It was demolished in Belgrade last weekend another house although it was under the protection of the state.
It is the house of the famous architect and university professor Andre Stevanović on the corner of Gospodar Jovanova and Kneginja Ljubica streets, an exceptional example of academicism from the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century, within the spatial cultural-historical complex "Historical Core of Belgrade".
Project leader
In addition, the house was demolished even though a project for its reconstruction was made, and even though the City of Belgrade made public a detailed Urban Project for the reconstruction of Andre Stevanović's house on August 1, 2023. The holder of the project is Folic Architects from Belgrade, the company of the former chief city planner of Belgrade Milutin Folic, and it was signed by his brother architect Branislav Folić.
"Destruction of cultural property, of the monumental and architectural heritage of the Republic of Serbia is one of the main features of this government. Until now, no government has had such a black balance sheet when it comes to culture," says Vladimir Pajić, deputy of the Free Citizens Movement.
He points out that "in their war against knowledge, education and culture, the progressive excavators took away over a hundred objects of cultural heritage. The latest demolition of the house of architect Andre Stevanović is just a continuation of the same unpatriotic practice in which old houses and villas, which are symbols of Belgrade, are converted into an unlimited number of square meters for sale in new buildings."
Corruption is at the core of the profession.
"Everything is done by people close to the government, companies connected to progressives and everything remains on sad texts. The lack of rule of law thus contributes to the destructive machinery of SNS."
Pajić says that "politician handling of planning documentation and projects is also a big problem. Corrupt interests have entered the very core of the profession, so cultural institutions have been silent for years on demolitions, for a period they participated, only for some institutions to wake up only with a student call in the alarm."
He reminds that "it is already known that there are double planning documents. One 'made-up' package of projects is delivered to the public and to paid architectural portals in order to prepare the terrain for the public, while it is built, demolished, expanded and built on completely different projects, hidden from everyone."
"This kind of practice, if it is not stopped as soon as possible, will take away the main part of the urban historical core of Belgrade, but also of all major cities in Serbia. Now it is completely clear that it can only be stopped by changing the government and the system," says MP Vladimir Pajić.
