Lyrics Jovan Sundečić Adopted 1870 | Music Jovo Ivanišević Relinquished 1918/1922 | |
Ubavoj nam Crnoj Gori (Serbian: Убавој нам Црној Гори, English: To Our Beautiful Montenegro) was the national and state anthem of the Kingdom of Montenegro in the late 19th-early 20th century.[1] A popular song called Onamo, 'namo! (There, o'er There!) also existed. The educational system had an honorific song, the Hymn to Saint Sava, which was sung in the Saint's honour.
The lyrics were made in 1865[2] by the Serb poet and a priest named Jovan Sundečić, who was the secretary of Prince Nikola I of Montenegro.[3] The music was composed by Jovo Ivanišević, drawing from "Uskliknimo s ljubavlju", hymn to Saint Sava[4] and later adapted by Anton Schulz.[5] The anthem was first performed on October 17, 1870, after which Prince Nikola declared it as the state anthem.[6]
In 1993, the anthem was one of the proposals during the unsuccessful negotiations to adopt an Anthem of the Republic of Montenegro.[7] The main problem was its monarchist lyrics.