Chronicle

DOORS OF THE BALKANS, GATE OF EUROPE, CORD IN THE SHOE OF SERBIA
Prince Miloš’ Street
A bit more than a kilometer and a half long, from Mostar to the Parliament, passing through three municipalities. Many Serbian ministries are in it, even the Government, foreign embassies, important companies, famous buildings. It was the first promenade in Belgrade, one of the first tram lines, Uncle Jova Zmaj and Isidora Sekulić lived there, Miloš the Great built his first real palace there, but never moved in. The ”Monumental Heritage of Prince Miloš’ Street” exhibition in the Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments of Belgrade in the Fortress reminds us of this long history

By: Miloš Lazić
Photo: Archive of the Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments of Belgrade, Archive of the Museum of Belgrade

Although many believe that the history of Belgrade is a book completed a long time ago, the recently organized exhibition Monumental Heritage of Prince Miloš’ Street, designed by Ksenija Ćirić, art historian and senior conserver in the Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments of Belgrade, indicate that it is not yet so.
The foggy idea that the capital of Serbia took a step towards Europe only in the second half of the XIX century, or in 1867, to be more exact, when Emilijan Josimović designed the first urbanism plan of the city, when the first modern waterworks was put into operation or public illumination introduced as the beginning of electrification, was replaced with the discovery that it began earlier, during the first reign of Miloš Obrenović, after whom the street presented in the stated exhibition (within the Days of European Heritage) was named.
– Perhaps he was illiterate, but he was certainly far-sighted – reduced Ksenija Ćirić the story about the prince’s contribution to the Europeanization of Belgrade to one sentence, reminding us that wisdom is sometimes reflected in asking for answers from those who know when one does not know!

PATINA FOR ALL TIMES

The search for old buildings and peeking into their facades is characteristic for older people, because it is their sentimental journey to a world of memories, conversation with silent witnesses of their time. The young are also curious, which does not mean that they have passed their zenith and joined the ”seniors”. Hence such interest in old preserved buildings and streets, and caring for their conservation, not only in Belgrade.
Inhabitants of the Serbian capital city think that the ”open air museum” is, besides the Belgrade Fortress, also located in Prince Mihailo’s Street, one of the oldest in Belgrade, which is under supervision of the Institute for the Protection of Cultural-Historical and other Monuments, and that there are similar artifacts in Zerek and Varoš Kapija. However, the protection of those objects is, as a rule, related to form, esthetics, while contents and former purpose are in the background. One of the best examples is the ill fate of the ”Greek Queen” building, former ”Despot’s Han”, which has been empty and desolate for decades, in the busiest spot of the favorite city promenade.
That is why the ”photographic story” about Prince Miloš’ Street is interesting, since same or similar institutions are still seated in most of its buildings. Living in lower family villas are most often descendants of those who constructed them there, along the Topčider Road, in the neighborhood of Prince Miloš’ palace (only the hamam across the Ascension Church and a few objects ”occupied” by the army are still preserved). There is an almost two centuries long history behind that street, as long as it has existed in the city geography.
The exhibition is organized in the Institute building, sitting lonely near the ”Victor”, which belonged to the former Army Headquarters as its historical department, while the supreme command building no longer exists. It is hard to believe that the edifice is younger than some palaces and family houses along Prince Miloš’ Street, which is revealed on the ”topographic sketch” of the important traffic route, where objects under various levels of state protection are marked in colors. It is red as if it were the Grand Canyon of Colorado (the red color reminds of the great cultural and historical significance of the edifice and high level of their protection)!
And immediately a question is raised why was the palace built there ”in the middle of nowhere” at the time?

FROM PALACE TO PRINCIP’S PARK

Both hatiserifs, from 1830 and 1833, which recognized partial independence of Serbia and principal dignity to Miloš Obrenović, were marked with two preserved buildings: Quarters of Princess Ljubica in Varoš-Kapija, near the fortress, and Miloš’ Quarters standing alone in Topčider. With the first quarters, the ”illiterate prince” sent a message to the pasha that Serbs will be loyal, and with the second he threatened him that, in case of betrayal, they could instantly turn into severe enemies. Somewhat later, he settled about twenty families from Savamala a bit further, beyond the reach of Turkish artillery, to the banks of Slavuj’s Creek, so the first inhabitants of Palilula were actually ”colonists” from the Sava mahala.
Due to the planned expansion of the Serbian part of the town, the prince invited Franz Janke, Slovak from Vienna, civil engineer, to shape the then uninhabited and pretty remote area towards Vračar. His plan established European principles both in urbanism and in architecture for the first time. The impassable labyrinth of the old town’s alleys was replaced with streets branching at right angles and the plan was to build all the structures in them, whatever their purpose was, ”in a row”, along the already drawn lines… This was initially easy to achieve, because Miloš decided that this will be the administrative and military center of the capital city and entire Serbia.
The first building, Miloš’ palace, was supposed to be an etalon, an example for all others. It was created in 1836, in European (Viennese) manner, with a balcony, unseen until then, but, due to political circumstances, the prince, whom the building was intended to, never moved into it. In 1839, under the pressure of constitution-defenders, he left Serbia and spent the following nineteen years in exile in Vienna.
A spacious garden was arranged next to the palace, still decorating that part of the city today. At that time, the palace park was closed for city ”idlers”, and only ministers and state consultants could access it, therefore it was called – the Council. After Miloš and later his son Mihailo were sent to exile, the entire complex was handed over to the state, and the palace was left to the Principality of Serbia Ministry of Finance. The unintended palace park was hence called Financial Park until 2017, when the standing bronze figure of Gavrilo Princip was placed, and the park renamed after the youngest revolutionary from Young Bosnia.

