Regional Institute for Protection of Cultural Monuments in Smederevo

Snežana Jejić, principal

The preservation of the cultural heritage, and within it the preservation of the monumental heritage, is without doubt the most important process of the preservation of the cultural identity of a society, an indicator of its accomplishment and steadfastness, and therefore an important impulse for its further existence.

The preservation of monumental heritage is a very complex and responsible task, a task of pronounced sensitiveness and a keen ear on the road to "presenting" the cultural monuments to future generations.

The duty of studying, evaluating, preserving, caring for and improving the monumental heritage in the region around the Danube and Braničevo was assigned in 1981 to the Smederevo Regional Institute for the preservation of cultural monuments. As a preservation institution, the Institute performs its tasks in 11 municipalities: Smederevo, Velika Plana, Smederevska Palanka, Požarevac, Veliko Gradište, Golubac, Kučevo, Petrovac, Žagubica, Žabari and Malo Crniće.

The tasks of preserving cultural monuments in this region, as well as throughout the territory of Serbia, were performed since 1947 by the Republic Institute for the preservation of cultural monuments, as the first and only institution of this kind. After the founding of the preservation department in 1965, jurisdiction over the municipalities of Žagubica, Petrovac, Malo Crniće and Kučevo was turned over to the Kragujevac Institute, and in 1969 the Belgrade Institute for the preservation of cultural monuments received jurisdiction over the territory of the Smederevo municipality. The regions of the Golubac, Veliko Gradište, Požarevac and Smederevska Palanka municipalities were practically not covered by any Institute at all until 1981, when the Smederevo Regional Institute for the preservation of cultural monuments was founded.

The monumental heritage of the regions around the Danube and Braničevo is vary varied and rich, full of history and symbolical values that are inscribed in the collective memory of our society. The monument fund consists of many archeological sites, urban and rural units, objects built by the people, objects of sacral, profane and utilitarian architecture, old cemeteries, public monuments, memorial objects and places of significance. The fact that these cultural monuments were able to withstand the tests of time doubtlessly tells of the vital energy of their sustainability, and also of society's duty to renew this energy.

The problems related to the preservation of monumental heritage are numerous and complex, and stem from the still insufficiently developed awareness of the necessity of preserving monumental heritage, the low level of processing, the lack of funds necessary for well thought-out and expert continual work on exploration and processing, the inadequate number of experts as well as the lack of financial possibilities for a broader social engagement in the technical preservation, conservation, presentation and active adequate use for contemporary cultural needs.

The Regional Institute recorded a large number of all types of immovable objects in the previous period, so that the performed exploration of these objects was in part planned and systematic.

Namely, a foundation was laid for further expert work on the studying, valorization and undertaking protective measures and preservation through previous protection.

The archeological sites in this region are numerous, for this is a region of very characteristic geo-morphology, so that different cultural groups were formed as far back as ancient history. The Danube and other rivers in this region were a favorable setting for the work of the bearers of the Starčevo, Vinča and Žuto Brdo cultures. The preserved remains of ancient communications and fortifications testify to the developed ancient civilization in this region. The most well-known ancient sites in this region are Mons Aureus, Vincea, Viminacijum, Dubravica, Kalište, Lederata, Pinkum and Čezava.

Compared to the prehistoric and ancient sites, the medieval ones are far less explored. Well documented archeological findings are of extreme importance for creating a project for the restoration and presentation of medieval architectural heritage and viewing its urban scenography. These cultural objects have a multiple significance for the preservation of the historical thread and cultural identity of our people. Therefore it is very important that the exploration and technical preservation be continued in a fitting manner. The most well-known findings in this region are the Smederevo fort, Golubac, Ram, Ždrelo, Krepoljin and Kulič.

Objects of sacral architecture with monumental traits have appeared in this region since the Middle Age and continuously from then to this day.

Sacral objects contain marvelous works of art (frescoes and iconography) as well as objects of applied art.

The expert work on their processing, the completion of technical documentation, historical and artistic analysis is a priority in the work ahead. Conservatory work has been performed or is being performed on many of the objects. Considering the fact that most of our sacral monuments have completely retained their original function to this day, coordinating the obligations laid down by the Law on Objects of Culture and international conventions on heritage preservation with the needs of monasteries as live organizational units is frequently very complex and delicate. Thus the need for constant visits and contacts with the church authorities in charge is obvious, with a view to finding satisfactory solutions concerning all problems that might arise if interventions are performed inexpertly, both on the architecture and the works of art.

The paintings of the people of this region are rich in form and content. The blending of the spiritual and the material created a certain authentic architectural tradition. The objects of popular architecture are of fairly short duration, for they were built of weak materials. This architecture is the most endangered monumental group, for the preservation of which specific-purpose funds must be obtained, for the owners do not have much interest in their maintenance. Impulses for further existence are necessary, through new functions, in accordance with contemporary needs.

