Podgorica’s Public Funeral Services is building Montenegro’s first columbarium at the New Cemetery, with 245 urn niches. The investment is worth about 360,000 euros, and completion is planned by the end of November this year. The municipal company is financing the work from its own funds, it said.
The project also includes landscaping the surrounding area and creating a park space, where greening work has already begun. Families in Podgorica previously had no suitable place to deposit urns at the city cemetery, a gap the company cited in explaining its decision to build the facility. After cremation, residents are to have an arranged place for a final farewell in Podgorica.
Public Funeral Services established cooperation last year with City Cemetery Lisje in Novi Sad, where cremations are carried out. The new facility is intended to link cremation in Novi Sad with urn placement in Podgorica, completing the process across the two cities.
Director Radonja Vulikić described the columbarium as “a complete novelty for Montenegro.” He said Public Funeral Services recognised residents’ needs for cremation and places to deposit urns. The company received only a few requests for cremation during this year.
Requests are also made to private companies, rather than solely to Public Funeral Services. An application for cremation must be submitted to the municipal company in writing. The arrangement with City Cemetery Lisje provides for cremation in Novi Sad, while the columbarium will provide the corresponding urn space in Podgorica.
