Royal Palace (Belgrade). Witnesses of historical events - palaces of Belgrade (Tito Memorial, royal palaces, assembly) - the main attractions of Serbia
We bring to your attention a material composed of several broadcasts of Radio International Serbia, Russian broadcasting, about the most interesting buildings in Belgrade associated with important historical events.
Royal family of Serbia: From left to right - Prince Philip; pretender to the royal throne of Serbia, Crown Prince Alexander II (head of the royal house); Crown Princess Catherine; Princes Alexander and Peter.
And this is the summer palace complex in Dedin near Belgrade returned to the ex-royal family a few years ago.
Palaces in Dedin were built in the 20-30s of the XX century. From the outside, they looked quite like the palaces of other enlightened monarchs of the then Europe.
But from the style of some chambers, designed then and survived to this day, it wafted with the Middle Ages long gone.
The Russian emigre architect Nikolai Krasnov, who worked for the Russian royal family before the revolution, at the request of the Yugoslav royal house, created some interiors in Dedin, reminiscent of the old chambers of the Moscow Kremlin.
But the royal family of Yugoslavia did not want to completely live in the past in the new palace complex, the interiors of many rooms during construction were designed in a completely modern spirit. (Photos from the site of the Serbian royal house www.royalfamily.org).
royal palaces …
So, first, about the royal palaces in the Dedin region, especially since for several years now the royal dynasty has returned to Belgrade, the capital of the republican state.
“In early April (2007) ... the general public has access to two royal residences located in the elite district of Belgrade, which is called Dedine. These palaces belonged and now, after almost 60 years of nationalization, they again belong to one of the royal dynasties - the Karageorgievich dynasty.
After the power in Serbia passed into the hands of the Democrats in 2000, the keys to the royal residences on Dedin were returned to the heirs of the royal dynasty Karageorgievich. A descendant of King Alexander the First Alexander Karageorgievich and his wife, the Greek princess Ekaterina, settled in the family estate. Thus, Belgrade has joined the cities with a monarchical history and has become more interesting for those tourists who are interested in it.
...Palaces in Dedin
- "Kraljevski dvor" and "Beli dvor"
The palace complex is located on the highest hill on Dedin, overlooking the city, the forests of Koshutnyak and Topchidera, Mount Avala, on a plot of 135 hectares. An older building, the Royal Palace, was built at the expense of King Alexander I, who lived here with Queen Mary and his son Peter, the father of the heir to the throne Alexander Karageorgievich, who now owns this house.
The palace complex occupies almost 130 hectares and consists of a forest - 90 hectares, the rest is a park area around the residences. Once this land belonged to the Patriarchy, but the Karageorgievichs bought it, and after marrying the Romanian princess Maria, King Alexander in 1922 ... decided to build his summer residence there.
So appeared "Old Palace"(called in Serbian "Kraljevski dvor" part of the royal complex in Dedin, along with the "White Palace" "Beli dvor" - Prim site) It was built by architect Zhivoin Nikolic, and the interior was designed and supervised by Russian architect Nikolai Krasnov ... The interiors of the palace are decorated Krasnov on the model of the royal chambers of the Moscow Kremlin.
The construction of this two-storey house in the Serbian-Byzantine style was completed in 1929. The facade cladding is made of the well-known white marble brought from the Adriatic island of Brac. The White House in Washington is lined with the same marble. The old palace has several living rooms in the Renaissance and Baroque style. The furniture has been preserved since that time and belongs to different eras. The walls are decorated with tapestries by French masters of the 17th century and earlier. Chinese porcelain is displayed in the showcases. Both in the Old and in the White Palaces there are many paintings by Serbian artists, Venetian, Dutch and French masters. Some of them have long been considered paintings by Rembrandt, but later it was established that they were painted by his students. Before World War II, the library of the Old Palace contained almost 50,000 valuable books. After the war, almost 35,000 books were distributed to various libraries in Serbia. Now only seven thousand books remain in the palace. In the library, fortunately, an old globe, made by the famous 16th century cartographer Coroneli, has been preserved.
Under the first floor there are smoking parlors, a billiard room and one of the first cinema halls in Serbia. (As already mentioned), the Russian architect Nikolai Krasnov used in the planning of these premises the old Russian style in which the Kremlin chambers were built. Here you can see the only surviving sculpture of Queen Mary, who was not only a favorite of the Serbs, but also a talented artist.
The Royal Palace is connected by a colonnade with the palace chapel dedicated to the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called, the protector of this house, and it was built in the style of the church in Studenica, a monastery that was built three centuries before the discovery of America.
Another palace that received the name "White", was built in the period 1934-37. King Alexander I Karageorgievich ordered to build it in 1934 on the five-year anniversary of his settlement in the nearby Royal Palace, which was described above, for his sons - Peter, Tomislav and Andrey. Unfortunately, the king did not manage to live up to the end of construction. He was killed in Marseille in 1934. (During his visit to France, this king was killed by a representative of the “Macedonian-Odrinsky revolutionary organization that fought for the independence of Macedonia and Croatia. The French Minister of Foreign Affairs who accompanied the king also died - Note site) The first resident of Bely The palace was Prince Pavle, appointed regent, who ruled the country until the tragic events of 1941 (Occupation of Yugoslavia by the German Reich in retaliation for the refusal of the Yugoslav royal government, made under pressure from the people, to adhere to the alliance agreements concluded with Nazi Germany - Note .. Born in London in 1945 Alexander II, the heir to the throne, and at that time Comrade Tito, who ruled the country until his death in 1980, entered the White Palace. returned to their homeland, a cross was put on that period and the palaces opened their doors to visitors.
"White Palace"- This is a two-story villa of white marble in the Serbian-Byzantine style, designed by architects Zivoin Nikolic and Nikolai Krasnov. The white marble for the façade was brought from the island of Brac in the Adriatic Sea. The White House in Washington is lined with the same marble. The salons of the palace are made in the Renaissance and Baroque styles, the surviving furniture belongs to the styles of several eras, the walls are decorated with tapiseries by French masters of the 17th and 18th centuries, and the vaults in several rooms are painted with frescoes based on Serbian folk songs and copies of frescoes from the Sopocani and Decani monasteries, which included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
The central hall of the White Palace is decorated with a large portrait of King Alexander by the great Serbian artist Paja Jovanovic, as well as paintings by French painters of the first half of the 17th century. The dining room is furnished in Chippendale style. (The style named after the English master Thomas Chippendale, who developed the style of carved furniture in the 18th century. Note site). There is also a wonderful porcelain from Sèvres. In the large and small ceremonial salons there are original furniture in the style of Louis XV, and Venetian chandeliers hang.
