Montenegrin national costumes. Some guides say that these are statues of the sister and mother of the metropolitan. However, this opinion is certainly mistaken, since his parents had 5 daughters, and it is unlikely that the creators of the memorial would have depicted only one of them. As for the interior decoration of the building, on the ground floor is located its sarcophagus, and on the upper floor - a 28-ton statue of Peter Negosh, carved from Yablanitskogo granite gray-green color. Its author is the sculptor Ivan Meshtrovich. For his work, he asked for a very modest fee - a piece of sheep's unsalted cheese and a famous Neohash sprout (ham sun dried). Over the head of the statue of the ruler, 3.74 meters high, spreads its wings eagle - a symbol of freedom-loving Montenegro.

Behind the mausoleum there is an observation deck, from where you can see the whole of Montenegro, and to the monument there is a tunnel, inside of which there is a steep "ladder to the sky", consisting of 500 steps.

Mausoleum of Negosh: how to get there

You can reach this memorial through Kotor or Cetinje, so many combine a visit to the tomb and an excursion to the residence of Montenegrin metropolitans. There is another option that is suitable for lovers of hiking. They can leave the car in Negushi villages and make an ascent to the mausoleum, which will take almost the whole day.

It should be noted that for the entrance to the park Lovcen should pay 1 euro from the car. The cost of taxi services for a trip to the entrance to the tunnel leading to the mausoleum of Negosh from Cetinje or Kotor will cost 20 euros.

Reviews

Most tourists coming to Montenegro, strive to visit the Mausoleum of Negosh. Montenegro is a country with many attractions, however, according to travelers, there is nothing like beauty with sunset or dawn that can be seen from the top of Lovcena, from where you can see Skopje, Skadar Lake and hundreds of picturesque mountain peaks touching the sky. In addition, many travelers enthusiastically say that they have been above the clouds, as one of the reasons making the unique mausoleum of Negosh is the height of its location above sea level, which is 1560 meters.

A few tips

Those who are going to visit the Mausoleum of Negosh (photo above) should listen to the recommendations of those who have already visited there. First of all, they advise to take warm clothes with them, even if it is an ascension to the Lovcen mountain in the warm season. You should also stock up on drinking water and put on athletic shoes. Tourists without adequate physical training experienced travelers recommend not to strive to take the mountain by storm, as this can quickly get out of the way and not enjoy the excursion. It is better to make short stops every 30 steps to restore breathing. In addition, do not make the climb to Lovcen in the cloudy and windy weather, because in the first case you will not be able to enjoy the beauties of Montenegro, and in the second one it will be extremely uncomfortable on top.

Monastery of Cetinje

Talking about the mausoleum of Negosh, we should also say a few words about the monastery in which this famous ruler of Montenegro grew up and where his remains were buried for many years. For more than 500 years there is the residence of Montenegrin metropolitans. This monastery is closely connected with Russia and its imperial home. At the monastery there is a museum in which the crown of St. Stephen Dechansky, ancient vestments of Montenegrin metropolitans, printed books and rare manuscripts of the 13th-19th centuries, ancient banners and objects of church utensils, many of which were donated by the representatives of the Romanov dynasty.

Now you know where the mausoleum of Peter II Petrovich Nyosh is and how to get to it. Once in Montenegro, be sure to climb Lovcen to see this majestic structure and admire from the top of the mountain the natural beauties of ancient Montenegro.