GREAT MIGRATION OF THE STATE

A bit later, the Great Army Barracks were built across the street, still existing today, although with a different appearance, next to the Army Headquarters building. By the late nineteenth century, along with the already commenced, the Military Academy was completed, Ascension Church (1863), old building of the National Parliament, Ministry Council, Ministry of Defense on the corner of Nemanjina and Prince Miloš’ streets (destroyed by the bombs in the last world war, when the palace was destroyed as well), and in the 1960s Dobrović’ Army Headquarters buildings were raised in the same place – but they were also destroyed by two planes of the Northern Atlantic Pact and precisely navigated projectiles on April 29, 1999, during the ”merciful mission” of our former allies.
Due to frequent and forced alterations, new edifices were raised along the street, but always respecting its whole or its dominant architectural style. This is easy to notice just by taking a walk down Prince Miloš’ Street or by going through the catalogue for the exhibition in which each photo speaks a thousand words.
The best proof about the significance of the street is the fact that it was called ”embassies’ street”. And really, diplomatic representative offices of more than ten states are in it, noticed by the colorful flags raised on them each morning.
However, much more interesting are ”ordinary” citizens who decided to spend the rest of their lives here. Many famous politicians, economists, army commanders, benefactors and, of course, artists are among them, and the most famous is certainly Isidora Sekulić… Architects and civil engineers have always been aware of the significance of this street and recognized its beauty, so the Association of Yugoslav Engineers and Architects constructed its building exactly on the corner of Lazarević’ Passage.
After estimating that the interest in the street is growing, the ”Vračar Savings Bank” intended a luxurious palace for its headquarters on the intersection of the Kragujevac and Topčider Road (King Milan Street and the street dedicated to the forefather of the dynasty).
The state was not sitting idle either, and a new Ministry of Finance building was raised on the corner of Nemanjina Street (present Government building), and across the street from it the Ministry of Forestry, Ores, Agriculture and Waters (present Foreign Affairs), and further… all the way to the Federal Police building, last in the row on the right side towards Mostar. A modern ”sister building” of the republic police was built across the street from it, which still exists in 101, Prince Miloš’ Street, as a cultural monument of Belgrade and entire Serbia. And each palace carried, like the signature of the architect, the mark of the time it was designed and built in. By the way, the most remarkable buildings were works of famous Russian authors who fled to Serbia from the red Bolshevik revolution, welcomed by Serbia as dearest brothers (famous Russian general Petar Vrangel, who passed away in Brussels in 1928, wrote in his will that his body shall be buried in Belgrade, in the Russian Church in Tašmajdan).

FEATURES OF THE CITY PROMENADE

The Palace, or the Financial Park, ceremonially dressed young cadets, the Grand Brewery, important state institutions, later houses of prominent Belgradians, were the reason why the Topčider Road and that part of the city became the favorite promenade, so to say the first Serbian promenade, in spite of the fact that the street was not paved, so it was a dusty old road in summers and resembled a muddy or frozen creek in autumns and winters. That part of the city preserved its promenade character even when the electric tram began riding down the street – first to Mostar and then to Čukarica.
The city administration promised that they will return the street’s old splendor and significance, so it will perhaps again become a favorite promenade of Belgradians and their guests, because it would be equal to going through history textbooks in the previous two centuries. Until then, we should think whether this exhibition (open until the end of the year) should be turned into a permanent exhibition somewhere in the center of Belgrade.

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One Street in Three Municipalities
Prince Miloš’ Street, one of the central streets in the Serbian capital city, spreads from Mostar to the National Parliament. It is 1.600 meters long and passes through three municipalities: Savski Venac, Vračar and Stari Grad. Numerous Serbian ministries are in it, international representative offices, embassies, as well as the center of the City Municipality of Savski Venac.

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Topčider Road
In the past, it used to be the main road from the city to Topčider, where the Quarters of Prince Miloš were located, so it was named the Topčider Road. The street was formed at the time of this Prince, so it was later named after him (and has been carrying the name to the very day). The first Belgrade promenade was in Prince Miloš’ Street, and one of the first tram lines passed through it. The Kingdom of Serbia Parliament building was on the corner with Queen Natalija’s Street, later it was ”Odeon” cinema, but it was destroyed in 1940, in order to build the Pension Institute building…