Visitors can take a tour of the palaces of Karageogievich during the weekend (Visiting only from April to November Note..
(Author Jelena Gligorić. Serbian International Radio, Russian Broadcasting - Merged two versions of this material broadcast twice from Belgrade: the original and updated version from 26/04/2007 and 28/04/2008 respectively).
Another attraction of Belgrade now bears the rather boring name "Museum of the History of Yugoslavia." But not everything is so simple. It is both a museum and a tomb. Radio International Serbia reported a few weeks ago:
Tito memorial
In the illustration from the archive: "House of Flowers" in Belgrade - Tito's memorial. Now the "House of Flowers" is part of the "Museum of the History of Yugoslavia". Here is a guard in the "House of Flowers" at the grave of Tito.
“From the beginning of the year to mid-June, the Museum of the History of Yugoslavia was visited by 34.5 thousand people, which puts it in first place among all other museums in our country in terms of attendance.
The Museum of the History of Yugoslavia was created in 1996, when the Josip Broz Tito Memorial Center and the Museum of the Revolution were merged.
Currently, the museum's fund contains over 200 thousand exhibits that tell about the history of Yugoslavia during the 20th century with a special emphasis on the life and work of the lifelong president of the SFRY, Josip Broz Tito, who died in 1980. The Museum of the History of Yugoslavia also includes the 25 May Museum, the Old Museum and the House of Flowers.
The May 25 Museum was a gift from Belgrade for the seventieth birthday of President Tito and was opened on May 25, 1961. Until 1982, this museum exhibited, stored and studied gifts that President Tito received from citizens of his country and leaders of foreign countries during his many trips around the world. But the basis of the exposition of this museum is the "baton", which the Yugoslav youth handed over to President Tito on his birthday, which was celebrated by the whole country on May 25th. The relay race was traditional and the best, by the standards of that time, representatives of the youth carried it throughout the country and at the final rally in Belgrade they handed it to the one to whom it was intended. In other words, this museum, like no other in our country, testifies to the respect with which, turning even into admiration, the citizens of post-war Yugoslavia treated their president. Now the Museum of May 25 hosts exhibitions, demonstrations of documentaries about the life and work of Tito.
The "House of Flowers" with an area of 902 m2 was built in 1975 by the architect Stepan Kralj as a winter garden in which President Tito could work and relax. It is located very close to the residence where the president lived with his wife. In the central part of the House of Flowers, the president was buried of his own free will in 1980.
As we have already said, the Museum of the History of Yugoslavia also includes the Old Museum, built according to the project of the architect Branko Bon in 1964-65. Initially, it contained gifts received by Tito during his many trips around the country and abroad. There were so many that additional space was needed. In 1987, a part of the ethnographic collection of the Museum of the History of Yugoslavia was placed in the halls of the Old Museum. One of the most valuable exhibits of this collection is the "tanto" sword of the 14th century, stone harp, costumes of the inhabitants of Prizren in the second half of the 19th century. This is the oldest textile exhibit in the ethnographic collection of the Museum of the History of Yugoslavia. Around the museum there is a park with dozens of different plant species. It is decorated with sculptures by famous Yugoslav sculptors Antun Augustincic, Frano Krsinic, Stevan Bodnarov, Mira Jurisic, Vlad Petrich, Savva Sandic, Sreten Stojanovic.
Today, the Museum of the History of Yugoslavia is a modern cultural and tourist center, information about which can be found on the Internet. Exhibitions and permanent exhibitions organized in the museum are of interest to a wide range of visitors. The phenomenon of the museum is the collection of "relay baton", which we have told you about. All other museum exhibits are also interesting - archival documents, photos and film material, sound recordings, books and everything else. (Author Slavka Sunaiko. "International Radio of Serbia", Russian broadcast from 23.07.2009).
Now back to kings. As you know, after the beginning of the process of liberation from the Ottomans and until the German occupation, and then the subsequent proclamation of the communist republic in 1945, two ruling dynasties ruled in Belgrade in a row - Obrenovici and Karageorgievichi. In Belgrade, the Obrenović Palace has also been preserved. It has an unoriginal name
"Old Palace". It houses the Belgrade City Hall. Some Russian sources confuse this palace with the royal complex in Dedin, which also has the "Old Palace" mentioned above. So the “Old Palace” of the Obrenovićs is “Stari Dvor”.
Castle
"Stari Yard"
“The old palace in Belgrade belonged to the Obrenović royal dynasty. It was built in two years (1882-84) according to the design of the architect Alexander Bugarsky, who was educated in Budapest. In Belgrade, according to the designs of this architect, several important buildings were built, for example, the National Drama Opera and Ballet Theatre. The old palace was built in the academic style that was prevalent in 19th century Europe. And the second half of that century was for Serbia a time of liberation from the centuries-old Turkish domination, and all hopes for the further development of the country were associated with the latest European trends.
The first records about the Old Palace date back to the end of the 19th century and belong to the pen of the English traveler Herbert Vivien. The building fascinated him. Here is what he wrote. To the left of the front entrance is a superb ballroom, with lemon-colored walls and huge white Venetian glass chandeliers that sparkle pompously during festive occasions. Having passed the assembly hall, you find yourself in a banquet hall, in which everything shines, starting with the parquet. In the center is a large table made of carved mahogany, which can seat sixty people. The chairs are upholstered in leather, the color of autumn leaves. It is impossible not to note the refined taste of the designers of this room, which is confirmed by every thing in it, whether it be functional furniture or decorative decorations.