Urban architectural heritage is present on the territory of all municipalities and is mostly concentrated in administrative centers that developed with greater dynamics that other settlements. This heritage does not only have material artifacts, but also represents a number of layers of a spiritual nature that are woven into the region. It is complex and layered, formed of material traces, a sense of belonging to a certain region and a number of symbolical meanings.

In the preservation of this heritage it is very important to recognize symbols that can be very diverse - an urban matrix from the period of origin, urbanistic morphology, namely a square, a mesh of streets, broader areas, the form of town blocks, lots, town landmarks etc. These can also be town sights or a "silhouette of the town". Since towns are very live organisms in which all sorts of life flows meet, the task of preservation is extremely complex and very demanding in the finding of minimum forms that must have a balanced relationship with that which is very important to strategists of local development and town planers. As it would not be possible to imagine the construction of urban future without the wealth of urban architectural heritage, an extremely keen sense of combining the old with the new is needed. Therefore a significant role of preservation experts in all urbanistic plans and architectural layouts is also necessary.

Apart from exploration, recording, the creating of historical, technical, photographic and other documentation of immovable cultural objects and objects of previous preservation, valorization, the creating of recommendations for the establishment of cultural monuments, keeping a register of cultural monuments, preservation through documentation, determining conditions for undertaking measures of technical preservation, the drawing up of surveys, monitoring works, determining conditions for town planning, undertaking measures of legal protection, drawing up surveys of exploration, restoration and conservation work, work on information, publications and propaganda and the training of experts, the Regional Institute also performs archeological and architectural explorations and research and conservation and restoration tasks.

The conservatory work that the Regional Institute has performed in the past period of time is of immeasurable importance for the direct salvation and preservation of the most significant and most endangered cultural monuments in this region. The said work was performed on:

• The Smederevo fort complex,
• The sacral objects complex in the Gornjačka cliffs,
• The sacral objects complex in Krnjevo,
• The Koporin monastery,
• The Medieval Church of the Dormition of the Holy Mother of God in the old cemetery in Smederevo,
• The Church of St. Archangels Michael and Gabriel of Zaovo,
• The Medieval Church of the Vitovnica monastery,
• The church-log house of St. prophet Elijah at the cemetery in Smederevska Palanka,
• The church of the Pokajnica monastery in Staro Selo,
• The Zahvalnica Church in Radovanjski Lug,
• The Church of the Holy Ascension in Staro Selo,
• The complex of water and rolling mills in Bistrica,
• The native home of the hero Sveta Mladenović in Saraorci,
• The memorial ossuary at the Smederevo cemetery.

For these enterprises special-purpose funds were provided for the Institute.

For a great number of cultural monuments that work was performed on and for which special-purpose funds were not provided, the Institute performed the organizing of the work, expert supervision and completion of the documentation.

A team of 13 experts in various fields works intensely in the Regional Institute, on preservation tasks, and experts from other bureaus and many faculties of the Belgrade University are contracted as needed. The expert team of the Institute is comprised of archeologists, architects, art historians, an ethnologist, a lawyer, an economist and architectural and civil engineering technicians. This is a minimum of employees and it is certainly necessary to enlarge the team, bearing in mind the great number of cultural monuments.

The goal of the experts of the Regional Institute is to raise the efficiency level of the preservation department and the affirmation of the department through strategic choices of intense work on the basic activities, and creating a better documentation base, so that its further operationality and modernizing could help perform the mission of protection, preservation and upgrading of the cultural heritage.

Publications:

• P. Ivić, V. J. Đurić, S. Ćirković, Esfigmenska povelja despota Đurđa/The Esfigmen charter of Despot Đurađ, Smederevo, 1989. (published on the occasion of the 560^th anniversary of the building of Smederevo)
• Ikone iz Krnjeva/Icons from Krnjevo, Smederevo, 1987.
• N. Jocović, V. Kasalica, Spomenici Srpskog Podunavlja iza Kosova/Monuments of the Serbian territory along the Danube after Kosovo Battle, Smederevo, 1989.
• Spomenici Smedereva i Braničeva/Monuments of the Smederevo and Braničevo Region, 1, Smederevo, 1997.
• dr M. Cunjak, Srednjovekovni predmeti od gvožđa sa teritorije podunavskog i braničevskog okruga (od XII-XVII veka)/Medieval iron objects fron the territory of the Danube and Braničevo regions (from 12th–17th centuries), Smederevo, 2001.
• dr M. Cunjak, Č. Jordović, Srednjovekovni grad Golubac/Medieval Town of Golubac, Smederevo, 2002.