| The Museum of Yugoslav History is a national history museum in Serbia, located in the Dedinje district of Belgrade.
The current museum (Muzej istorije Jugoslavije, formerly known as "Museum May 25th" and "Museum of the Revolution") was founded in 1996 as a successor to two previous institutions, the Tito Memorial Centre and the Museum of the Revolution of Yugoslav Nations and Ethnic Minorities. The museum complex comprises three buildings with a total surface of 5253 m², set in a a 3.2 hectare park:
Museum "May 25th"
House of Flowers
Old Museum
The institution goes back to a centre that was established by Josip Broz Tito during his lifetime. Much like the presidential libraries in the United States, Tito's memorial centre was intended as a repository for preserving and making available the papers, records, collections and other historical materials relating to his life and work and the history of Yugoslavia.
After his death on 4 May 1980, Josip Broz Tito was buried in the House of Flowers, set in the museum grounds. The museum has a collection of more than 200.000 items that illustrate the history of Yugoslavia throughout the 20th century, with the special accent on the life and work of Tito himself. It also keeps an extensive collection of the gifts Tito received during his many visits with foreign dignitaries during his presidency. The exhibits further include works of many world-notable artists, including original prints of Los Caprichos by Francisco Goya, and many others.
For almost a decade after the breakup of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, the entire complex (the tomb and the museum) was closed to the public and the military guards were permanently removed. The complex is now again a major tourist attraction. Many people visit the place as a shrine to "better times", especially on 25 May (Josip Broz Tito's official birth date). The Government of Serbia has planned to merge the museum into the Museum of the History of Serbia. |