Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty
Belgrade's Victor Monument Back On Its Pedestal
by RFE/RL's Balkan ServiceAn iconic monument in Serbia’s capital, Belgrade, has been returned to its familiar place in a city park after months of restoration work. On February 14, workers lifted the Victor monument, known as Pobednik in Serbian, onto its pedestal overlooking the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers. The statue was cast in 1913 and erected in 1928 as a symbol of Serbia's victories against the Ottoman Empire in the 19th century and the Austro-Hungarian Empire in World War I. The repairs, which were needed after more than 90 years of exposure to the elements, cost more than $200,000.