New Mt. Avala Tower

The newly-constructed Avala Tower, whose restaurant and panoramic view rise to an altitude of 202 metres, will also have at its foot 1,000 square metres of exhibit space for cultural and business activities.

By Miloje Popović
Photo by Nikola Fifić

One of the symbols of Belgrade – the 202-metre tall tower on Mt. Avala (511 metres above sea level,) just fifteen kilometres from Belgrade, was destroyed in 1999 during the three-month NATO bombing campaign of Serbia. Thus, all of the effort of the creators of this unique structure, which took five years to build (it was completed in 1965 with 4,000 tonnes of armored concrete and a 25-tonne 60-metre antenna) disappeared in just a few minutes.

The tower was one of the few structures of its kind in the world that was not dug in but relied instead on three pillars – its three ‘legs’, buried at a depth of only 1.5 metres. This Belgrade site, offering a view of the entire city as well as half of Šumadija and a portion of the country, had resisted all the elements, including the notorious Belgrade košava wind. It used to sway one full metre in a strong wind, thus demonstrating that no natural force or other natural disaster could harm it. This is how this giant ‘lived’ for many years, surrounded by dense forest and endemic plants (they say there are 600 of them altogether). The tower was close to the monument dedicated to the Unknown Soldier, built several years before the start of World War II, in memory of the unknown Serbian soldier whose remains were found there, but also to commemorate all the brave Serbian fighters who sacrificed their lives for freedom in World War I.

Serbia and Belgrade could not come to terms with the fact that the tower - accommodating a TV and radio antenna, a restaurant and office space – was no more. So, rebuilding the tower began in 2005. Apart from the panoramic view and the restaurant covering 100 square metres at a height of 120 metres, there will be an additional 1,000 square metres of usable space for business and cultural activities at the foot of the tower.

Diligent Serbian architects, engineers, specialist in different fields and construction experts, continuing a long-established construction tradiiton, have once again demonstrated that they were capable of successfully and in a relatively short period of time, tackling such a difficult task. The builders from the Ratko Mitrović – Dedinje company have heroically endured and overcome the obstacles involved in building the Balkan Colossus, as some are wont to call it. What is interesting in the whole story relating to the rebuilding of the tower is that it developed from an initiative from Serbian journalists, first of all, long-time Belgrade TV reporter Bata Milatović. He was present every day at the construction site and informed the public and communicated with other media throughout the building process.

An Inspiration to Artists Reviving the tower has motivated many, primarily younger people and students, to make their contribution in some way, so they sent numerous e-mails, letters, works of art and drawings to the address of the construction site on Mt. Avala. The many such positive emotions were also joined by painters. Belgrade painter Nina Vuković, for instance, did four oils on canvas – all of them variations on the theme of the Avala Tower. "What I had in mind was to offer a perception of this unusual giant from several angles, as seen at different times of the year. It was clear to me that rebuilding it was not only a courageous act on the part of Belgrade and Serbia – and this also at a time when the country is continually in economic throes - but a symbolic one, namely, that even under such adverse circumstances man can rise high. And this is precisely what the Avala Tower symbolizes. Mt. Avala itself is but a small natural rock, an ancient mine housing the Unknown Soldier monument on top. With the tower in place, it becomes a triptych – the tower, the mountain and the memorial, all of which go well together was a single aesthetic whole that was disturbed by the tower’s destruction. This is what I tried to express in the paintings, which not only follow the course of its destruction and rebuilding but also express its symbolism with regard to nature and the mountain itself."