The exhibition “Moravian Serbia – Between Reality and Legend” of the National Museum Kruševac was opened in the Gallery of the National Museum Kraljevo, on Saint Vitus’ Day, on Tuesday, June 28th, 2022, starting at 7 p.m. Mirjana Savić, museum advisor of the National Museum Kraljevo, greeted the audience and guests on behalf of the institution and emphasized the importance of Saint Vitus’ Day, as the day when the Battle of Kosovo took place, for forming the identity of the Serbian people in the period after this event.

Mirjana Savić, museum advisor of the National Museum Kraljevo, addressing the audience at the opening of the exhibition “Moravian Serbia – Between Reality and Legend“ in the Gallery of the National Museum Kraljevo.

She briefly presented an overview of the most important events in national history, which took place on June 28th, especially during the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries. They often had a fateful character, when this date was deliberately chosen for their execution, by us, but also by the opponents and the enemy, precisely because it carries a strong symbolic meaning. The author of the exhibition Sanja Rutić Vorotović, senior curator of the National Museum Kruševac, spoke about the founding of the city in 1371, which includes small and large city, courtyards, stables and other auxiliary rooms, as well as extensive ramparts with a striking keep 18 m high.

Sanja Rutić Vorotović, senior curator of the National Museum Kruševac, addressing the audience at the opening of the exhibition “Moravian Serbia – Between Reality and Legend“ in the Gallery of the National Museum Kraljevo.

The founder of the city, Prince Lazar, made Kruševac the capital of Serbia, where he built his church Lazarica in the period from 1377-1380. His son, Despot Stefan Lazarević, moved the capital to Belgrade, and Kruševac fell under Ottoman rule in 1455, under which it was until 1833, when it was liberated and joined the Principality of Serbia. The exhibition was conceived in 2021, on the occasion of the 650th anniversary of the founding of Kruševac, and the project was supported by the Ministry of Culture and Information of the Republic of Serbia. The author of the exhibition, Goran Vasić, museum advisor of the National Museum Kruševac, referred to another large segment of the exhibition, the Battle of Kosovo itself, which was reconstructed on six panels.

Goran Vasić, museum advisor of the National Museum Kruševac, addressing the audience at the opening of the exhibition “Moravian Serbia – Between Reality and Legend“ in the Gallery of the National Museum Kraljevo.

The position of units of both the Serbian and Turkish armies are given. The center of the Serbian army was commanded by Prince Lazar, the right wing by Vuk Branković, and the left by Duke Vlatko Vuković. The real military outcome of the battle remained basically enigmatic, and historical sources of various origins bring conflicting news. Vasić emphasized the difference between historical facts and epic and mythical views on this event, which is definitely laid in the foundations of national identity.

Report from the opening of the exhibition “Moravian Serbia – Between Reality and Legend” in the National Museum Kraljevo.

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