Important political events during the reign of the Obrenović dynasty are connected with the Old Palace. By the time the building of the palace was built, Serbia was proclaimed a kingdom. In 1889, King Milan abdicated in favor of his son Alexander, who was killed in the same Old Palace in 1903 during the May coup. The Karageorgievich dynasty came to power, which ruled until 1914 (Then they became the kings of Yugoslavia - site) The palace hosted meetings of the people's parliament, and until the start of the Second World War - palace receptions of distinguished foreign guests, balls and other entertainment for high society. During the war, the palace was badly damaged, and in 1947 its restoration began. After the war, the building of the Old Palace housed the government, and since 1961 it has become the seat of the Belgrade City Hall.
At the base of the Old Palace is a square with an area of 1600 m2. The facade looks impressive, but also very attractive, especially from the front entrance. The characteristic detail of the façade is the caryatids, smoothly turning into the palace colonnade. Like all palaces in the world, the Old Obrenović Palace in Belgrade was filled with expensive household items and art…” (“International Radio Serbia”, Russian broadcast of 07/23/2009).
Building
parliament, which took a long time to build
On the illustration from the archive: The building of the Parliament of Serbia, which used to house the Parliament of Yugoslavia.
Another palace used to house the authorities of modern Serbia is the parliament building or, as they say in Serbia, "the house of the national assembly." In 2007, this building marked a hundred years… from the day construction began. Mirjana Otashevich, an employee of International Radio Serbia, then spoke about the history of this Serbian long-term construction, which in the 2000s witnessed the revolutionary events that overthrew Milosevic. These events unfolded in the square in front of the parliament. Then still Yugoslav.
“(August 27, 2007)… in the House of the National Assembly… the centenary of the laying of the foundation of the parliament building was celebrated…
The building of the House of the National Assembly in the center of Belgrade is one of the most beautiful and important architectural buildings in Serbia, a recognizable symbol of Belgrade. The cornerstone of the building on Nikola Pasic Square was laid in the presence of King Peter the Great Karageorgievich. The House of the National Assembly was built near the then Tashmaydan Park, the place where on November 30, 1830, the hatisherif (order - Approx. Site) of the (Turkish) Sultan was read, by which the Serbian people received the right to freedom, and Milos Obrenovic became the crown prince of the Serbian state.
The first law on the National Assembly of Serbia was adopted as early as 1858, and on its basis the constituent assembly of St. Andrew was convened. Prior to the completion of the construction of the House, meetings were held in the People's Theater, the building of Captain Misha (now the University Note - Note site), and some in the buildings of the National Assembly in (cities) Kragujevac and Nis.
The construction of the building lasted almost three decades, and it was accompanied by turbulent events on the historical and political scene of Serbia at the beginning of the 20th century. The first project was made by the architect Jovan Ilkic, but after the unification of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes in 1918 into a joint state, the structure of the representative body changed, which required a different building design. After the death of Jovan Ilkic, his son Pavel was entrusted with making adjustments to the project, so that work continued from 1920 to 1926.
Nikolai Krasnov was the main designer for the next phase of construction, which began in 1934, and he made a great contribution to the representativeness of the parliament building, especially to the interior design. The sculpture "Prancing Black Horses" by Toma Rosandich was installed at the entrance to the building in 1939, and gave a special imprint to this monumental object.
The construction of the House of the National Assembly of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia was completed in 1936, and on October 20 the first meeting was held there. During the Second World War, the German Command was located in the building on Nikola Pasic Square, so it was spared from destruction.
After 1945, Serbia becomes one of the six republics of the new socialist, federal Yugoslav state. Meetings of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, and then the state community of Serbia and Montenegro, were held in the parliament building. After the Montenegrin independence referendum in 2006, the building became the House of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia...
The deputies will introduce innovations in the work, so that they will return the seats in the center of the hall, where the ministers, the prime minister and the president of Serbia will sit when they are present at the meetings, and the front rows will be occupied by representatives of all parties in proportion to the number of seats received in parliament” (“International Radio of Serbia” , Russian broadcasting. 26.08.2007).
That's all the main palaces of modern Belgrade. We did not tell in detail about only one more thing - the so-called. "New Palace" - "Novi dvor", in which the royal family also lived in the winter, later the Yugoslav authorities were located, and now the President of Serbia is located.
Information
on the topic of sights of Belgrade:
The symbol of Belgrade is the tower on Mount Avale
In an illustration from the website of the Russian broadcasting "International Radio Serbia": Reconstruction of the TV tower on Mount Avala is nearing completion.
“The Eiffel Tower is a symbol of Paris, the Statue of Liberty is a symbol of New York, the Kremlin is Moscow, and the TV tower on Mount Avala has been a symbol of Belgrade for several decades. The TV tower was destroyed by several aerial bombs hit on April 29, 1999 during the NATO bombing of the FRY. Today, ten years later, the Serbian capital is once again adorned with a tower that will soon be inaugurated. Note by Elena Gligorich.
The TV tower on Mount Avala, whose height is 511 meters above sea level, has been a landmark for travelers for many years, indicating that they are at the entrance to the capital. The tower was built in 1965 by architects Uglesha Bogdanovich and Slobodan Janich. It was an architectural masterpiece, awarded in Paris as the most beautiful TV tower in Europe. The height of the TV tower was 203 meters, making it the tallest building in the Balkans. It was also a unique object in the construction sense, since its cross section was an equilateral triangle.
Tower on Mount Avala in the light of day and night lights. Since 2009, the tower is again the main transmitter of the Serbian domestic radio and television RTS for Belurban region. You can learn more about Serbcom radio and tv yesterday and today from other publications of our site. For more information about modern satellite broadcasts from the countries of the former Yugoslavia, see our website . And about the fascinating history of Yugoslav broadcasting for foreign countries with archival audio recordings of the call signs "Radio Belgrade" in 1975 (English program) and "Radio Yugoslavia" in 1982 (Russian program) can be found in our publication .
The destruction of the TV tower in the NATO bombings of 1999 was extremely emotional for the people of Belgrade, because for them it was more than just a tower. It was a sign that we were at home, it was visible in all parts of Belgrade, and from the observation deck located on the TV tower, a view of the hilly and fertile Šumadija opens (a historical region in central Serbia - Approx.site). That is why one could expect that someday a tower would be built in Belgrade again.
