Monument to the Revolution of the People of Moslavina, Podgarić, Croatia

I had a nice little adventure trying to find this spectacular monument about an hour and a half south east of Zagreb. The village of Podgarić is so tiny, it’s not really a village at all. When I arrived on a misty late-October morning, armed with nothing but a photo of the monument, I couldn’t find a shop, cafe, or even house to stop at and ask someone for directions. After driving down the only street and passing agricultural land, I was a little concerned that the monument would elude me, which was surprising given that it looked like an absolute monolith in the photo I had printed off the internet. Thankfully, I spotted a farmer working in a field near the road. I don’t think Podgarić sees too many visitors, so I was impressed that she took my arrival in her stride. After trying to explain the directions to me numerous times, without success, that lovely Balkan hospitality kicked in, and my saviour got in her car and drove in front of me. We drove back through the “village” and after a few minutes she pulled over and gestured to a muddy track up a hill. I thanked her profusely and hiked with the excitement of a kid up the hill. It wasn’t until I got to the top that the beautiful concrete structure fully emerged from the fog. Absolutely stunning. Can recommend a visit.

Designed by sculptor Dušan Džamonja and architect Vladimir Veličković, and completed in 1967, the monument commemorates the local community’s uprising against the Ustaša in WWII.