The juxtaposition of the old and the new has always fascinated me while traveling. In the United States, especially in New York, everything feels new, and by new I mean nothing feels more than 100 years old. This is partly due to the fact that anything related to the Native Americans, who inhabited this land before European immigrants arrived, has been systematically removed from the landscape. Likewise, many remnants of the colonial and post-independence eras have been destroyed; Americans are easily distracted by bright and shiny things and “onwards and upwards” is an unstoppable watchcry for our people.
In much of Eastern Europe and The Balkans, the past has not so quickly been erased. Vestiges of the Ottoman Empire still hang around with elements from Tito’s Yugoslavia, which in turn mingle with the modern buildings of post-Yugoslav society. Nowhere is this more evident than in Podgorica, Montenegro’s criminally underrated capital, where a two-block walk can transport you through centuries of history.
Stepping over the manhole cover pictured above may cause you to question whether you got off the bus at the right stop. Titograd? I thought this was Podgorica? Well, in 1948 after the post-WWII inception of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Podgorica received a makeover in the form of name change. After being called Podgorica since 1326, Montenegro’s capital became Titograd (literally “Tito City”), named after Yugoslavia’s President-for-life, Josip Broz Tito. It wasn’t until 1992, following the breakup of Yugoslavia, that Titograd once again morphed back into Podgorica.
Titograd may still be etched into the sidewalk, but Montenegrin pride is on full display above the ground. Montenegro didn’t achieve full independence until 2006 when the people voted by referendum to break free from Serbia in a bloodless parting of ways. “Da je vječna Crna Gora” translates into English as, “May eternal be our Montenegro,” and is taken from a popular folk song that was adopted as the National Anthem upon independence. The past of Tito and Yugoslavia is not forgotten, but Montenegrins are extremely proud of their country (with good reason!) and the future it promises.
Crkva Svetog Đorđa (St. George’s Church)
Resting at the foot of Gorica hill, St. George’s Church is the oldest church in Podgorica, having been built in the 10th Century. An ancient cemetery sits in the rear and frescos adorn the small chapel’s walls. Like its Serbian neighbor, Montenegro’s population is largely Orthodox (around 70%), although there is also a sizable Muslim population (around 20%), who are descendants from the centuries of Ottoman rule.
Crkva Presvetog Srca Isusovog (Church of the Holy Heart of Jesus)
The Church of the Holy Heart of Jesus is one of my favorite churches in the WORLD. Yes, the world! It is extremely rare to find houses of worship built in the brutalist style. The Soviet Union banned or greatly suppressed many religious institutions and most of the Eastern Bloc wasn’t exactly embracing religion either.
Podgorica’s lone Catholic Church was completely destroyed by the German bombings in WWII; Podgorica was bombed over 80 times, decimating much of the city. When it came time to rebuild Podgorica’s sole Catholic outpost in 1969, a brutalist style was adopted and the Church of the Holy Heart of Jesus was born. Meant to resemble a ship (possibly Noah’s ark?), this concrete wonder is magnificent. The staff welcomed me in and let me take photos to my heart’s content.
The church mostly relies on natural light, which gives the concrete nave an almost ghostly aura. Spartan and bare, the only electrical illumination seems to come from the Vegas-style cross and figures floating above the altar. This offbeat church is the perfect match for Montenegro’s offbeat capital.
Saborni Hram Hristovog Vaskrsenja (Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ)
Did I mix up the order of these churches? Surely this grand Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ, Podgorica’s largest Orthodox church, must have been constructed before the futuristic Holy Heart. In fact, this is one of the city’s newest churches. Modeled after a medieval cathedral in Kotor, the Resurrection of Christ didn’t break ground until 1993 and wasn’t completed until 2013.
In addition to the shimmery gold frescos, the church boasts the largest chandelier in all the Balkans. Another bonus is that the marble floors create a natural cooling effect, making this a perfect sanctuary to escape Podgorica’s oppressive heat. (My first visit to Podgorica was in August and my second in September, both of which have high temperatures nearing 43C/109.4F; yes, it gets VERY hot here!)
Visiting these three churches makes you put into perspective what is “modern” and “new.” If you showed random strangers on the street photos of these three churches and asked them to label which ones were “modern” and which were “old/traditional” I’m willing to bet that most would say that Holy Heart was the modern option and that the Resurrection of Christ had been around since the 16th Century. Sometimes our instincts are wrong. The religious architecture in Podgorica is ready to play tricks with your mind.
Sportski centar Morača (Morača Sports Center/Bemax Arena)
I took this photo of the Morača Sports Center on my first trip to Podgorica. A dilapidated, brutalist beast, the arena was long past its glory days when it opened in 1978 and had since fallen into disrepair. Graffiti covered the walls and few windows remained intact. I very much wanted to peak inside, but the structure was too unstable and visitors were not allowed near.
Fast-forward to my second Montenegrin journey and the arena had undergone a transformation. Instead of knocking down the decaying building, the brutalist arena was simply getting a facelift. It’s unfortunate to lose all that Montenegrin street art, but the bones of the past are still there. The new arena has since been completed and opened in 2019, renamed the Bemax Arena, after the group who financed the construction.
Stari Most na Ribnici (Old Ribnica River Bridge)
The ruins of Tvrđava na Ribnici (Ribnica Fortress) sit at the confluence of the Ribnica and Morača Rivers. This Ottoman stronghold, built after they conquered Montenegro in the 1470s, is free to explore. The Old River Bridge has miraculously survived and is the highlight of the ruins. The Ottoman Empire’s mark is still felt in Podgorica, from the minarets that dot the skyline to the abandoned fortresses where Turkish rulers once held court.
Most Milenijum (Millenium Bridge)
Let’s jump ahead from the 15th to the 21st Century and check out Podgorica’s most distinctive bridge. Built in 2005, the cables give the appearance that the bridge is a harp being pulled back like a slingshot. There are pedestrian walkways on either side of the bridge, and as super corny and touristy as this sounds, it’s fun to walk across and take photos of the cables rising 57m (187ft) into the air. As modern as the Millenium Bridge is, it also fits perfectly into its surroundings, drawing your eye to both the mountains in the background the Morača River rushing underneath.
Three for the Price of One
I really love this photo. I could have saved myself the time it took to write this post and just slapped up this picture instead. In the foreground you see the ruins of the Ribnica Fortress (Ottoman Empire; 15th Century), across the river is the brutalist Hotel Podgorica (Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia; 1967) and to the right of the hotel is the modern Normal Company Skyscraper (Montenegro; 2016). Centuries of history and an olio of architectural styles can all be taken in from one vantage point. Podgorica’s ability to move forward without obliterating the past is part of what makes it so special. I hope the rest of my Podgorica posts will only illustrate further why the city holds such a special place in my heart.
