On The Occasion Of The 73th Anniversary Of The Historical Institute
This year, the Historical Institute of the University of Montenegro celebrates 73 years of existence. During the previous reminders of that date, attention has been paid to the fact that its establishment laid the institutional foundations for the scientific study of Montenegrin history. It was added that on July 3rd, 1948, an important chapter in the development of scientific thought in Montenegro was opened, especially in the field of social sciences. Based on that, a further conclusion was drawn that the date of the founding of the Historical Institute was important for the later constitution of the University of Montenegro and the Montenegrin Academy of Sciences. Therefore, it is self-evident why, for the representatives of our profession, but also for all those who deal with the chronology of important events in the history of Montenegro, its inclusion in the calendar of important dates in the field of humanities in Montenegro is considered important.
On the occasion of this anniversary, we want to pay attention, not to a large number of realized scientific projects, published numerous books and collections of papers, held scientific gatherings, but to a short period of its history in which the Historical Institute was engaged not only in scientific research but also in higher education.
The scientific potentials available to the Institute of History enabled the successful implementation of a master's program in the field of history / history of culture and historical anthropology in the period from 2012 to 2016 in cooperation with a partner institution from Slovenia, the Institutum Studiorum Humanitatis. 28 students went through the postgraduate study program, and 20 of them successfully completed it.
What we wanted to draw attention to on this occasion is the fact that some of the former students of the Historical Institute published monographs based on the results of their research master's theses. The practice of publishing extended or supplemented master's theses is not common and happens only when they deserve the publisher's attention with their quality.
And that happened in the case of several students of the Historical Institute of UoM. Thus, in 2018, Aleksandar Čogurić published the book Avdo Medjedović Zenidba Smailagić Meha - a reflection of the oriental-Islamic cultural pattern in Montenegro based on a master's thesis under the mentorship of Dr. Dragana Kujović. The book analyzes intangible and material elements of Oriental-Islamic culture in Montenegro: language, its ethical categories, aesthetic values, attitude towards women, from the perspective of the individual and the collective, power, war, sacrifice, betrayal, then welcoming the guest as a cultural model. congratulations and weddings, schooling, housing culture, dressing, decorating, as well as giving. In the same year, my colleague Ljiljana Bajčetić published the publication The Culture of Everyday Life in Pljevlja in the 1930s, based on a master's thesis under the mentorship of Dr. Senka Babović-Raspopović. In the research of everyday life, the focus is on the way and style of life of the so-called "small", "ordinary" man. In the thirties of the 20th century, significant changes took place in the previous state structure and overall social life. Most recently, in 2021, my colleague Masha Jovović published the book Petar Lubarda in Montenegro: 1946-1951, which deals with the first post-war years of Lubarda's work, which culminated in works for the first time exhibited at the cult, so-called exhibition of fractures, turns in 1951. The book was created on the basis of a master's thesis defended at the Historical Institute under the mentorship of Dr. Senka Babović-Raspopović.
In addition to these exceptional successes of our former students, three of them will participate in the international conference organized next week by the Historical Institute on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the Thirteenth of July Uprising: Milica Nikolic, MA on the Women's Side of the People's Liberation Struggle in Montenegro, Petar Lekić MA about Museum of NOB in Cetinje and Masha Jovović, MA, on the topic The Idea of Artistic Freedom by Petar Lubarda.
The previous short reminder, on the occasion of the 73rd anniversary of its existence, speaks not only about the great scientific significance of this institution, but also reminds of its multiple social mission, which the Historical Institute of UCG has successfully performed since its founding until today.