Posted on 04/21/2010 3:58:39 PM PDT by Ravnagora
The new TV Tower on Avala Mountain opened April 21, 2010
The TV tower on Avala Mountain is not "just" a TV tower, nor is it just a "tall structure", as some of you may at first think.
It was constructed from 1961 to 1965 and at the time was the pride of Yugoslav socialist engineering. It was the only tower in the world to have had an equilateral triangle as its cross section, and one of very few towers not perched directly into the ground, but standing on its legs.The legs formed a tripod, making it one of the small number of towers in the world to have been constructed in that manner. As the decades passed, people got used to "The Tower" as a landmark of Belgrade, an orientation upon arriving to Belgrade and leaving it.
On April 29, 1999, it was destroyed by NATO's war machinery, supposedly to put the national Serbian TV off the air. But, for the most part, that did not work, since RTS (Radio and Television of Serbia) was broadcasting via many local TV stations across Serbia. The real reason was probably to knock down one of the symbols of Belgrade and hurt the pride of the Serbian people.
Wikipedia tells us that the blast was one of the loudest, and I would add the nastiest explosions heard throughout Belgrade during the 78 days and nights of NATO's merciless bombardment of the then Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. It was the third tallest structure in the world ever destroyed (after the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center). If you count the Singer building, which was demolished peacefully, it was the fourth tallest structure to have ever been destroyed.
I remember Belgraders gathering in front of the fallen giant, with disbelief and tears in their eyes. In time, Belgraders got used to seeing the destruction across their city, some of it remaining to date. They also got used to the fact that "The Tower" was no longer there, making the Avala mountain look so bare, so empty. Every look towards that bare mountain brought sadness to my heart. Travelers coming to Belgrade no longer had their orientation point.
In 2004, the idea to rebuild the tower was born. Serbian Broadcasting Corporation (RTS), a million citizens who gave donations, two hundred well known personalities such as actors, tennis players, musicians; the Serbian Government, the Belgrade City Hall and various Serbian companies have taken part in this huge reconstruction project. By 2005, the site was cleared from debris and the remains of the previous Tower. In late 2006, reconstruction began, and Belgraders were following each meter's progress with enthusiasm. After about three and a half years, the Tower is now back where it once stood, made fully of domestic materials and by domestic companies, in all weather conditions. It is, naturally, more modern today than its predecessor, because it was constructed using today's technology and standards. It's even a bit taller than the original one, just to show that the inat - Serbian defiance, is very much alive and well, and to demonstrate to the world that Serbs could make it better, bigger, and stronger than before.
The Tower was, finally, officially opened, or better to say reopened, on April 21, 2010, almost 11 years after it was destroyed. Travelers to Belgrade now have their favorite orientation point back. Belgraders have one of the symbols of their city back. The Serbian people have their pride back. Like I said in the beginning, this is not just what it seems to be. It's much, much more. Isn't that the case with everything in the Balkans?
The Tower will improve the quality of TV and radio signals, including digital radio and TV, that being its primary purpose. It will also have a restaurant and a viewpoint way up in the sky. In Serbia, it doesn't get any taller than this (just a bit over 200 meters, making it the tallest structure in the country and the Balkans). The view does not get any better, either. The Tourist Organization of Belgrade will include the Tower in its regular Belgrade offers.
Here are some wonderful official and unofficial speeches heard today at the (re)opening ceremony:
"The tallest structure in the Balkans belongs to Serbia. Reconstruction of the Tower has shown that one Government can start, and another can finish such a capital project. I regret that former Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica was not invited to the ceremony. We have shown that we can build together. We are building three bridges at the moment, we are building highways. Step by step, we will finish all major projects. We are starting with the Avala Tower and I hope we will make many more grand structures. The tower will make things start moving again. With it, the Avala Mountain is the tallest mountain in Serbia". (Boris Tadic, President of Serbia)
"The Tower is more than an orientation point. To me, the Tower is the symbol of my youth. Seeing it rise made me feel young again". (Mirko Cvetkovic, Prime Minister of Serbia)
"Those who destroy have never gotten monuments. Those who build, have. Serbia is like a phoenix which was destroyed a countless number of times, but was also, thank God, renewed". (Patriarch Irinej of the Serbian Orthodox Church)
"I am not going to say: 'The Avala Tower is now officially opened'. That's because, for us, it was never officially closed. We just didn't see it for a while, but it was always there with us. Of course, I am delighted to be opening this tower, but I wish that no other Mayor ever has to reopen it again. We have it, let's preserve it". (Dragan Djilas, Mayor of Belgrade)
"The Tower is proof of what we can do, of who we are and of how great we can be when we unite over a good idea and gather for the benefit of our Serbia. We've made it larger by a meter. May this meter be an eternal message to those who destroyed it. It's time for us to continue to complete other projects. That is the message of this tower to us, Serbs, and to the brothers with whom we are living in Serbia". (Aleksandar Tijanic, Director of RTS).
"When you climb up on the Tower and look around you, you can see almost all of our country. With a bit of imagination, you can see even further. This Tower is the viewpoint of the beauty of our country". (Oliver Dulic, Minister of the Environment and Spatial Planning).
*****
PING!
Great story and a credit to the spirit of the Serbian people. Too bad the US doesn’t have the same attitude to the rebuilding of the World Trade Center buildings.
Bratislava (Slovakia), where I lived 2005-2009, has a similar tower on a mountain by the city.
It has a nice restaurant, coffee shop near the top.
It is great for a Sunday afternoon hike.
http://en.structurae.de/photos/index.cfm?JS=127632
There was a Business Week article on it, too. http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9F7K6V80.htm
They should have shaped it into a middle finger.
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