(It should be noted that during the bombing of Belgrade, NATO took all possible measures to avoid human casualties - up to the warning of upcoming bombing targets. As for the Serbian Radio and Television - RTS, it served as the mouthpiece of his policy until the very end of the Milosevic regime RTS later issued its official apology to citizens for its activities under the Milosevic regime and now pursues a balanced editorial policy.
The initiator of the action to recreate the tower was RTS editor Milos Bata Milatovic and the Union of Journalists of Serbia, and citizens, the city (mayor's office), the republic (represented by the Serbian government) collected about 8 million euros for the construction of the tower. Work began in 2007. The new tower, which was built on the old site, is slightly higher than the previous one, and again the highest in the Balkans. Its height is 204.68 m, the design is the same, but technically more modern. In the center of the structure are two elevators that take visitors to the very top of the tower in less than a minute. At 122 meters there is an observation deck, and under it is a restaurant. This is one of the levels of the dome of the tower, under which there is a broadcasting hall.
The structure will be unique in its seismic resistance - it will be able to withstand tremors with a force of 9.2 points on the 12-point Mercalli scale. About 4 thousand tons of reinforced concrete went into it, and the materials used in the construction are resistant to high temperatures. The designers calculated that the top of the tower under the blows of the Belgrade koshava (wind) would deviate as much as 60 cm, while the amplitude of the antenna oscillation would reach up to 1 meter. As for the stability of the tower, it should be said that three legs-supports are immersed in the ground by 9 meters.
Above Belgrade, the Avala Tower, a landmark and a symbol of the city, shone again. Mount Avala, on which it rises, is located 15 km from the center of Belgrade. It is the watershed of two rivers flowing through Belgrade, the Danube and the Sava. It is rich in minerals that were mined here by the ancient Romans. About 600 species of plants grow on Aval. Belgrade people love to relax here, having picnics, and lovers of hiking. Avala tells about the history of Serbia, about the turbulent military events, which are reminded, in particular, by the monument to the Unknown Hero and the monument to Soviet military leaders.”
The review was prepared on the basis of the programs of the "International Radio Serbia", Russian broadcasting, transmitted in 2007-2009).
Compilation and notes site
GIOLnew palace(Serbian Novi dvor / Novi dvor) is the royal residence of the dynasty and subsequent. Today it is a residence. The palace is located at Andrićev Venac in Serbia, opposite the building.
Story
Palace construction
The building of the New Palace was erected as a new residence and the last of the buildings of the complex of palace buildings on Terazii. From an architectural and artistic point of view, it resists the assembly and creates a complex of the most significant buildings in. It was built in accordance with the original concept, according to the ambitious project of the architect Alexander Bugarsky (1880). The central place would be occupied by the royal palace, which was to be built on the site of the Old Residence (the former house of Stojan Simic). The old palace (city) was intended as the left wing of the palace, the palace of the heir to the throne, built in the middle of the city for the heir to the throne, as the right wing. It is believed that the palace of the heir to the throne, Prince Michael, was built according to the design of the architect Kosta Shreplovich in the style of romanticism, but some sources indicate that he only supervised the finishing work, and the project was actually developed by Jovan Frenzl and Josif Kasno, the most famous architects in the Main Bureau construction. The construction of this building already indicated a tendency to build the palace complex as a three-part composition. However, Prince Mikhailo lived in the Old Residence, and the new building was intended for the Ministry of Foreign and Internal Affairs.
The idea to build the New Palace arose after the assassination and demolition of the Old Residence a year later. The new king lived in the Old Residence, which in the previous period was used only for ceremonial receptions. Since the Old Palace was not a suitable home for a monarch, it seemed only natural to build a new residence.
The laying of the New Palace for Alexander I Karageorgievich at the beginning of the year was designed by Stojan Titelbach (1877-1916), an outstanding Serbian architect from the beginning of the 20th century. The new palace is his only known project, which he designed as an architect for the Ministry of Construction. The building of the New Palace was completed in the city. It suffered great damage and was carefully restored in 1919-1922. under the leadership of a special Commission, which simultaneously worked on the project of the Old Palace. Among the members of the commission, which took full care of the future palace and the main headquarters of the marshal, were the artist and architects of the Ministry of Construction Petar Popović and Momir Korunovich. The new palace became the official royal residence in June when Alexander I Karageorgievich and his wife moved into the building.
Construction style
Modern view of the palace
The architecture of the New Palace reflected the idea of the historical integrity of the complex, emphasizing the tendency to complete, in a spatial and symbolic sense, the idea of the state. The building of the New Palace was built as an architectural analogue of the Old Palace. The three-storey building was built in the academic style with elements taken mainly from the Renaissance and Baroque architecture. The most representative facade faces the garden, and the corner risalit, standing on the corner of the building, is designed in the form of a dome similar to the architectural solution of the Old Palace. Thus, the harmony of the palace complex and its symmetry were carried out. In the system of dismemberment of the facade, the central place is occupied by the first and second floors as the only compositional solution, the ground floor is made in a rustic style, while the third floor is made independently and more modestly. The dismemberment of the main façade is emphasized by the side risalits and the central risalit, in the middle of which there is a main entrance with an oval canopy. In accordance with the purpose of the building, heraldic symbols occupied a special place on the facade. In the lunette of the central risalit was the coat of arms of the royal dynasty Karageorgievich. The highest and therefore the dominant part of the New Palace is a tower with a spire, on top of which is a bronze double-headed eagle in flight, which is the main element connecting the facades with a view of the streets of Kraљa Milana and Andrijev Venac. Another important heraldic symbol existed under the dome of the corner tower: two identical, symmetrically located shields with a cross and four flints, that is, a segment of the coat of arms and later an integral segment of the coat of arms. The central motif of the façade overlooking Andrijev Street was an arched risalit, above which there was a monumental composition with a coat of arms in the center.
The layout of the premises of the New Palace was approved by a project from 1911 in accordance with the purpose of the building. The first floor was reserved for sub-rooms for ceremonial receptions and a dining room, a part of the building overlooking the Kraša Milana was reserved for rooms for especially important guests, and the second and third floors were intended for the royal family. The room for the kitchen was not provided for by the project, but there was a house in the Shumadi (Shumadija) style nearby, connected by a tunnel with the first floor of the palace. The representative interior design and furnishings of the premises with expensive furniture were made by the French company Beziers. Particular attention was paid to the interior design of the lobby, assembly hall, dining room, rooms in the Bosnian, Japanese and English styles, rooms intended for the residence of the king and queen.
