Today marks 34 years since the death of Krsto Đurović, Rear Admiral of the Yugoslav People’s Army (JNA), who died in a helicopter crash in 1991 under circumstances that remain unclear, during the early days of the JNA attack on the Dubrovnik area of the Republic of Croatia.
‘As long as I am commander, you can be sure that not a single shell will fall on Dubrovnik,’ Đurović told Dubrovnik’s then-mayor, Petar Poljanić, in September 1991. Because of his opposition to the aggression, he is remembered as a symbol of integrity and humanity. His name remains associated with messages of peace, including the famous slogan from the Liberal Alliance of Montenegro rally in Cetinje: ‘From Lovćen the fairy calls — forgive us, Dubrovnik!
In May this year, the Cetinje Old Royal Capital Assembly adopted an initiative by the Human Rights Action (HRA), the Centre for Civic Education (CCE), and the Antifascists of Cetinje to name a street in the Pod Granicom neighborhood after Rear Admiral Krsto Đurović. Early next year, the street will officially bear his name, preserving the memory of his anti-war stance and reminding future generations of the duty to oppose military aggression. This decision also reaffirms Cetinje’s long-standing anti-war tradition, a town that, even in the hardest times, has shown dignified resistance to violence and destruction.
We call on other municipalities in Montenegro to follow Cetinje’s example and honor those who, in the most difficult times, chose peace, justice, and human dignity. Naming streets and other public spaces after such figures is a meaningful way to preserve their memory and pass on the message of peace and justice to future generations.
Once again, we emphasize that it is not too late to uncover the truth about Krsto Đurović’s death, and we call for full public disclosure of all circumstances surrounding it.
Human Rights Action (HRA)
Centre for Civic Education (CCE)
Antifascists of Cetinje