Montenegro celebrates Statehood Day

Today, on July 13, Montenegro celebrates Statehood Day.

Statehood day is celebrated every year in Montenegro in memory of two events that occurred on this day: on July 13, 1878, Montenegro received international recognition as an independent state at the Berlin Congress, and on July 13, 1941, there was a National uprising against fascism.

The Congress of Berlin, which lasted from June 13 to July 13, 1878, was convened on the initiative of Austria, with the forced consent of Russia, as well as the consent of great Britain, France, Italy, Germany and Turkey, to review the Treaty of San Stefano in force at that time.

Although the San Stefano peace Treaty, concluded in March of the same year, considered Montenegro as an independent state whose territory was to be significantly expanded than stipulated in the Berlin Treaty, the Congress confirmed its state sovereignty at the international level due to the long armed and political struggle of the Montenegrin people to preserve independence and freedom.

On July 13, 1941, after the decision of the provincial Committee of the Communist party of Montenegro to resist the occupier, which was taken in Stieni Piperska (CERN. Stijeni Piperskoj), a popular uprising against fascism broke out in Montenegro. It is worth noting that this was the first mass uprising in enslaved Europe at that time. With their libertarian spirit and their actions, the Montenegrin people awakened and initiated people's resistance to fascism in other parts of Yugoslavia and Europe.

According to the new law on public holidays, July 13 in Montenegro first began to be celebrated as the day of statehood in 2005, in contrast to previous years, when this day was celebrated as the day of the uprising of the Montenegrin people in World War II.