The sculpture Victory (Pobeda), created by the Zagreb-based sculptor Jovan Nježić, is a stylized representation of a female figure rising from a stone pedestal with a series of water basins arranged on several levels. These basins were not conceived as merely decorative elements but as birdbaths, allowing Victory to function simultaneously as a fountain, a sculpture, and a point of encounter between urban life and nature.
The sculpture was installed in Tašmajdan Park in 1989 as a gift from the Dalmatian municipalities and the City of Osijek, (Croatia). It formed part of a large-scale initiative to beautify Belgrade ahead of the 9th Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement, held from 4 to 7 September that year. As part of this initiative, the city was adorned with sculptures arriving from different parts of Yugoslavia, creating a unique open-air gallery intended to symbolize the interconnectedness, solidarity, and unity of Yugoslav municipalities and regions.
In this context, Victory stands as a material trace of a particular political and social moment, when Yugoslavia was already facing profound crises and growing tensions, yet the ideals of cooperation, solidarity, and shared purpose continued to be publicly promoted.
Each sculpture within this “Yugoslav gift gallery” was originally accompanied by a bronze plaque designed by the sculptor Kolja Milunović, providing information about the artwork, its author, the donor, and the Non-Aligned summit. Today, these plaques are largely missing, and Victory has consequently lost part of its original context. Most visitors passing through Tašmajdan Park today see an unusual abstract fountain, unaware that it also serves as a reminder of the friendships fostered among Yugoslav communities and of one of the last major international gatherings hosted by Belgrade during the existence of the common state.
The sculpture Victory demonstrates that a public park need not serve exclusively as a place of remembrance for historical events and prominent individuals. As a combination of artwork, fountain, and birdbath, it reflects the idea that cities and art are not separate from everyday life, but rather form part of the relationship between people, nature, and the spaces they share.
