Museums

Museums

THE NATIONAL MUSEUM, Trg Republike 1a, Phone 624 322
Open Tuesday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday from10 a.m. to 2 p.m.(Thursday till 10 p.m.).

The National Museum is situated in the very heart o the town on the Square of the Republic and it makes one get the absolutely complete idea of the archaeology and the Art of Serbia. The other major interest of this Museum is in a very rich collection of impressionist painters, especially French masters. This Museum has been founded in 1844 by Prince Milos Obrenovic and it occupied different locations, and was installed in the present palace constructed in 1903.
The greatest richness of the Museum has been formed by the prehistoric objects and of the Antics. You could admire the divinity trained by the canary from Dupljaja (1.500 B.C.), Apollo Hyperborean, but also a bust in bronze of the Emperor Constantine, a set of religious pictures from Middle Ages. Among the displayed works the frescos of Serbian medieval art coming from the monasteries Djurdjevi Stupovi, Gradac or Prizren, especially the magnificent “Sleeping Virgin”. Don’t miss the icon of “The Last Judgment” from the Moraca Monastery with the portraits of three canonized Serbs. On the same floor there are the Serbian pictures from the XVIII and XIX centuries, romanticist, realists or impressionist. But the main point of the spectacle there is on the second floor. Tintoreto avec “The Virgin with the child”. You will put into the mouth with “The Women at Bath” by Renoir, “The Tahitians” by Gauguin and “The Snow” by Vlaminck. Thus one could say that in Belgrade there is one of the richest collections of French impressionists in Europe.

The Shlomovich Collection

The caves of the National Museum of Belgrade have been hiding the undoubted treasure since 1945 as well as the Antics as the impressionist paintings. There are more than 1,100 impressionist masterpieces there signed by great painters. Van Gogh, Titian, Picasso, but also and especially Bonnard, Derain, Gauguin, Monet, Picasso, Renoir. In fact, the Museum counts two safes: about twenty inventories of Flemish masters and 350 pieces of Shlomovich Collection.
In Paris in 1936 it has been discovered where was lying the friendship with famous collectioner Ambroise Vollard the impressionists merchant, a friend of Matisse and Picasso. With the death of the collectioner in 1939, Shlomovich inherited French masters from his collection. Feeling the Nazi menace he locked 200 canvases in a strong trunk of Société générale in Paris and hided up the rest of 429 works in the double bottom on a farm in South Serbia. After the war, Roza, the mother of Erich take them out, but she has been killed in a railway accident at coming back to Belgrade. She has signed the ceding and the works are back in the Museum in 1951. Thereafter the Shlomovich collection was the victim of an important juridical battle between Vollard having right who won in Amiens 1996 being the main legator and the inheritors herzlers attached to the Shlomovich family, who in 1997 obtained in Belgrade a favourable judgment. Today this case is at rest and the Museum for fear to lose these masterpieces is hiding the best portion in the caves. If you know, you can require to visit the caves at the entrance.

THE MUSEUM OF MODERN ARTS Novi Beograd, Quay of Usce. Phone: 3115 713., Open every day except Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Situated on the bank of the river Sava after Brankov Most bridge coming from the town centre. This Museum is interesting as for its collection as for its architecture. Constructed in 1965, the Museum of Modern Arts bathed by the light by day, thanks the immense glassed windows and its ingenious conception, with communicating semi-stories gives interesting volumes. It is surrounded by an agreeable park with sculptures of Yugoslav artists. Its goal is to represent the whole arts of this country through a collection of 35,000 sculptures and pictures. One should notice that MMA of Belgrade is the only on the whole Yugoslav space which takes account of the arts of all former Yugoslav republics from the beginning of the century to our days: the Croats, Slovenes and Bosnians, besides Serbs and Montenegrins. From the impressionism to conceptualism across the colourism and surrealism, all tendencies of the modern Yugoslav arts are represented here.

THE ETHNOGRAPHIC MUSEUM, Studentski Trg13, Phone: 3281 888 Web: www.etnomuzej.co.yu , Open from Tuesday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to5 p.m., on Sundays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

If you want to know everything about the folklore and traditions of Serbia and Montenegro, this is the ideal place! The collection of traditional costumes will inform you about the extraordinary ethnic diversity of the country between Serbs and Montenegrins, Vlachs, Albanians, Hungarians, Tzintzars, Ruthenes and Gipsies. Also the utensils of the current life and the tapestry which could be found in peasant homes. The library and the bookshop of the museum are rich with numerous titles.

MUSEUM OF SERBIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH, Kralja Petra I 5, Phone: 3282 596, Open from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. on week days and from 7a.m. to 12 hours on Saturdays.

Icons, manuscripts and candelabras from XIV to XIX centuries. Some icons are very precious from the School of Raska, but also a beautiful collection of bishop or royal vestments embroidered with gold and sometimes decorated with precious stones (the vestment of Prince Lazar).

MUSEUM OF THE JEWISH HISTORY, Kralja Petra 71a, Phone: 622 634, Open from Tuesday to Saturday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m..