The fence with gates and guardhouses, separating the buildings and the garden from the edge of Milan Street, was an integral part of the palace complex and represented an element that connected the new and the old palace. A similar role was played by the building for the palace guards. The architect Momir Korunovich carried out the expansion and reconstruction of the facade of this building (1919/1920) in such a way as to ensure the uniformity of the styles of the New and Old Palaces. The gate in the form of a triumphal arch with relief plastic and heraldic symbols, an arched building for the palace guards, a garden with a fountain located between the palaces gave the ensemble of palace buildings a representative and solemn look.
Museum of Prince Paul
The New Palace building was the official royal residence from 1922 to 1934. When the royal family moved to the new palace on Dedin, at the request of the king, this building became the Royal Museum of Prince Paul. (later renamed the Museum of Prince Paul.) The museum was one of the most important cultural institutions in the kingdom, and according to contemporaries belonged to some of the most modern museums in Europe. The exhibition itself was unique and unusual. On the first floor, prehistoric, antique and medieval artifacts were exhibited, on the second floor there was a collection of monuments of national culture and Yugoslav art of the 19th century, the third floor was intended for contemporary European art, among which the works of domestic masters occupied an important place. The Museum of Prince Paul was located in the building of the New Palace until the year when it received a new appointment when the state system changed.
Changes look
New Palace, Belgrade
The reconstruction of the Old and New Palaces and the new purpose of these buildings after the Second World War turned the palace complex into the administrative center of the state and the republic. In order to connect the former palace complex with the building of the National Assembly, the fence and the building of the palace guards were demolished, and the garden was turned into Pioneer Park. According to the project of the architect Milan Mirnic (-), the reconstruction and expansion of the building of the former New Palace for the needs of the LDC Chairmanship was completed. A large assembly hall with a vestibule was built, the facade overlooking the Old Palace received a completely new architectural solution, which emphasized the colonnade of Ionic columns, while the side lines and lines of the original architectural solution overlooking the streets of the edge of Milan and Andrijev Venac were preserved. In accordance with the changes, on the eastern side of the New Palace there was an entrance opposite the Pioneer Park, and the heraldic symbols were replaced with symbols of the new state. Particular attention is paid to the interior design of the annexed part, decorated with works by the most significant Yugoslav artists: Tom Rosandiћ, Milan Milunoviћ, Militsa Zoriћ and others.
The building of the New Palace since 1953 is designed to accommodate the highest bodies of state power. It housed the Executive Council of the LDCs, the Council of the LDCs, the Chairmanship of the RRS and, for a long period of time, the Vice-President of the Republic of Serbia. The new palace and the buildings belonging to it are one of the most precious historical cores of Belgrade. Due to its historical, cultural, social and architectural value, it was declared a cultural heritage site in 1983 (“Services of the city of Beograd” br. 4/83).
Gallery
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The history of the construction of the palace goes back to the 40s of the 19th century, when the swampy area, on the site of which Pionersky and Devichy parks are today, between the streets of King Milan and Queen Natalia, was bought by Stojan Simic, one of the most influential people in the Principality of Serbia, leader of constitutionalism and chairman of the Council of State. He drained the swampy land, covered the site with an additional layer of earth and leveled the terrain, and on the left side of the current King Milan Street he built a house (1840 - 1842), which was later called the Old Residence. The acquisition of this mansion with a garden to accommodate the palace of Prince Alexander Karageorgievich (1842-1843) marked the beginning of the creation of the first palace complex in Belgrade. The building has been carefully repaired and significantly expanded, the garden is surrounded by a fence. The rest of the swampy area was drained and landscaped into a garden. Everything was done in the then tradition of folk building and botanical practice. Giving the garden a representative look was taken up by Princess Persida Karageorgievich. The palace garden was divided into two parts - a park, well-groomed part overlooking the street, which was part of the palace complex, and the garden itself behind the fence. In the central part of the park there was a fountain with a sculpture "Girl with a jug", commissioned in Vienna. Since the middle of the 19th century, around the Old Residence, as the central one in the complex, a number of buildings have been built: the Small Palace, the Palace of the Heir to the Throne (Building of the Ministry of Foreign and Internal Affairs), the building for the palace guards and several auxiliary buildings that could be seen from the streets Palace (now Dragoslav Jovanovich) and the streets of Prince Milos and Krunskaya. None of the above buildings have survived to this day.
In the period of the formation of an independent state after the Berlin Congress (1882), the idea arose to turn the palace complex into a royal residence, in the light of preparations for the proclamation of the Kingdom of Serbia (1882). The project of the architect Alexander Bugarsky, one of the outstanding representatives of Serbian construction of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, assumed that the future would consist of three parts. In the central part, on the site of the Old Residence, it was planned to build a palace for the royal family. To the right of the Old Residence, a wing was provided for the palace of the heir to the throne, while the left wing was intended for receptions and diplomatic visits. From this project, only the left wing was built, which is called the Old Palace. The right wing was built thirty years later as the New Palace according to a new project.
The Old Palace was built between 1881 and 1884. on the site of the former Small Palace of Prince Michael at the corner of King Milan and Dvortsova (now Dragoslav Jovanovic) streets. The project was developed by the architect Aleksandar Bugarski based on the idea and on behalf of King Milan Obrenovic himself. The interior design of the Old Palace was carried out by a commission headed by Bugarsky. It also included professor of the Great School Mihailo Valtrovich and painter Domenico d'Andrea. Decorative interior elements and furniture were ordered from Viennese craftsmen. The symmetrical shape of the facade of the Old Palace in the academic style, richly decorated with antique, renaissance and baroque details, emphasizes the main characteristics of academicism and makes the royal residence look like the most luxurious palace in Serbia today.
