Kozara is a “mythical” mountain in the northwest part of Bosnia and Herzegovina, known for its historical significance. Its vast expanse (70 km long and 25 km wide) and natural environment have provided refuge and salvation to people during various wars and uprisings. On one of its peaks, called Mrakovica, stands the monumental Monument to the Revolution, dedicated to the partisans and civilians who gave their lives during the Battle of Kozara in 1942.
The Monument to the Revolution, along with a memorial wall and museum, forms a memorial complex within the Kozara National Park. This area was declared a national monument after the end of World War II and was designed by sculptor Dušan Džamonja.
Construction took place between 1971 and 1972 with the help of 3,000 social activists. The monument is 34 meters high and consists of twenty vertical segments forming a cylindrical whole. Each segment is profiled with deep cuts. An illusion is created, as one moment you forget what is raised and what is in negative. This play of lines carries symbolic meaning.
While the recessed and shadowed negatives symbolize death, the positives represent victory and life. The positives are further enhanced by stainless steel lamellas, adding a dimension of light to life, contrasting with the negatives that are in shadow. The horizontally positioned blocks around the central monument symbolize the pressure and aggression of the enemy, who, with brutal force, tries but fails to destroy life and victory, which rise toward the sky, embodied in the vertical monument.
