New Martyrs of Piva

The New Martyrs of Piva are the inhabitants of the Piva region of Montenegro, killed in June 1943. The Holy Assembly of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church numbered them among the saints on 24 May 2017.

Between 6 and 12 June 1943 the SS division "Prinz Eugen", together with Muslims of the SS division "Handschar", killed in the villages of Piva 1,290 people, of whom 549 were children and young people under twenty. The largest place of execution was Dola, where on 7 June 522 defenceless people were killed, among them 109 children under fifteen; the Blagojević brotherhood alone lost 220 members that day. At Gojkovića Dol, above Plužine, 46 villagers were shut in a hut and burned alive. Hegumen Ilarion Mijatović of the Piva Monastery was also killed, and the archpriest of Piva, Jovan (Joko) Sočica, was burned alive together with his wife, his daughter-⁠in-⁠law and four small grandchildren.

Dola has remained the place of common remembrance of all the new martyrs of Piva; a church dedicated to the Third Finding of the Head of Saint John the Baptist, feasted likewise on 7 June, was built there in 2004. Their commemoration is on 25 May, old style (7 June, new style).