This Museum has been dedicated to the History o Jews of Serbia since their arrival to this territory, their social development in XIX century to their taking part in the defence in 1941. There are displayed the elements of the holocaust during the II World War, especially relating to the concentration camp of Jasenovac where 700,000 Serbs, Jews and Gipsies have been executed by the regime of ustasi.

MUSEUM OF THE CONCENTRATION CAMP OF BANJICA, Veljka Lukica Kurjaka 33, Phone: 669 690

This memorial is situated in the building where since July 9th 1941 many thousands Serbian patriots and the opponents to the Nazi regime have been tortured and killed. It remains an important memorial place for all individuals suffered from the war, as well as for the coming generations.

MILITARY MUSEUM Kalemegdan Fortress, Phone: 3343 441, Open every day except Monday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

In the upper part of the medieval fortress more than 40,000 pieces of the military history of former Yugoslavia have been displayed from the most ancient ages until today. Arms, uniforms and documents about the haiduk revolt against Turks, or Serbian and French uniforms from the famous French Oriental Army which liberated Serbia in 1918. In front of the Museum there are a true collection of Yugoslav, American and Soviet tanks from the II World War.

MUSEUM IVO ANDRIC, Andricev Venac 8, Phone:3238 397
Open Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 10 a.m. to5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

This museum is interesting for understanding the every day life and the literary work of this great Serbian writer (1892-1975) who obtained the Nobel prize in literature 1961 for his novel “A Bridge on the River Drina”. Ivo Andric has bought this apartment in 1930s an had lived there till his death.

MUSEUM NIKOLA TESLA, Krunska 51, Phone: 433 886, Web: www.ntmmuseum.co.yu , Open from Tuesday to Friday from 8 a.m. to10 a.m. and from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Nikola Tesla (1856-1943) is the most known Serbian scientist because his scientific works have given birth to electricity. The Museum conserves his personal heritage and the urn with his cinders. Two halls have been dedicated to his life while the rest of the museum has been dedicated to his inventions.

MUSEUM AND MAUSOLEUM OF TITO, Boticeva 6, Phone: 661 290, Open from Tuesday to Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

One of the most unusual places in the Serbian capital in the last 15 years. While the Tito’s regime considered in the origin of all bad luck attacking Serbia for the last 15 years, the mausoleum containing his tomb may still be visited. A lock had been designed, but the tomb situated on the hill of Dedinje may still be visited. In addition, there is a building from 1970 where the personal collection of Tito has been deposited. Hundreds of trophies, presents, weapons gathered together during his trips to the countries of the Third World in thirty years. But this collection cannot be seen because the Museum is under reparation.

MUSEUM OF THE RED STAR, Ljutice Bogdana 1a, Phone: 3224 412 Web : www.fc.redstar.net
Open from Tuesday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

For the affectionates of the club who, you remember, have in 1991 won the Champions League finals.

MUSEUM OF THE YUGOSLAV AVIATION, Airport Surcin, Phone: 670 992, Open from Tuesday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

From the experimental planes from 1920s to the last military aircrafts, more than 47 pieces displayed in this dome for the glory of Yugoslav aviation. It was not missed the ruin of the American F-117 shot down by the Yugoslav forces during the bombing of 1999.

Galleries of Arts

They are generally regrouped in a restrained perimeter about the Knez Mihailova. Thus it is easy to see many of them in a short time. The entrance is free of charge and the time particularities of Belgrade correspond those in the magazines. It is not infrequent visit one of these galleries at 9 o’ clock, just before having lunch in the town.

THE GALLERY OF SERBIAN ACADEMY (Academy of Sciences and Arts) Knez Mihailova 35, Phone:334 2400.
Open every day except Monday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

In the middle of the great walking street, the most important gallery of arts of the town. You will find here a large inventory of pictures of the modern art, a specialty where Serbs pass for masters of that subject (see the part Discovery). Many conferences in the art history and the happenings perhaps… in front of the Gallery!

THE GALLERY OF THE FACULTY OF THE FINE ARTS, Knez Mihailova 53, Phone: 635 952
Open from Monday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Permanent exhibition of the modern avant-garde pictures. Very interesting temporary exhibitions of promising young talents.

THE FRESCOS GALLERY, Cara Urosa 20, Phone: 2621 491
The open days may be fixed by phone.

A nice collection of Serbian and Montenegro and Macedonian frescoes in a little but very agreeable place. This gallery attached to the National Museum contains the copies of the frescoes from the Orthodox monasteries of Serbia, Montenegro and Macedonia. Ideal for a quick review with the purpose to organize a tour to the monasteries of Serbia, Montenegro. Legends to the works in French.

GALLERY LEGACY OF PETAR DOBROVIC, Kralja Petra I 36, Phone: 622 161
Open Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

24 pictures by Petar Dobrovic (1890-1942), one of the most important Serbian artists of the XX century and the founder of the “Modern Yugoslav School”.

THE GALLERY OF THE NAIVE ART DAVIDOVIC, Mihaila Pupina 161/1 Novi Beograd, Phone: 311 9453, Web: www.davidovic.co.yu

Near a Belgrade suburb. A gallery where have been exposed numerous pictures of the Serbian naïve school. Sale at interesting prices.