Also known as: Pobednik, Statue of Victory

The statue of the Victor is one of the most famous landmarks in Belgrade, located in the Belgrade fortress at the place where the medieval castle stood once. It was erected in 1928 to commemorate the Kingdom of Serbia’s war victories over the Ottoman Empire (First Balkan War) and Austria-Hungary (World War I). It is one of the most famous works of Ivan Meštrović. The name of the statue represents the Victory of Liberty.

The statue holds a falcon, on watch for the new threats on the horizon, in one hand, and a sword of war, ready to counter these threats in the other. It’s looking forward across the confluence of the Sava and the Danube, and over the vast Pannonian plain, towards the very distant Fruška Gora mountain, towards the (at the time) Austro-Hungarian empire, and it is probably the most powerful, most popular visual symbol of Belgrade.

Fun facts

  • The statue was originally supposed to be placed on the Terazije square, but ended up at the Belgrade Fortress after people complained about its nudity.
  • The statue is pointed towards Austria, it is unknown whether this was done on purpose or not.
  • The statue is slightly inclined, there are a couple of angles from which that can be seen.

Photo gallery

Location

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