Mound of the Unbeaten

The Mound of the Unbeaten (aka Burial Mounds of the Undefeated) is one of the many spomeniks created by renowned architect Bogdan Bogdanović. Among his most iconic creations are the Flower Monument in Croatia, Popina Memorial Park in Serbia, and the Monument to Fallen Miners in Kosovo.  The Mound of the Unbeaten was unveiled in 1961, and it stands as a stepping stone in Bogdanović’s early career, for it drew attention to his talent, and soon after, he was awarded a string of similar projects. The artistic sensibilities that he later articulated and came to symbolize spomeniks can be found in this seminal work.

The Mound of the Unbeaten consists of eight marble urns vaguely reminiscent of chess pieces placed in a semi-circular formation to mirror the semi-circular mound that is the common grave of partisans from Prilep that lost their lives during World War II while fighting for the People’s Liberation Struggle. 

The mound is covered with reclined marble slabs bearing the names of the 462 partisans whose remains are buried here. Standing in the middle of the semicircle facing the marble slabs can give an oppressive feeling of being walled in, but upon turning, the eight urns stand tall (between three and five meters) against a beautiful backdrop of mountains covered with pine trees. The stark contrast of the mound and the urns stands for the partisan units that were born on the ashes of those that lost their lives for freedom.

The Mound of the Unbeaten is located in the Park of the Revolution, a relatively small park (approx. 40,000 square meters) that is also home to nine bronze busts of heroes from Prilep.  A number of pathways cut across the carefully manicured gardens.