Žitište is a small village in northeastern Serbia that became famous even outside of Serbia’s borders thanks to a unique statue you can see there.
Žitište’s Rocky Balboa statue is the third one in the world apart from the more famous ones in Philadelphia and San Diego. It’s not a copy of either of these two. The sculpture was made by Croatian sculptor Boris Staparac in 2007. Since the budget was limited, the sculptor didn’t want to charge the fee for building the statue, lowering the total cost to around $6,000.
It’s been called one of the most bizarre monuments in the world by the press, but when you consider that Rocky is an idol for so many people around the world, it’s not a huge surprise that it was chosen for the village’s hero. The statue symbolizes hope, perseverance, and hard work. There’s nothing bizarre about that if you ask us.
If you happen to be in Eastern Europe and want to visit this quirky Serbia’s village, you can get there fairly easily from Belgrade or Novi Sad with a bus or a car. Žitište dates back to the 14th century, but there’s really not much to see after you check out the Rocky statue.