Podgorica Library Faces Controversial Renaming Proposal

The City Assembly of Podgorica, together with the Ministry of Culture and the Government, holds the exclusive authority to change the name of the Narodna biblioteka "Radosav Ljumović", a public cultural institution designated as a monument. A proposal by the library’s council seeks to rename the library after Vojvoda Marko Miljanov Popović, replacing the name of the anti‑fascist poet and revolutionary Radosav Ljumović, who has been attached to the institution since 1959.

The suggestion has triggered strong opposition from political figures, cultural groups and the local URA. Critics describe the move as an attempt to erase Ljumović’s legacy and label it an act of historical revisionism. The URA condemned the initiative as unjustified, emphasizing that cultural institutions should not become arenas for ideological battles and urging officials to focus on improving library services, digitisation and reading promotion instead of changing its name.

Legal experts note that any renaming would require a comprehensive procedure, including a heritage development programme and consent from the Ministry of Culture and the national government, underscoring the procedural complexity of altering a monument‑status name.