Monument to the Fallen Soldiers of the Kosmaj Detachment Kosmaj Mountain

The Kosmaj is picturesque mountain some 50 km south of Belgrade with gentle slopes, lush forests and meadows, with the highest peak of 620 meters altitude. The area of Kosmaj Mountain was during the Roman administration one of the most important mining centers for imperial exploitation of the silver ore and lead and iron and today it is favorite tourist and excursion destination.

On top of the Kosmaj Mountain, some 55 km south of Belgrade, in wonderful greenery there is the Monument to the Kosmaj partisan soldiers fallen in the Second World War who gathered here in 1941 to organize plan for their battles against occupying Axis forces. The Monument on Kosmaj Mountain is 40 meters high and can be seen from all sides. The Kosmaj Monument marks the freedom fights and victims of the Kosmaj-Posavina Partisan detachment during the Second World War who died during the National Liberation War.

The Kosmaj Monument was erected in 1971 according to design of sculptor Vojin Stojic and architect Gradimir Medakovic. The Kosmaj Monument is also known as “The Spark of Freedom” (Slobodarska iskra), as it symbolizes the eternal fire. The central part of the Kosmaj Monument includes five separate 30m tall concrete double-pointed fins, organized in a circular radiating pattern, which all come together making a shape that resembles a star. On the edge of a large circular bronze relief plate of the monument there is inscription with names of places from where partisans originated – “Kosmaj, Mladenovac, Groča, Smederevo, Podunav, Jasenica, Pomorav, Belgrade, Posav, Vračar”, 02 July 1941 – May 1945. News articles from the era report that the cost of the monument’s cost to build was 6 million Yugoslav dinars for which 625 cubic meters of concrete and 125 tons of iron was used. The Kosmaj Monument project was financed by the Socialist Republic of Serbia within Yugoslavia, the city of Belgrade, as well as by the municipalities of villages and towns surrounding the Kosmaj Mountain. Today it is favorite excursion place with an easy invigorating walk along the wonderful nature and memorable panorama of the whole Sumadija area.