Gavro Vuković

Bust of Gavro Vuković at the Faculty of Political Sciences in Podgorica.

Gavro Vuković (Montenegrin and Serbian Cyrillic: Гавро Вуковић), also known as Vojvoda Gavro (Војвода Гавро; 1852–1928), was a senator of the Principality of Montenegro, a military commander, Yugoslav politician and writer. A graduate of the University of Belgrade, the first Montenegrin to reach that degree of education, he returned to Montenegro and took up office in the Montenegrin government. He was a Secretary of Senate in 1874, and then a member of the High Court. After participating in the Montenegrin-Ottoman War, he undertook high diplomatic missions concerning the aftermath of Berlin Congress and therefore was named Montenegrin ambassador in Istanbul. Gavro became the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Principality of Montenegro in October 1899 and held that position until December 1905. From 1906 to 1908, he was the President of the National Senate and was twice elected as deputy in Parliament, in 1906 and 1914. He was a member and one of the founders of People's Party. In the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes he was a member of the Montenegrin Federalist Party and again took the position of ambassador in Istanbul. He was buried next to Đurđevi Stupovi in Berane, where he had attended elementary school.

Biography

Gavro Vuković was the son of Montenegrin senator, hero, and chief Miljan Vukov of the Vasojević clan, a Serb tribe[1][2][3] in northeastern Montenegro (at the time known as "Montenegro and the Hills"[4]). His brother Todor (1853-1886) was a commander of the Upper Vasojevići-Lijeva Rijeka brigade.

He attended elementary school in the Serbian Orthodox monastery Đurđevi Stupovi (Berane), and in Cetinje. He attended high school in Nice and graduated in 1869 in Belgrade. He graduated from the University of Belgrade's Law School in 1873 and was the first Montenegrin to reach that degree of education. After returning to Montenegro, he took high positions in the government. He became the Secretary of Senate in 1874, and after that a member of the High Court. After participating in the Montenegrin-Ottoman War (1876-1878), he undertook high diplomatic missions concerning the aftermath of Berlin Congress and therefore was named Montenegrin ambassador in Istanbul, the capital of the Ottoman Empire (modern Turkey). Gavro became a minister of foreign affairs in the Principality of Montenegro on October, 1899 and held that position until December, 1905. From 1906 to 1908, he was the president of the National Senate and was twice elected as deputy in Parliament, in 1906 and 1914. In the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes he was a member of the Montenegrin Federalist Party and again took the position of ambassador in Istanbul. He was buried next to the monastery Djurdjevi Stupovi, in the vicinity of Berane.

House of Gavro Vuković in Berane, today houses Montenegrin diplomatic summer school

References

  1. ↑ Vasa Djeric, O srpskom imenu po zapadnijem krajevima nasega naroda /On the Serbian Name in the Western Lands of our People! (Biograd, 1900), pp.21-22.
  2. ↑ Dimitrije-Dimo Vujovic, Prilozi izucavanju crnogorskog nacionalnog pitanja /The Research of the Montenegrin Nationality/ (Niksic: Univerzitetska rijec, 1987), p.172.
  3. ↑ Srđa Pavlović (2008). Balkan Anschluss: The Annexation of Montenegro and the Creation of the Common South Slavic State. Purdue University Press. pp. 143–. ISBN 978-1-55753-465-1. Retrieved 28 February 2013. People from the regions of Moraca, Rovca, and Vasojevici consider themselves true Serbs...
  4. ↑ Etnografski institut (Srpska akademija nauka i umetnosti) (1952). Posebna izdanja, Volumes 4-8. Naučno delo. p. 101. Када, за владе Петра I, црногорсксу држави приступе Б^елопавлиЬи, па после и остала Брда, онда je, званично, „Црна Гора и Брда"

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