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CETINJE - CULTURE
When someone describes Cetinje one will not make a mistake if one uses the words of an unknown man, who passing through that town said: “In the foot of Lovcen, far enough and hidden from the looks of enemies and close enough and opened for all friendly hands is found Cetinje – town – museum, Montenegro’s capital for centuries and the point of departure of its spirituality and state organization”. It’s hard to find in the world a town which is so vitally connected with its people during its entire history, like it is the situation with Cetinje. Therefore, the one who meets Cetinje, with all its sights and landmarks, he will for sure comprehend everything that is important in Montenegrin history. Cetinje as a capital city in the past 5 centuries was and remained a cultural, educational center of the Montenegrin state.
If you are coming to Cetinje in spring or summer, especially in the time of blossoming of the famous Cetinje linden trees, the nature will dazzle you with its scents and coloring, so the story about the freethinking and rebellious people that lives in Cetinje for centuries will appear to you almost unimaginable and unreal compared to the surrounding in which you are going to stay.
People from Cetinje often know to say that the atmosphere in town and the surroundings is such, that it creates a special kind of experience and not everyday events, climate, surroundings, the colors and some inexplicable spiritual force concentrated in one place, made Cetinje famous also by a great number of talented people who for centuries back but also in recent decades were born or they lived in Cetinje. The cultural history of Cetinje begins with the first Djuradj Crnojevic`s printing shop, built in the XIII century. At first, for the cultural creativity of Cetinje the name of Djuradj Crnojevic (1490. – 1496.) is connected. That ruler was extremely well known by his great education, knowledge of astronomy, geometry and other sciences of which testifies the testament published in Milan in 1499. He distinguished himself in the widening of cultural and political successes. With the aid of the monk Makarije, in his own printing shop Djuradj Crnojevic published many very important works. The printer Makarije or “the monk Makarije from Montenegro” (jeromonah Makarije ot Crna Gori) as he called himself, was the first printer in the South Slovenian area. In the typography in Cetinje he printed the first Cyrillic books in the Slovenian south. In the period from 1494. to 1496. from Cetinje`s printing shop 5, today very famous and precious books, known as “Crnojevica inkunabule” (Crnojevica`s Incunabula’s) came out. Those were: Oktoih prvoglasnik (Oktoih First – voice), Oktoih petoglasnik (Oktoih Fifth – voice), Psaltiri s posjedovanjem (Book of Psalms with Possession), Molitvenik (Prayer Book) and Cetvorojevandjelje (Four Gospels). After his leaving from Cetinje, monk Makarije lived in Romania, and near the end of his life he lived in the monastery Hilandar. The last work which reminded him on life in his native Montenegro, came out from printing in 1526/28., under the title “Prikaz zemalja Dakije” (The Review of the Lands of Dakija).
When we are talking about culture, Cetinje is most famous for its monuments, but also by the famous personalities – writers, poets, painters, actors, and sportsmen.
The most famous is, by all means, a great Cetinje`s and Montenegrin poet Njegos (Petar II Petrovic, 1813. – 1851.). From his early youth, he spent days learning the philosophical and historical works, absorbing literary and creating his own works of art by himself. Njegos often walked around Cetinje`s surrounding, considering that in that way he creates the deepest emotions and collects the perfect energy after which his famous works were created, like: “Gorski vijenac” ((Mountain Wreath) printed in Vienna in 1847.), “Luca mikrokozma ((Microcosm Rays) printed in Belgrade in 1845.) and “Lazni car Scepan mali” ((False Emperor Scepan Mali) printed in Trieste in 1861), “Svobodijada”, “Ogledalo srpsko” (Serbian Mirror)…
All the above listed Njegos’s works of art are deeply reflective, they have a great literary, aesthetic, art and at last (even though some are only his visions) historical value. Njegos in his works has for sure for the first time called wide attention, above all, of the former European public, to little Montenegrin people that have always been brave, defiant and proud, but also craving for literacy and collection of knowledge. With his work and talent Njegos carried the fame, all over the world, not only of himself as a philosopher and poet, but he pointed out a new characteristic of Montenegro, which, even though at that time was considered lagging and poor, has shown to the rest of the world that in this and such areas something inexplicable is hiding, mythical and above all natural. For all the time of his reign Njegos has intensively worked on making literate his people. He also worked on educational and cultural elevation of Montenegro.
