Kosovo's 'Brotherhood and Unity' Statues Replaced by Car Park

The most obvious monument to Yugoslavia in Kosovo’s capital, the Brotherhood and Unity statue, will cease to stand between the national and municipal assemblies in a few weeks.

An advisor to the Mayor of Pristina, Asdren Osaj, told Balkan Insight that the monument will be moved to make space for work on an underground car park.

“I cannot say at the moment whether it[the statue] will be returned or not. That is something which is being discussed in the municipality and a decision will be taken in due course,” he said.

Brotherhood and Unity Monument in Pristina

The area where the monument is placed was named Adem Jashari Square in the years after the war. And, it had been rumoured that another monument honouring the ex-KLA leader will be placed instead of the Brotherhood and Unity monument, which was built in 1957.     

The municipality is planning three underground garages across the city in a bid to ease the the chronic lack of parking, according to documents released by the town hall this week.

“In addition to parking places there will be new buildings for commercial use,” Osaj said. “Taking into account the size of this city, these parking spaces will be quite a relief for Pristina and will look good as well.”

After a feasibility study and related legal procedures, Pristina municipality opened a competition earlier in July.

The offers will be opened on July 20. “The building will start this year, probably September or October, when all the procedures have been closed and offers chosen in accordance with the laws of the Republic of Kosovo,” Osaj said.