Monument To Fallen Krajina Soldiers On Banj Brdo

The monument to fallen Krajina soldiers, in the War for Liberation (1941-1945) against fascism is located at the top of the Banj Hill (431meters of altitude) which dominates over Banjaluka. It is around 5 kilometers away from the city, and the road between Banja Luka and the monument on the Banj Hill is covered in concrete al the way long. The monument of the mausoleic type (13 meters high and 24 meters long), is a work of one of the greatest Yugoslovenian sculptors and craftsmen of memorial plastic of Antun Augustinčić. It was erected on the place where, in June 1941, a Distric conference of the Communist Party of Yugoslavia for Bosanska Krajina was held together with a few counselings related to the rise of the rebellion. It was made from white stone from Brač. It has a unique form, special dinamic line and looked from afar, it seems like a bullet fired in the direction of Krajina (Kozara and Grmeč). On the frontage of the monument, above the entrance doors, there is a huge figure of a naked young man who holds a flag in his hand. Sideways there are relieves which show the battle against the occupants and after-war construction. The monument was solemnly opened in 1961 and since then it became a place where visitors came from all over our country, but from other countries as well. The monument was visited by Josip Broz Tito in 1966 who, before leaving the monument plateau, having looked back once more, said: “You have chosen a wonderful location for this monument. I think it is the greatest monument in Yugoslavia. When the stone is used to this climate it shall look even more beautiful“.