Events

The theme of the book is, as the authors themselves point out, “the ephemeral spectacle and journey of King Alexander and Queen Draga Obrenović around Serbia in 1901” and refers to a significant political moment, the royal couple’s visits to cities, towns and monasteries around Serbia after the death of King Milan. The journey included Smederevo, Kragujevac, Kraljevo, the monasteries of Žiča and Studenica, Čačak, Požega, Užice, Dobrinja, Takovo, Gornji Milanovac, the monasteries of Vujan, Vraćevšnica and Divostin, and ended in Belgrade via Kragujevac and Mladenovac.

The exhibition, organized to mark the 75th anniversary of the founding of the National Museum Kraljevo, showcases a vast collection of museum artifacts gathered during the first three decades of its operation. These artifacts belong to the Natural History, Archaeological, Numismatic, Historical, Ethnological, and Art Collections. Additionally, the exhibition features a significant number of documents related to the museum's establishment and activities during this period, as well as the work of later-formed groups dedicated to conservation, documentation, educational and promotional efforts, and the professional library.

The author's guided tour through the exhibition “City Museum Rankovićevo – National Museum Kraljevo: First Thirty Years” will be held by senior curator Slađana Spasić. Visitors will have the opportunity to learn firsthand more about the creation of the exhibition, the selection of exhibits and the importance of the first decades of the museum's work for the development of the city's cultural life. The author's guided tour provides insight into the history of the institution and the valuable museum holdings that testify to the lasting commitment to the preservation of cultural heritage.

The Žica Spiritual Assembly “Transfiguration” is a significant cultural event that aims to nurture, study and affirm the values of our national culture. The Assembly program begins with a ceremonial opening at the National Museum in Kraljevo with two exhibitions: “The Journey to the East of King Milan Obrenović: Pilgrimage and the Culture of the Orient at the Serbian Court”, by the Museum in Smederevo and “Discrete Hero of Heritage: Milorad Miki Mihailović, Art Historian and Director of the National Museum Kraljevo (1995-2025)”, by the host Museum.

Key exhibition starting points include the personality of King Milan Obrenović, his abdication and motives for traveling to the Holy Land, the spiritual transformation he experienced at the tomb of Christ, the perception of the discourse of the Orient in the Serbian environment, and its influence on the shaping of the court and court culture in the Kingdom of Serbia in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Milorad Miki Mihailović was the first art historian, curator of the Art Collection of the National Museum Kraljevo, and director of the institution from 1979 to 1995, when he passed away unexpectedly. September 2025 marks 30 years since his passing, which is one of the reasons why, in the year celebrating 75 years of the Museum’s work and 30 years of the new Gallery located on the ground floor of the old school building, an exhibition is being organized in honor of one of the most significant curators of this museum institution, whom he successfully led for sixteen years.

Until now, Serbian historiography has lacked a comprehensive study dedicated to Prince Milan Obrenović, the first modern-era king of Serbia. The historical monograph by Suzana Rajić “Prince Milan Obrenović (1854–1881): From Baron to a Sovereign” offers a profound insight into the early life and reign of Prince Milan.
Alongside the author, the ruler’s political dilemmas and the challenges he faced will be discussed by Danko Leovac, PhD, associate professor at the Faculty of Philosophy of the University of Belgrade and Darko Gučanin, historian and Director of the National Museum Kraljevo.

Milorad Miki Mihailović was the first art historian and curator of the Art Collection at the National Museum Kraljevo, and served as the institution’s director from 1979 to 1995, when he passed away unexpectedly. Author’s guidance by Tatjana Mihailović offers a glimpse into the Museum during Mihailović’s tenure, highlighting the values he fostered within the institution and the key areas of his professional and scholarly focus.

Curator Nemanja Trifunović of the National Museum Kraljevo will lead a guided tour through the exhibition “Journey to the East of King Milan Obrenović: Pilgrimage and Oriental Culture at the Serbian Court.” The tour will highlight the significance of the king’s journey to the Holy Land and the influence of Oriental culture on the Serbian royal court. Through reconstructed artifacts, historical photographs, travel diaries, and modern multimedia content, the exhibition reveals not only the details of a royal voyage but also the cultural encounters that shaped courtly life and artistic expression in Serbia at the end of the 19th century.

The private life of the “first Serbian king after Kosovo” was undeniably marked by his relationship with his wife, Queen Natalija. However, the focus of this lecture will be the emotional life of the Serbian sovereign, woven with numerous affairs, with particular emphasis on his love and relationship with Artemiza Hristić.

Author’s guidance by Snežana Cvetković, PhD, through the exhibition “Journey to the East of King Milan Obrenović: Pilgrimage and Oriental Culture at the Serbian Court” offers visitors a chance to uncover the stories and symbols hidden within objects, photographs, and reconstructions, and to step into a time when the Serbian ruler sought meaning, refuge, and inspiration – as the scents, colors, and light of the Orient entered the history and daily life of the royal court.

The exhibition “Women’s Handwriting in Kovačica Naïve Painting: From Needle and Thread to UNESCO” is inspired by the inscription of Kovačica naïve painting on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in December 2024. It features works by 30 women artists who have made significant contributions to the development of this artistic phenomenon.