In 1834. he opened the first state elementary school in Cetinje. The same year he founded the print shop, and published his first poet collections “Pustinjak Cetinjski” (Recluse from Cetinje) and “Lijek Jarosti” (The Cure of Rage). By Njegos`s order the first school books were written – “Bukvar” (Elementary Reading Book) in 1836. and “Gramatika” (Grammar) in 1838. Because of his great contribution to literature and culture Njegos is considered to be the greatest South Slovenian poet.
In Njegos`s time the history and especially culture of Montenegro remembers also his teacher Simo Milutinovic Sarajlija. He was a very important Serbian poet. In the company of Belgrade literates at the beginning of the second half of the XIX century Simo was set to be the chief to Gundulic, and German writer Goethe wrote praises about him. Studing philosophy, he stayed in Germany and published with Goethe a very well known epic “Serbijanka” (A Woman from Serbia). His other important works are: “Trojebratsvo”(Brotherhood among three brothers) and “Trojesestarstvo” (sisterhood among three sisters) – epic poems, “Dika crnogorska” (Montenegrin pride) – a drama from the history of Montenegro, a tragedy “Obilic”, a collection of lyric poems, and two historical texts “Istorija Srba” (The History of Serbs) and “Istorija Crne Gore” (The History of Montenegro).
Long before Njegos and his contemporaries, in Cetinje and from it, in Montenegro many educated and literate people stayed and ruled. The greatest clergyman in history and culture of Montenegro is considered to be Petar I Petrovic Njegos (1747. – 1830.) or the “saint ruler”.
Beside the extreme shrewdness, tactfulness in conduct, education and righteousness, the history remembers Petar I Petrovic Njegos by his literary work “Missives”, which according to the words of many Montenegrin historians are today considered to be “readers” in which there were determined and set the written, and later the executive rules about acting in certain situations. “Missives” are actually texts which are taken as ground of the sublime moral which ruled in the age of “golden” that is to say “heroic” period of the state of Montenegro. With the credits of Petar I Petrovic Montenegro was, for the first time in its history, a state with a regime. During the reign of Petar I, in Montenegro, the first law was passed, and the first court was established. Petar I Petrovic was the author of the first “History of Montenegro”, and a great number of poems in decasyllable. At that time beside the duties of the archpriest and layman ruler, Montenegrin rulers had their role of educators of nation masses.
King Nikola I Petrovic Njegos also got famous for his literary talent. Beside the fact that he was an exemplary, and the first ruler who in all segments of social, and public life brought Montenegro close to Europe, his merits were very visible on both cultural and educational plan. By establishing diplomatic relations with the great number of states, Cetinje becomes a miniature capital like other European capitals. On literary field his contribution is visible mostly in writing poems, dramas in verse, and prose among which mostly we can single out “Balkanska Carica” (Balkan Empress), “Hajdana” (Hajdana), “Pjesnik i vila” (A Poet and a Fairy), “Novo automobile” (New Automobile)…
A great number of wise and educated people stayed on Cetinje during the reign of King Nikola. Among the first man to come to Cetinje was Valtazar Bogisic, law and science worker of Croatian origins. He assembled the civic legal code of Montenegro, which later became the General property legal code of the Principality of Montenegro.
Also, Bogisic was the first Montenegrin Minister of justice. Later he lived and worked in Paris as a science worker. Among the prominent and educated man, who apart from official have conducted the educational - enlightening role in Montenegro, was also Gavrilo Dozic, at first, the metropolitan of the Pec`s eparchy, and later, Cetinje`s metropolitan (1920).
