Holidays of Montenegro - Statehood Day

Every year on July 13, Montenegro solemnly celebrates the Statehood Day of its country, remembering the day when in 1878, by the Berlin Treaty, by decision of most European countries, it was separated from the Ottoman Empire and became the 27th independent sovereign state in the world. By the decision of the same Berlin Congress, new borders of Montenegro were approved and the newly formed state not only increased its area at the expense of former Turkish possessions, but also gained access to the Adriatic Sea without the right to maintain a navy. During the First World War, Montenegro was occupied by Austro-Hungarian troops, and by decision of the 1918 Assembly, having lost its sovereignty, it became part of the kingdom of the South Slavs - Yugoslavia. It is worth noting that the referendum on the independence of Montenegro and its secession from the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro took place only on May 21, 2006, and Montenegro received the status of a sovereign state on June 3 of the same year, when the country’s parliament officially published the declaration of independence of the republic. But at the same time, Montenegro gained its first public holiday, Statehood Day, in July 2004 and celebrated it solemnly for the first time. It is curious that until 2003, while Montenegro was part of Yugoslavia, July 13 was celebrated as the “Day of the Uprising of the People of Montenegro.” The fact is that in 1941, an uprising began in Montenegro against the occupying fascist troops, who, having occupied its territory, tore the country away from Yugoslavia and declared it an independent state under the auspices of Italy. The partisan uprising was intended to coincide with the date of the declaration of independence of the country, and although the Italians soon managed to suppress the resistance, the events that took place became a symbol of the people’s struggle for the freedom and independence of Montenegro. Today, the main big public holiday has been declared a day off and in its honor ceremonial receptions are held at the state level, and festive events are held throughout the country: concerts, festivals, fairs and folk festivals. On this day, the ceremony of presenting the highest national award is also held - recognition of the name July 13 - “Trinaestojulska nagrada”, which is awarded for special services to the country.