The idea to build a complex palace complex influenced the fact that the main facade of the Old Palace was the facade overlooking the palace garden and the right wing of the complex, i.e. heir apparent's palace. This façade, like the façade overlooking the Via Regio di Milano, was much more luxurious than the other two. Its symmetry is emphasized by the location of the main entrance, the horizontal division into three parts and the harmonious distribution of architectural elements: balconies, Ionic and Corinthian columns, and two caryatids. This is facilitated by the decorative decoration of the facade and two domes crowned with royal crowns at the top. In the center of the large pediment of the central facade, above the caryatids, is the new coat of arms of the Kingdom of Serbia, which is considered the first and oldest coat of arms of the Kingdom of Serbia, installed on a public building. The part of the building that enters the corner of the streets of King Milan and Dragoslav Jovanovic is designed as a tower with a dome and a high spire with a double-headed eagle on it. The use of this symbol indicates a direct connection between the construction of the palace and the proclamation of the Kingdom of Serbia. Beyond the main line of the more modest façade overlooking the garden, there is a side risalit in the form of a tripartite apse of the house church on the second floor.
Construction style
The plan of the building proceeded from its original purpose, i.e. solemn receptions of distinguished guests from royal families and other ceremonies. The layout of the premises largely depended on this. Architect Bugarski paid special attention to interior design in the reception halls. The central room was the most remarkable segment of the interior - a winter garden surrounded by halls from which one could get into the rest of the rooms on the first and second floors. The winter garden had a glass roof, and the walls were decorated with gilded stucco. The central motif was a two march oak staircase. All the representative premises were richly furnished: an assembly hall, a music hall with a piano, yellow, red, Turkish halls, a dining room, a purple hall, a library, a house church.
Demolition and reconstruction
After the change of dynasty on the throne (1903), the Old Residence was demolished, and the Old Palace became the official residence of the Karageorgievich dynasty. Since the building was badly damaged in the First World War, restoration work began in 1921 under the supervision of a commission composed of representatives of the Ministry of Construction and Finance, headed by the manager and artist Uroš Predić. Until April 1922, most of the work was completed, the gilded stucco on the walls of the winter garden and in the assembly hall was restored, all rooms were furnished with furniture from Lyon and Vienna. When the New Palace became the official royal residence in 1922, the Old Palace received its original, public purpose, provided by the project of Alexander Bugarsky (1881).
Another thorough reconstruction was carried out during 1930 - 1931. under the direction of the court architect Dragomir Tadic. All facade stucco made of gypsum has been replaced with artificial stone decor. The work was supervised by the architect Svetomir Lazich. The building of the Old Palace was heavily damaged in the bombardment of Belgrade on April 6, 1941. After the Second World War and subsequent political changes, the building of the Old Palace received a new purpose. After reconstruction, 1947 - 1949 it had not only a new function, but also a completely new solution for the main entrance and facade overlooking King Alexander Avenue. The author of the project was Dragish Brasovana. Both small domes topped with crowns and other royal symbols have been removed from the façade. Reconstruction and interior design were designed by architect Alexander Dzhorzhevich. Particular attention is paid to the assembly hall, which presents new state and republican symbols and stained-glass windows on the theme of the people's liberation struggle. In addition to Brasovan and Djordjevic, other domestic architects Bratislav Stojanovic, Milan Minič, Slobodan Mihailović and Momchilo Belobrk also participated in the reconstruction of the building.
After the Second World War, the building of the Old Palace housed the Representation of the National Assembly, the Government of the SFRY and the Federal Federal Government. Since 1961, the Belgrade City Hall has been located in the Old Palace. The Old Palace was declared a cultural monument in 1983.
Literature
- Documentation ZZSKGB, Dossier spomenika culture Zgrad Starog dvor
- Marko Popoviћ, Heraldic symbols on the Beograd house building, Beograd 1997, 52.
- Svetlana V. Nedi, From the history of the Old Court, Heritage II, Beograd 1999, 11.
- A. Kadijević, Aesthetics of academic architecture (XIX-XX centuries), Beograd, 2005, 302-304.
- Bogdan Nestorović, Architecture of Serbia in the 19th century, Beograd 2006, 182. 301.
- “Services of the Gazette of the City of Belgrade” No. 4 / 83
In Belgrade, take a walk along the old streets, admire the picturesque houses, feel the peace and quiet, and when you return home, feel peace and satisfaction. Beautiful, stately, tall and smiling people live in the city. By the way, Serbs are more than friendly towards Russians.
Belgrade, photo by Dragan Todorovic
Belgrade (Serb. Beograd, Beograd) is the largest city of the Balkan Peninsula, the capital of Serbia. The city stands at the confluence of the Danube and Sava rivers. In the appearance of today's Belgrade, there are few places left with an original Balkan flavor. This is understandable: in its history, he survived several dozen wars.
City `s history
In the 5th century, the Romans and Illyrian tribes lived south of the Danube. Celts, Germans, Slavs settled to the north of the great river. Belgrade acquired the status of the city from the 9th century; the Turks, who captured Orthodox Serbia in the 14th century, had a considerable influence on its development. The city was liberated from the power of the Turks more than once. During the First World War, it was occupied by the Austrians, in 1941 it was captured by the Nazis. The 1999 NATO military operation inflicted a lot of trouble on him.
Attractions
National Museum
white palace
old palace
new palace
House of Flowers (Kuћa tsveћa)
Museum of Nikola Tesla
Knez-Mikhailova street
Tashmaydan Park
Church of the Holy Trinity
Belgrade Fortress, photo by Predrag_Bubalo
Despite the military destruction, Belgrade has preserved the monuments of a glorious past. Its main historical value is the Belgrade Fortress (Beogradska Tvrђava), it is also often called Kalemegdan. Erected on a hill at the arrow of two rivers, it has been the object of battles more than once, it was destroyed and rebuilt again.
Cathedral of Saint Sava, photo by Sergiu_TM
The largest temple in the Serbian capital is the Cathedral of St. Sava (Church Svetog Sava) and the second largest Orthodox church in the world, which has existed since 1894. It was built on the model of the St. Sophia Cathedral in Constantinople on the site where, in the 16th century, the Turks burned the relics of St. Sava, the founder of the Serbian Orthodox Church. The church is still undergoing finishing work.
Address: Vracar, Beograd, Serbia.
