Atomic war command, also known as the Ark and nicknamed Tito's bunker, is a former nuclear bunker and military command center located near the town of Konjic in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Built to protect Yugoslav President Josip Broz Tito and up to 350 members of his inner circle in the event of an atomic conflict, the structure is made up of residential areas, conference rooms, offices, strategic planning rooms, and other areas. The bunker remained a state secret until after the breakup of Yugoslavia in the 1990s.
Built between 1953 and 1979 inside a hill at the foot of the Zlatar Mountain, the ARK is the largest nuclear shelter, and one of the largest underground facilities, ever built in the former Yugoslavia. For over a decade after its completion, it was the most secret military installation in the country. All construction workers were carefully selected and vetted, signing a contract of silence, and all staff members held the highest security clearance. In 1979, when work was completed after 26 years and $4.6 billion in construction costs.
After Tito's death in 1980, the complex was mothballed but kept ready in case of war. In March 1992, during the breakup of Yugoslavia, the JNA ordered its demolition to deny it to the government of Bosnia and Herzegovina, but the military detachment refused to carry out the order and instead surrendered the structure to the Bosnian government. The facility was under the authority of the Bosnian Ministry of Defense and was managed by the country's military, guarded by a five-soldier detachment.
Tito's bunker now serves as a meeting point for artists from across the region, Europe, and the world. The goal of the Project Biennial of Contemporary Art is to transform a site still officially under military control into a prestigious regional cultural institution at the forefront of emerging artistic trends. The project seeks to preserve cultural heritage and a historic structure as well as to create artistic value and reestablish broken connections between artists and creative people in the region. The Council of Europe in 2011 named the project a Cultural Event of Europe, and it also enjoys strong UNESCO support.
25 сен 2023
