Mount Lovcen Jezierski Verh is a pilgrimage site for thousands of Montenegrins. And this is not surprising, since on its top is the mausoleum of Peter Nyegosh - a 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 their greatest poet and statesman.
Who is Peter Negosh
Before telling about one of the most interesting sights of Montenegro, a few words should be said about the person who is resting in it. Radiva Tomov Petrovich was born in 1813 in the village of Negushi. Until the age of 12, the boy lived like ordinary peasant children and spent most of the day following a herd of sheep along the slopes of Mount Lovcen. There he got acquainted with folk songs, legends and legends that local shepherds told him.
According to the old custom, the rulers of Montenegro were to be monks, therefore they had no children. They passed their throne to their nephews. Uncle Radivoy was Metropolitan Peter the First Petrovich - the senior representative of the clan. He decided to appoint his nephew as his successor. So Radiva ended up in the Cetinje monastery and began to study science, preparing for the field prepared for him. After some time, he received tonsure 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 a bishop, and in 1844 - Metropolitan of Montenegro and Berdsky. Died of tuberculosis in 1851, at the age of 37 years.
Merits of Peter Negosh
Few rulers managed to achieve such love and recognition from their people as this monk-poet. Throughout his short life, he fought for the independence of Montenegro from the Ottoman Empire and achieved the establishment 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 country's first printing school in Cetinje, and also became the author of many poetic works. His main merit was the declaration of independence of Montenegro, which saved its people from assimilation.
In 1845, shortly before his death, Peter the Second Petrovich-Negosh bequeathed to be buried without fail in a chapel founded by him on Mount Lovcen. The will of the Metropolitan was not fulfilled, since his close associates were afraid that the grave of their ruler would be desecrated by the Turks. To prevent this from happening, he was buried next to the grave of his predecessor, Peter the Great. 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 were decomposed, since their imperishability could become the reason for reckoning Peter Negosh to the list of saints.
It turned out that there was no reason for the canonization of the Metropolitan poet, and his ashes were finally buried in accordance with the will of the deceased. Moreover, despite the fact that many residents of Montenegro both then and today believe that Peter Nyosh deserves recognition as his righteous like no other.
The fate of the remains
In 1916, the command of the Austro-Hungarian army decided to destroy the chapel, which was enclosed by a sarcophagus with the ashes of the famous Montenegrin freedom fighter Peter Negosh. It was destroyed, and the remains were moved to a relatively safer place - the Cetinje Monastery. At the site of the destroyed chapel, the winners planned to erect a monument glorifying the feat of the Austro-Hungarian soldiers who captured Lovcen. However, they did not even have time to start implementing this plan. After the war ended, in the fall of 1925, the Montenegrins restored the chapel and the solemn procession, led by the Montenegrin Metropolitan and King of the Croats, Serbs and Slovenes, Alexander the First, carried the remains of Peter the Great there. 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 centenary of the death of Peter the Second Negosh, the authorities of socialist Yugoslavia decided to demolish the chapel. Their goal was to build a completely new building in its place. The Negosh Mausoleum was commissioned to design by Ivan Mestrovich, who had never been to Mount Lovcen. This plan provoked indignation among some of the Montenegrins, who rightly claimed that the destruction of the chapel was contrary to the wishes of Nyegosh himself. Despite all the protests, the chapel was destroyed in the late 1960s, and by 1974 a mausoleum was built in its place, which still exists today.
In 1979, Montenegro suffered a serious natural disaster - a catastrophic earthquake, which caused many damage and casualties on the territory of the republic. Many Orthodox believers felt that this event is a sign from above, meaning that the Lord is angry with their people, who destroyed an important national shrine and violated the last will of his national hero.
Description
The main attraction, thanks to which the Lovcen mountain 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 claim that these are statues of the sister and mother of the Metropolitan. However, of course, this opinion is erroneous, since his parents had 5 daughters, and it is unlikely that the creators of the memorial would depict only one of them. As for the interior of the building, its sarcophagus is located on the ground floor, and on the top there is a 28-ton statue of Peter Nyegosh carved from gray-green granite from Yablanitsa. Its author is the sculptor Ivan Mestrovich. For his work, he asked for a very modest fee - a piece of sheep’s unsalted cheese and the famous Nogosh sprout (ham dried in the sun). Above the head of the statue of the ruler, 3.74 meters high, an eagle spread its wings - a symbol of freedom-loving Montenegro.
Behind the mausoleum there is an observation deck with a view of the whole of Montenegro, and a tunnel leads to the monument, inside which there is a steep “staircase to the sky”, consisting of 500 steps.
Mausoleum of Negosh: how to get there
You can get to this memorial via Kotor or Cetinje, so many people combine a visit to the tomb and an excursion to the residence of the Montenegrin metropolitans. There is another option that is suitable for lovers of hiking. They can leave the car in the village of Negushi and climb to the mausoleum, which will take almost the whole day.
Please note that for entry to the Lovcen park you should pay 1 euro per car. At the same time, the cost of a taxi service for a trip to the entrance to the tunnel leading to the Nyosz mausoleum from Cetinje or Kotor will cost 20 euros.
Reviews
Most of the tourists who come to Montenegro seek to visit the Negosh Mausoleum. Montenegro is a country where there are many attractions, however, according to travelers, nothing beats the beauty of the sunset or dawn, which can be seen from the peak of Lovcen, from where you can see Skopje, Skadar Lake and hundreds of picturesque mountain peaks touching the sky. In addition, many travelers enthusiastically express that they have visited above the clouds, since one of the reasons that make the Nyosha Mausoleum unique is its altitude of 1,560 meters above sea level.
Some tips
Those who are going to visit the Negosh mausoleum (see photo above) should follow the recommendations of those who have already been there. First of all, they advise you to bring warm clothes with you, even if we are talking about climbing Mount Lovcen in the warm season. You should also stock up on drinking water and wear athletic shoes. For tourists without appropriate physical training, experienced travelers recommend not striving to take the mountain by storm, since it is possible to quickly get tired and not enjoy the tour. It is better to make short stops every 30 steps to restore breathing. In addition, you should not make the climb to Lovcen in cloudy and windy weather, since in the first case you will not be able to admire the beauties of Montenegro, and in the second it will be extremely uncomfortable at the top.
Cetinj Monastery
Talking about the mausoleum of Negosh, it is worth saying a few words about the monastery in which this famous ruler of Montenegro grew up and where his remains rested for many years. For more than 500 years, the residence of the Montenegrin metropolitans has been located there. This monastery is closely connected with Russia and with its imperial house. At the monastery there is a museum in which the crown of St. Stephen Dechansky, the ancient vestments of the Montenegrin metropolitans, printed books and rare manuscripts of the 13-19th centuries, ancient banners and church utensils, many of which were donated by representatives of the Romanov dynasty.
Now you know where the mausoleum of Peter II Petrovich Negosh is located and how to get to it. Once in Montenegro, be sure to climb Lovcen to see this magnificent building and admire the natural beauties of ancient Montenegro from the top of the mountain.