Cetinje`s archbishop and metropolitan of Montenegro and the Hills, originally from Grbalj, Mitrofan Ban was also very well – known. At the throne of the metropolitan he came at the end of 1869. Apart from the organization of the church, Mitrofan Ban has credits for the implementation of the salaries to priests, and establishing of spiritual courts. He recorded events and was a chronicler of his time. He was the most fruitful theologian writer in that period in Montenegro.
Sima Popovic was a poet, translator, journalist, Montenegrin politician and the statesman, a distinguished cultural and public worker. For almost 40 years he lived in Montenegro. He arrived in in Cetinje in 1870., on the call of the Montenegrin sovereign Nikola I Petrovic Njegos. At first, he was arranging Montenegrin literary magazines. He was a Minister of Education and church affairs of Montenegro. His most famous work is “The Memoirs”. Among foreign personalities, who have visited Montenegro and Cetinje as chroniclers, or travelers writers, the name of the famous English writer Lord George Gordon Byron (1788. – 1824.) should be mentioned. On his way back home he said: “In the moment of the birth of our planet, the most beautiful meeting of Earth and sea happened on the Montenegrin coast. When the pearls of nature were sown, on this ground a handful was tossed”. In this, Byron was convinced, by watching the coast of Montenegro, the slopes of Mountain Durmitor, by watching the Adriatic Sea from Lovcen, and by watching the beautiful canyon of the River Tara.
Also, Cetinje was visited by Lord Alfred Tennyson (1809. – 1892.), the famous English poet, and the only British poet who has earned his noble title thanks to poetry. It is important to say that the above mentioned poet has wrote a sonnet dedicated to Montenegro – called “Montenegro” which was published in London in 1877.
Still, among the foreigners who stayed for a longer period, the name of the famous Czech painter Jaroslav Cermak born in 1831. will be remembered. Several times he has visited Montenegro and Dalmatia, first time from 1858. – 1862. and in 1865., when in Montenegro he takes participation in the rebellion against the Turks. He painted in the spirit of the academic romanticism. He sought for genre – motives and fine arts landscapes across the Montenegrin regions. His portraits of the Montenegrin heroes and Montenegrin royal family are very famous. On his most significant works that are dedicated to Montenegro, we can see scenes from war events and battles. Such paintings are: “Montenegrin women with a child”, “Wounded Montenegrin”, “Women from Herzegovina near well”, “War Plunder”, and many others.
In the last decades of the XIX century a Russian scientist, revolutionary, and a publicist Pavel Apolonovic Rovinski, stayed in Cetinje. He came to Cetinje in 1879., and he published works from ethnography, history, and language. He did researches about Russia, Siberia, Czech Republic, as well as, of the Yugoslavian countries. His capital work is “Montenegro in the past and in the present”, for which he collected the material for 30 years. In that work a versatile and detailed picture of the geographical conditions, archeology, ethnography, history, and culture of Montenegro is given.
The culture of Cetinje remembers also very fruitful painters like Milo Milunovic, born in 1897., in Cetinje. Apart from education in his home town, Milunovic attended the educational institutions in Shkodra, Monca, and Florence.
In Paris in 1922. Milunovic meets with the works of art of the famous artist Sezane, so he starts practicing the neoclassicism. Except the oil on canvas, he painted frescos, especially on his return from Paris during his staying in Prcanj. At the begging of the 30`s of the XX century they came out in Paris saloons. He was also the painter of impressionism, so towards the end of his life he entered the phase of expressionism, in which he painted all of his best pictures. On those pictures, the motives from the Mediterranean expanse and dead nature can be seen. With his pictures he was never entirely satisfied, so he was famous by his long – term making sketches for the paintings. Today he is considered to be a bard of the Montenegrin painting.