Website: hramsvetogsave.com
Church of St. Mark, photo Tamara-Polajnar
One of the major temples of the capital is the Orthodox Church of St. Mark (Tsrkva Svetog Mark), which is located in Tashmaydan Park. Construction was carried out on the site of the old church, built in 1835, from 1931 to 1940. To the right of the entrance is a sarcophagus with the remains of King Dushan. Opposite are the relics of Patriarch Herman. The temple has a large collection of icons of the XIII-XIX centuries.
Address: Palilula, Beograd, Serbia.
Website: crkvasvetogmarka.rs
Russian church
The Russian Church (Ruska Tsrkva), or the Church of the Holy Trinity (Church of the Holy Trinity), was built by White Guard emigrants in 1924. Significant financial assistance was provided by the Serbian government, personally Nikola Pasic (Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes) and the Karageorgievich family. In 1946, the temple became a courtyard of the Russian Orthodox Church. In the Church of the Holy Trinity in 1929, the remains of General Wrangel, who died in 1928 in Brussels, were solemnly reburied.
During the NATO bombardment in 1999, the roof and decoration of the temple were damaged, the windows were broken. In 2007, after restoration work, the Russian Church was again consecrated in the presence of Patriarch Kirill.
Address: Takovska 4, Beograd, Serbia.
Website: www.ruskidom.rs
royal palaces
The royal palaces in Belgrade are the Royal and the White in the suburbs of Dedin.
The family of the heir to the throne Alexander II Karageorgievich (representatives of the young royal family) lives in the Royal Palace (Krajevsky Dvor), lined with white marble. The palace was built in 1929.
The White Palace (Beli Dvor) was built in the late 1930s. Now these are the summer residences of the Karageorgievichs. Topchider Park adjoins the White Court.
Palace of Princess Ljubica (Konak knegiњe Jubice) was built in 1829-1830. in the Serbian-Balkan style as the residence of the wife and sons of Prince Milos Obrenovic. The palace at one time housed a lyceum, courts of appeal and cassation, art and church museums, a nursing home, and the Serbian Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments. Today, the palace of Princess Ljubica belongs to the Museum of the city. Here you will get acquainted in detail with the life of the Obrenović family, and in the large vaulted hall, which is located in the basement, exhibitions are organized by the National Museum.
The permanent exhibition "Interiors of 19th-Century Belgrade Houses" showcases dishes, pieces of furniture, paintings, which mainly belonged to the ruling dynasty. In several rooms of the palace, authentic furniture in the Balkan style, in the styles of classicism, Biedermeier, neo-baroque, etc. is exhibited.
Address: Knez Sime Markoviћa 8, Beograd 11000, Serbia.
Website: mgb.org.rs
Other palaces
The Old Palace (Stari Dvor), members of the city Assembly work in it.
The New Palace (Novi Dvor) is the presidential residence.
House of Flowers
The House of Flowers (Kuћa tsveћa) is the mausoleum of Josip Broz Tito, the odious communist leader of Yugoslavia. The building with the tomb is surrounded by flowers: during his lifetime, Tito was an enthusiastic florist. The mausoleum is one of the expositions of the Museum of the History of Yugoslavia (Museum of the History of Yugoslavia). Also on the territory of the complex you can see the mansion of Slobodan Milosevic, the last president of the united Yugoslavia.
Address: Botijeva 6, Dedije, Beograd, Serbia.
Website: mij.rs
Opening hours: in summer - Tue-Sun 10:00-20:00; in winter - Tue-Sun 10:00-18:00.
The popular Nikola Tesla Museum (Museum Nikola Tesla) on Krunska Street is dedicated to the legendary inventor and scientist - the "genius of resonance". On an interactive tour, you can try out a Tesla coil (aka Tesla transformer) and extract multi-colored lightning with just a touch of it, or bring a fluorescent lamp to the coil, which will immediately light up without any wires.
Address: Krunska 51, Beograd, Serbia.
Website: tesla-museum.org
Opening hours: Tue-Fri 10.00-18.00; Sat-Sun 10:00-15:00; Mon - day off.
National Museum
The National Museum of Serbia (Folk Museum) was established in 1844. It has more than 400 thousand archaeological, historical, numismatic and artistic exhibits.
Address: Trg republik 1a, Beograd 104303, Serbia.
Website: www.narodnimuzej.rs Under renovation until May 2016
Ethnographic Museum of Belgrade
The Ethnographic Museum (Ethnographic Museum) was founded in 1901. Its exposition occupies three floors and tells about the differences in the furnishings of houses in the east and west of the Balkans at the end of the 19th century, about the wedding dresses of Serbian and Bosnian girls 200 years ago, on which carriages the Belgrade fashionistas who lived before World War I.
Address: Studentski trg 13, Beograd 11000, Serbia.
Website: etnografskimuzej.rs
Opening hours: Tue-Sat 10:00-17:00; Sun 9:00-14:00; Mon day off.
The Museum of Aeronautics (Museum of Aeronautics) is a state museum that has been operating since 1957. Examining the exhibits, one can see how aviation developed from the first aircraft to fighters and passenger aircraft of Jat Airways.
The pride of the museum is the wreckage of the American stealth aircraft F-117 Nighthawk, which was shot down during the bombing of Yugoslavia, as well as a collection of fighter-bombers and combat fighters. In total, the museum's collection includes 130 aircraft engines, over 200 aircraft, there are radars, missiles, equipment, books and photographs.
The museum is located near the airport. If the flight is delayed, you can interestingly pass the time here.
Address: Surcin, Beograd, Serbia.
Website: muzejvazduhoplovstva.org.rs .
Opening hours: Tue-Sun 09:00-18:30; Mon 09:00-16:00.
The Museum of Modern Art (Museum of Contemporary Art) contains paintings, sculptures and graphics from the beginning of the 20th century by Serbian and Yugoslav masters. There are also works by famous Robert Rauschenberg, Andy Warhol, Juan Miro and others. Collections of paintings by Serbian modernist artists Jovan Bijelic, Ivan Radovic, Sava Shumanovic are considered the pearl of the collection. The museum building is like a crystal.
Address: Uše 10, Beograd, Serbia.
