New appeal by experts: Aggressive actions to destroy cultural heritage

The Government of Serbia has received another appeal from experts to protect our cultural heritage, which, judging by past experience, will most likely remain unanswered.

As far as is known, the Government of Serbia has not responded to previous appeals/requests to preserve the General Staff and other cultural assets, or even to those sent by international organizations.

Also, despite the reaction of the Republic Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments to the Government's decision to revoke the status of a cultural property of the General Staff, that decision is still in force.

Government to cancel the decision on the General Staff

This latest appeal for the protection of cultural heritage and the preservation of historical cultural objects was sent by the International Association of Art Critics AICA - Section Serbia, the Association of Fine Artists of Serbia (ULUS), the Association of Fine Artists of Applied Arts and Designers of Serbia (ULUPUDS), the Association of the Independent Cultural Scene of Serbia (NKSS), the National Committee of ICOM of Serbia, Fakirs from the South and the Museum Society of Serbia (MDS).

The reason for the appeal is primarily "the decision of the Government of Serbia to delete the General Staff complex (1965), an important piece of architectural and cultural heritage designed by Nikola Dobrović, from the register of cultural assets".

The fact that the Republic Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments "assessed this Government decision as a gross violation of the Law on Cultural Heritage, indicates a worrying trend of disrespect and neglect of our cultural heritage." "Such actions not only violate the integrity of cultural heritage, but also undermine the legal framework established for their protection," the appeal says.

Kalemegdan, Fair, Sava Bridge...

Apart from being another protest against neglect of heritage, this appeal is also a story about the buildings that have been destroyed so far, which, presented in one place, is very disturbing.

Apart from the General Staff, the Belgrade Fortress - Kalemegdan was mentioned as an example, given that the renewed initiative to build a cable car to the Ušće Shopping Center threatens the integrity and safety of one of the most important historical locations in the country and at the same time represents a danger to the protected flora and fauna.

Also, the announced demolition and radical changes in the purpose of the Belgrade Fair complex, where only one hall received the status of a cultural asset, although it should have become the entire complex, then the old Sava bridge in Belgrade - despite its historical and architectural value and despite the protests of the citizens of Belgrade, the demolition is scheduled due to potential infrastructural changes that do not guarantee a solution to the traffic collapse in the city, and the "Cvijeta Zuzorić" Art Pavilion, whose survival and function have been called into question by carelessness and neglect.

List of destroyed

The signatories of the appeal also pointed to the urban planning solutions of New Belgrade, i.e. the threatening changes that can permanently damage the modernist heritage of that part of the city, then the expansion of Belgrade on the water on the left bank of the Sava, which endangers part of the Memorial Center "Staro sajmište" as an important historical location, as well as the further destruction of Vračar and Neimar by unlawfully demolishing villas and cutting trees that destroy the authentic character of those parts of the city.

Then: in the past few years, Belgrade has lost several valuable cultural objects. Among them are the Old Post Office from 1929, the work of Momir Korunović, and Hotel "Yugoslavija" from 1969, designed by Lavoslav Horvat. Important buildings were also destroyed, such as the Građanska štedionica from 1929, the work of Stevan Tobolar, the residential house at Topolska 15 from 1927, an early example of modernity in Belgrade architecture, designed by Milan Šlang.

According to the data of the Republic Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments, 2.657 immovable cultural assets are registered in the central register, of which 2.277 are cultural monuments, 97 spatial cultural-historical entities, 203 archaeological sites and 80 famous places. Each of these monuments has a unique value and importance, and their protection is of vital interest to our community.

Finally, they appeal for "additional initiative, because the Government ignored the declaration of the Academy of Engineering Sciences of Serbia, the Academy of Architecture of Serbia, the Association of Architects of Serbia and the associations of architects of Belgrade, Novi Sad, Niš, Zrenjanin, Valjevo and Vranje on the fate of the Belgrade Fair and the General Staff." That is why we must resolutely oppose the aggressive actions of the collapse of cultural and historical heritage due to irresponsible investor intentions, in order to defend our common heritage for generations to come," the signatories of the appeal emphasized.