In the XX century, the most skillful creators Cetinje gave in the area of the fine arts and painting. The most famous Cetinje`s and by that also Montenegrin creator of fine arts is Miodrag Dado Djuric, born in 1933. in Cetinje. High school and painting school he studied in Herceg Novi, and later he studied the Faculty of Fine Arts in Belgrade. Dado lived only for a while in Cetinje. To European and the world art he is famous for his paintings on which the Montenegrin ethno motives are dominant. Dado Djuric, who for more than 30 years lives and creates in the capital of France, Paris, paints oil on canvas, drawings, graphics of sculptures and assemblage. His works are found in many world museums, galleries, and in private collections. Foreign chroniclers have written that after Chagall and Dali, Dado Djuric has mostly influenced on the term of surrealism in painting. His permanent exhibitions in famous world museums, like in Bobur – the museum of modern arts in France, are well – known.
Also, in Cetinje another great man of painting brush was born, Petar Lubarda (1907. – 1965. After his arrival in Paris, and after his studies at the “Akademie des Beaux Arts”, he begins to exhibit in the Saloon of the independent painters. Lubarda was extremely creative, and with his painting work he made a certain influence on the development of the post – war painting in the former Yugoslavia. He exhibited in Italy, and France. After termination of the famous Herzegovina’s school of fine arts he goes to Paris, where he individually studied painting by going to museums and galleries. He begins to participate in group exhibitions. He is the winner of the numerous international awards and recognitions. His most famous works – oil on canvas were exhibited also in India, Spain, Germany, SSSR, Brazil, England, Belgium, Syria, and Lebanon…
The representative of the “enformel” and the creator of the post – war modernism in former Yugoslavia was Branko Filipovic – Filo, a painter born in 1924. in Cetinje. He studied painting from the famous painter Petar Lubarda in the Art school in Herceg Novi. In his paintings from the 50`s of the XX century, a break up with the trend, to which almost all Montenegrin artists belonged to, and it was called soc – realism, was announced.
Except in France and Italy, he exhibited in all major and important world cities. He participated in the Venetian biennial in 1990. He died in Belgrade in 1977.
Among the famous personalities, who left some mark in the historical, geographical, and social sciences in general, PhD Dusan Martinovic – a chronicler and a lifelong scholarly worker stands out. Except with geography he did the research of culture, history, enlightment, and education. He is a member of the Montenegrin Academy of Science and Arts. PhD Jakov Mrvaljevic – PhD of geographical sciences and a long-standing director of the Cetinje museums was born and lives in Cetinje. Mravaljevic is occupied with scholarly research work, publishes various articles about the current political situation, historical analysis, and recently he started dealing with literature – he publishes books with the historical theme and plays. He was the first president of the Montenegrin P.E.N. center.
Among the more famous science and public workers of Cetinje are the art historian – Olga Perovic and Dragisa Zivkovic- art historian and the author of the first Montenegrin encyclopedia.
When we are talking about literature one should mention also the writer Vukasin Perovic, and when we are talking about the same kind of art, it is important to mention that in Cetinje lived and sporadically stayed Danilo Kis.
In the last years in Cetinje other kinds of art expressions are renewed, through drama, fine arts and musical academy, so from those academies more and more talented young people come out, who will without any doubt leave some mark in the Montenegrin painting, theatre, film, drama or musical art. However, the most famous urban artistic group, which represents humor and reality from Cetinje in a very original way, is the organization “The book of Knjige”. That organization is made out of 4 men born in Cetinje: Zoran Markovic – Zonjo, Goran Vujovic, and the two that are better know by their nicknames, Gajo and Aleksandar Radunovic – Popaj. This urban quadruplet is mostly famous by creating original TV and radio commercials, issuing various compact CD-s and DVD presentations. When we are talking about sport, famous handball players of a younger generation Petar Kapisoda and Goran Djukanovic and former great sportsmen Pero Milosevic should be mentioned.
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