Who are Montenegrins?

"Montenegrins regard themselves as high-caste Serbs, the warrior Serbs."

Professor William N. Dunn, University of Pittsburgh's Graduate School of Public an International Affairs; CNN, Montenegro: Hotspot in the making?

How Montenegrins expressed their identity in independent Montenegrin state before unification with Serbia?

During the existence of theocratic Montenegro, Princedom of Montenegro and Kingdom of Montenegro, absolutely all Montenegrins considered themselves as Serbs nationally and Montenegrins regionally.

"Although there is no other nationality in this land except Serb nationality and no other religion except Eastern Orthodoxy, each foreigner and each person of different faith can live here and enjoy the same freedom and the same domestic right as Montenegrin or Highlander."

The Code of Montenegrin Prince Danilo, established in 1855, paragraph 92.

What was the guiding national idea in independent Montenegrin state?

"In Montenegro live only true and pure Serbs who speak Serbian language... Besides Montenegro there are more Serb lands in which our Serb brothers are living... Some of them are free as we are and some subjugated to foreigner... Each Serb in Montenegro is obligated to love his entire Fatherland, all Serb lands - in which our free and unfree Serb brothers are living. "

Geography textbook for 3rd grade of elementary school in the Kingdom of Montenegro, 1911

How Montenegrins expressed their identity after unification with Serbia and between two world wars?

"Serbs of Montenegro are same in blood, language and aspiration, faith and heritage as people from Serbia and other Serb lands; We have common past which fills us up with enthusiasm, common ideals, heroes, sorrow and everything else that makes one nation really meaningful."

Act of Union of the Great People's Parliament of Serb Nation in Montenegro, 1918

Why than we hear about separate "Montenegrin" and "Serb" identities in Montenegro?

After WWII "Montenegrin nation is imposed violently, by the Yugoslav Communist Party leadership... It is unique example in Europe that inhabitants of one province, or republic, practically overnight become members of another, new nation (similar example does not exist). Free manifestation of peoples will was halted by oppressive measures of communist reign."

Dr Slavenko Terzic, Director of Historical Institute of Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts; Word about Montenegro - Hope of southern Serbdom or "ISM", Ideological roots of Montenegrin nation and Montenegrin separatism, Podgorica 2001.

Where is the difference between "Montenegrin" and "Serb" identities in Montenegro today?

There are Serbs who are not Montenegrins... but there are no Montenegrins who are not in some sense Serbs.

International Crisis Group; Montenegro's Socialist People's Party: A Loyal Opposition, 28 April 2000

Can Montenegrins still be considered as the Serbs?

"... majority of Montenegrins regard themselves as Serbs. They share with the Serbs from Serbia the same culture, the same religion,... they are ethnically the same people."