Website: msub.org.rs
Quarter Skadarlija (Skadarlija) - Belgrade's Montmartre. Taverns, clubs and restaurants are concentrated here. Musicians play on Skadarlija, poets meet, street artists paint.
Stop by the old Three Hats kafana restaurant, opened in 1862, adored by Jimi Hendrix, Juan Carlos and other famous people. Address: Skadarska, 29.
Zemun
Zemun District (Serb. Zemun) is a place with a distinctive flavor and its own dialect, a former old suburb that has recently become a metropolitan area. Gardos Hill in Zemun is a corner of medieval Serbia with narrow streets, small churches, cozy mansions. Here stands the Gardosh Tower (Milenium Tower) (1896), next to which there is an observation deck.
The heart of Belgrade is the pedestrian Knez Mihailova Street, 790 m long. This is a real tourist mecca. Souvenirs are sold here, street musicians perform, beggars come across, and creatives express themselves.
Monument to the Winner. photo Aleksandra CInar
Monument to the Winner (Pobednik) is one of the main symbols of Belgrade. The architect Ivan Meštrović designed a fountain in 1912 in honor of the liberation of Serbia from the Ottoman yoke. Its center was supposed to be the figure of the Winner. But the project was stopped at the end of World War I. Only on the tenth anniversary of the breakthrough of the front in Thessaloniki, in 1928, a fairly green-faced young man took his place on a column on the observation deck of the Belgrade fortress. The warrior is naked, and holds a hawk and a sword in his hands, his gaze is directed towards Austria-Hungary.
Tashmaydan
Tashmajdansky park (Serb. Tashmajdanski park) or simply Tash is a public park, one of the most equipped in the city. In 1830, a decree of the Turkish Sultan was read here on granting autonomous status to the Serbian Principality.
The park has two monuments to the victims of the NATO military campaign against Yugoslavia.
Entertainment
Ada Ciganlija, photo by Philipp Ostermann
A favorite vacation spot for Belgrade residents is the beach of Ada Ciganlija (Ada Ciganlija) with a well-equipped park area. It is located on an artificial island on the Sava River and is connected to the right bank by 2 dams equipped with filters and forming a lake with crystal clear water.
Popular nightclubs of the city are Plastic, Underground, Tub.
Shopping is best done in the Novi Beograd area; Tourists buy antiques and souvenirs on Knez Mihail Street.
Events
Every year, on Lazarus Saturday before Palm Sunday, the knightly festival Vitez Fest takes place on the territory of Kalemegdan. Concerts of folk groups, craft fairs and exhibitions of medieval armor, costume performances are held on the square near the Despot Tower.
Holidays
Easter here is in April-May. In the first days of May, Belgrade celebrates Labor Day. In early June, a bright Boat Fiesta moves along the river. In July-August, the city hosts the Belef summer art festival and the Exit music festival. The Belgrade Beer Festival is held at the end of August.
Belgrade arranges mass celebrations for the New Year. The most crowded festivities take place on the Danube embankment in Zemun. The Old New Year is also celebrated here - just like in Russia.
The city hosts many sporting events of European and world importance. The largest of them is the April Belgrade Marathon.
Kitchen
Chevapchichi - a dish of national cuisine
Modern Serbian cuisine is a synthesis of various national cuisines. In any Belgrade restaurant you will be offered Turkish dishes: kyufte, lamb pilaf, “meso za skara” (Balkan barbecue), all kinds of kebabs, asha kebabs, lula kebabs. The influence of Bulgarian, Romanian and Hungarian cuisine is felt - these are pork dishes, corn cakes, hominy. Serbia makes red wine and grape vodka. In the morning, the cafe serves excellent Viennese coffee with jars (flat cakes or buns); baklava, walnut, Sacher cake, pies, sweets, pizza, sandwiches. In the restaurants of the city, you can try "rostil", a platter of different varieties of poultry or meat, made on the grill, and as a side dish - a salad of fresh vegetables or also cooked on the grill.
You can enjoy haute cuisine in the oldest restaurants in the city, which are mostly concentrated on Skadarlie Street. During the meal, the orchestra will play for you Serbian songs, folk and modern.
Drvengrad – the village of Kusturica, photo by David Sheales
50 km from the city, in the town of Smederevo, stands the fortress of Brankovich (XV century). This is the largest flat fortification in Europe, surrounded by the surviving buildings of the Great and Small cities.
70 km to the north there is the town of Novi Sad - "Serbian Athens" with a neo-Gothic cathedral and the Petrovaradin fortress.
In 3 hours you will get by bus to the town of Nis - the birthplace of Constantine the Great. Here you can see the Christian church of the 4th century. AD, many ancient monuments, a unique Turkish fortress.
About 200 km from Belgrade is Drvengrad, the product of the tireless imagination of the Serbian director Emir Kusturica, who was acutely aware of the split in the Balkans. He brought to life the dream of the ideal village of his childhood, with cozy wooden houses, unsophisticated but touching churches and awkward streets.
Bus station BAS
By plane
From Moscow to Belgrade, you can fly with Aeroflot and Air Serbia. Lufthansa, British Airways, Air France also fly to the capital of Serbia; from low-cost carriers Norwegian Air and Germanwings.
By train
The Belgrade railway station is located in the center (Savski trg 2). Trains arrive here from Europe and from all over the country. Check the schedule and cost on the website of the Serbian Railways.
By bus
There are two bus stations in Belgrade:
- BAS (Zheleznichka, 4), buses depart from here to Montenegro and Serbia;
- Lasta (Zheleznichka BB) operates local flights.
On the ship
The port on the Sava River serves and receives tourist and passenger ships.
How to get from the airport to the city center
From the Nikola Tesla International Airport, which is 18 km away from the center, you can get to the city:
Map of urban transport of Belgrade
Public transport in Belgrade includes buses, trolleybuses, trams.
The cost of travel
Ride for 90 minutes - 89 dinars
travel card for 24 hours - 280 dinars
travel card for 72 hours - 720 dinars
travel card for 120 hours - 1100 dinars
Buy travel cards at the newsstand at the bus stop. The trip will cost more if you buy a ticket from the driver. For example, a ticket for one trip bought from the driver will cost you 150 dinars.
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