“Creative mentorship” affirms mentoring as a tool of personal and professional development, strengthens the capacities of the cultural sector and provides support to prospective professionals interested in developing, networking and sharing knowledge and experience. We want to build, gather and support a community of motivated and socially responsible individuals that will contribute to the development of a society based on creativity, culture, knowledge and mutual cooperation.

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SMEDEREVO IN THE EYES OF “CREATIVE MENTORSHIP”

On Saturday 21stof July, friends, collaborators and participants of the 4thgeneration of the „Creative Mentorship“ programme visited Smederevo. They were invited by curator pedagogue at the Smederevo Museum and participant of the 4thgeneration of the “Creative Mentorship” programme, Milan Markovic, and Tatjana Gacpar, Museum director and alumna of our programme. On this occasion, we visited the Golden Hill Villa of the family Obrenovic (Vila Zlatni Breg), Smederevo Museum and its new permanent exhibition, and finally, we took a walk at the Smederevo fortress.

GOLDEN HILL VILLA (VILA ZLATNI BREG),also known as a summer residence of the Obrenovic dynasty, is located 4 km from the city center, in the Plavinac settlement (old road Smederevo – Belgrade). In the 1829, at the peak of his power, Prince Milos, who founded the Obrenovic dynasty, bought a property with vineyard from a Turkish landowner Muhamed. The palace actually “started its live” during the ruling of King Milan and Queen Natalija who made parties and gathered famous artists and writers, Milan Rakic, Laza Kostic, Milovan Glisic etc. After the divorce of the royal couple, the villa belonged to Natalija. She hired a famous court architect, Jovan Ilkic, who is the author of many important buildings in Belgrade (National Assembly, Moskva Hotel, Officers club / Students cultural center) and introduced significant alterations in its appearance. Today, the villa houses the exhibitions of the Historical Museum and Museum of Applies Arts in Belgrade.

SMEDEREVO MUSEUM –  Exibition: The Smederevo fortress – from the capital to monumentis the new exhibition of the Smederevo Museum that promotes the complex inheritance of this extraordinary locality. The story about Smederevo fortress is, at the same time, a story about Serbia in the 15thcentury, Despot Djuradj Brankovic and „damned“ Jerina, slavery under Turks, devastating WW I and WW II, about the reconstruction of Smederevo fortress and granting the status of a cultural monument. The new exhibition is the most comprehensive review of the Smederevo fortress until now. This way, a new frame was created and it aims at better understanding of the Fortress. The exhibition The Smederevo fortress – from the capital to monumentis a part of the reconstruction of the permanent exhibition. The Museum tries to become a focal point for active and interactive learning that encourages critical and independent attitude towards society, environment and history. The Fortress is a place of encounters and dialogues, that offers satisfaction and leisure and for the local population and for the tourists.

SMEDEREVO FORTRESS– After the sudden death of Despot Stefan Lazarevic in 1427, the new ruler of Serbia, Despot Djuradj Brankovic, had to, accordingly to previously made agreement, hand over the capital city, Belgrade, to Hungarians.
Geostrategic and political reasons influenced his decision to build a new capital 40 km downstream of Belgrade and 10 km upstream ofthe Velika MoravaDanube confluence, one of the most important points of the Balkan Peninsula.Despot Djuradj Brankovicwanted to build a modern, new capital of the medieval Serbia, not just another safe, military stronghold.  Gradually, Smederevo fortress gained all the important elements of the big medieval city. In a short period of time, Smederevo became a dynamic, political, ecclesiastical, cultural and economical center of Serbia.

Smederevo fortress represents the highest achievement of the Serbian medieval military architecture. In the building of Smederevo fortress interweave centuries old experience, skillfulness and knowledge of the local and Byzantium artisans, together with hope, tiredness, worries, renunciation, joy and faith, all of those who were included in its building.

We thank Milan and Tanja for this unforgettable experience and a beautiful day that we spent together in Smederevo!

Photo and video credits: Neda Mojsilovic

Izlet u Smederevo