MUSEUM OF JOVAN CVIJIC

*Jovan Cvijic was a Serbian geographer, president of the Serbian Royal Academy of Sciences and rector of the University of Belgrade. Cvijic is considered the founder of geography in Serbia. He began his scientific career as a geographer and geologist, and continued his activity as a human geographer and sociologist.

This museum was built in honor of one of the greatest Serbian scientists and geographers Jovan Cvijic. It is located in Belgrade, on Kopitareva gradina, in Jelena Cetkovic street. It was founded in the family house of Jovan Cvijic, which was declared as a cultural monument in 1963. The enterior is painted in „al secco“ technique and is featured with balcan folklore elements and motives of fauna and flora. 

The house i.e. the museum is consisted of the entrance hall, the salon, the workroom and the bedroom of Jovan Cvijic’s wife Ljubica. In the backyard there is beautiful garden with rare floral species and the bust of Jovan Cvijic in 1965 by an artist Vladeta Petric. The museum contains Jovan Cvijic’s legacy with about 1 476 writtings, photographs, geographical maps, atlases, books, personal objects, paintings etc.Both enterior and exterior t together express the spirit from the beginning of 20th century.

                     MUSEUM OF YUGOSLAV HISTORY

The Museum of Yugoslav History (short MIJ) was founded in 1996, as an illustration of Yugoslav history throughout 20th century, with the special accent on life and work of Josip Broz Tito. The museum complex includes „The May 25 Museum“, „The Old Museum“,  „The House of Flowers“ and a park with a flower garden and sculptures of Serbian artists. 

 

The May 25 Museum

The May 25 Museum was built as a gift to Josip Broz Tito for his seventieth birthday. Until 1982 the museum kept a collection of Tito’s batons and gifts he received, both home and abroad.  Visitors could also watch documentaries about his life and work, and there were organized meetings of young people and artists. Today, the museum represents the facility of the Josip Broz Tito Memorial Centre, which collects and preserves documents and objects of Tito’s life and work. You can go there to exhibitions and events organized by the MIJ.

By his own wish, Tito was burried in The House of Flowers, in 1980

The House of Flowers is a beautiful winter garden built for Tito, close to his residence. It comprises a central flower garden and two utility spaces. Opposite the entrance is an open terrace overlooking Belgrade. 

The Old Museum represents a part of MIJ’s ethnogrtaphic collection. There you can see interesting objects such as the japanese „tanto“ sword, an 1870 national costume from Prizren, and a stone gusle (a one-stringed folk fiddle ) which has been crafted from a single piece of stone.

Every weekend, there is a free tour with a professional guidance through the MIJ complex.  The tour on english language starts at 12pm. The tour starts at the entrance of MIJ and continues through all the parts of the complex. It includes an interesting story about the museum’s history, facts about Yugoslavia, Tito’s personality and many other themes and discusions.