Broken windows, collapsed walls and a bomb crater - the scene of the building of the past General Staff, damaged in NATO bombing 1999, for years it was covered by large banners of the Serbian Army. From the facade, messages about strength, tradition and recruitment diverted the gaze to the ruins that remained in the center of Belgrade.
The billboards were removed on Thursday, December 18, a few days after Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić in a strange, to say the least, guest appearance on Radio and Television of Serbia (RTS) announced that the "full picture" of the destruction will be revealed to the public.
"You don't have a complete picture here, because we hid until now how demolished the General Staff building is. Now that other part will be revealed, according to the Ministry of Defense, so that people can see how creepy it looks," said Vučić.
A mask that covered a lot
The president explained that the banners were not placed as a symbol of pride, but to cover up the real condition of the facility.
His statement came after he the failed construction of "Trump hotels" at that location. According to earlier announcements, a luxury building was supposed to be built on the site of the General Staff, but a potential investor, the son-in-law of US President Donald Trump, abandoned the project due to apparently illegal actions when removing the cultural protection mark from the work of Nikola Dobrović.
For years, the billboard covering the General Staff alternated with promotional content of the Serbian Armed Forces and the domestic dedicated industry, as well as invitations to enlist in the military. At one time, the central place was occupied by the quote of Živojin Mišić: "He who can, can. He who knows no fear, goes forward."
Behind those slogans, however, was a ruin, not only architectural, but also symbolic. The ruins of an era, a legacy of war and politics in which Aleksandar Vučić was also involved. It is hard not to think that Duke Mišić is turning over in his grave while his name and authority cover up the consequences of the destruction, while at the same time considering the sale of one of Belgrade's symbols for the sake of building a luxury hotel.
Just as, metaphorically, it overturned decades before, when in the early nineties the then political and military leaders in the wars in the territory of the former Yugoslavia managed in a few years to collapse the centuries-old real reputation of the Serbian army and military heroism.
What has become visible now?
By removing the transparencies, the full scale of the bombing of these facilities became visible to the public again. At the same time, the question of the state's relationship with that area is open. The question arises whether it is a memorial site, a military complex of historical importance, a cultural asset or a construction potential for commercial projects.
The General Staff building, as one of the recognizable symbols of Belgrade and the institutions of the former Yugoslav army, has changed its meaning over the decades. From a symbol of military power, to a bombing target, to an object whose future is measured by its market value.
In that process, the banners served as a visual filter, in an attempt to partially remove evidence of recent history from the public space.
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