About Military Museum
TThe Military Museum was founded by the Decree of Prince Milan Obrenović IV, on 10/22 August 1878, at the proposal of the Minister of Military Colonel Sava Grujić. The first museum exhibition was opened in 1904 on the occasion of the centenary of the First Serbian Uprising as part of the coronation ceremonies of King Peter I Karađorđević. At that time, the museum was located in a modest building from the Ottoman era, right next to the Roman Well. Shortly after its founding, it took part in the Balkan Exhibition in London in 1907, where it attracted great attention with a hundred selected historical objects, which was also reported by the press of the time. This first museum building was destroyed in World War I. More than two decades would pass before the new museum building was opened. King Alexander I Karađorđević issued a Decree on the Establishment of the Military Museum in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia in 1934. The new exhibition opened in 1937 in two buildings at the Belgrade Fortress, one of which is now the Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments of the City of Belgrade.
The current building of the Military Museum is located on Bastion 1 of the southeastern front of the Belgrade Fortress, in a building built in the period 1924-1928 for the needs of the Military Geographical Institute according to the design of the Russian emigrant, architect Vasiliev.
Since during the Second World War, the old buildings of the Military Museum were significantly damaged, and in addition, they were surpassed by the size of the museum collection, it was necessary to find a new solution for the accommodation of the Military Museum. Since in 1955 the Military Geographical Institute was moved to a new building, it was decided to give the building to the Military Museum as the most suitable solution, given the fortress environment that suited the theme of the Military Museum. The large area of the building, 1600 m2, was suitable for the creation of a large exhibition, and the basement was suitable for housing collections and conservation workshops. The adaptation of the building was entrusted to the famous architect Đuka Kavurić, who led the work from 1956 to 1959. The entire building, with some changes, was fully adapted to the specific needs of the Military Museum according to modern standards.
Since 1959, the Military Museum has been located in a recognizable building, one of the symbols of the Belgrade Fortress.