Description of the attraction
The National Theater of Serbia is already about one and a half centuries old. Its building, located in Belgrade on Republic Square next to the National Museum, was founded in the second half of the 19th century.
The decision to build a building for him was made by the Serbian prince Mikhail Obrenovic in 1868, although the theater itself was created several years earlier and was located in another city. The building was completed in less than two years and has become one of the most impressive structures in Belgrade. The architect was Aleksandr Bugarski, one of the first Serbian architects; the building of the Belgrade City Hall was also built according to his design. Prince Obrenovich could not be present at the opening of the theater, since in 1868 he was killed by supporters of another princely dynasty - the Karageorgievich. The death of the prince slowed down the pace of construction work, but in the end, as it was decided, the theater building became a monument to him. The first performance on the new stage was called “The Posthumous Glory of Prince Mikhail”.
The theater moved to a new building in the capital from the city of Novi Sad. It became a place not only for theatrical performances, but also for political events - for example, in 1888 the Serbian constitution was adopted here. In the second half of the 19th century and at the beginning of the 20th century, changes were made to the appearance of the building, which influenced its original appearance. In addition, the building of the National Theater was damaged during the Second World War, and after its end it was restored. In the mid-80s, after reconstruction, the theater building again acquired its appearance, close to the original. In the late 90s, when Yugoslavia was under attack by NATO forces, the theater actors continued their work, showing performances for a symbolic fee.
Currently, there are three troupes working at the National Theater: opera, drama and ballet, which were created in the 1920s. They perform on two stages - the main and the small with a total of 1000 seats. Part of the building is occupied by the theater museum.
Since 1983, the National Theater in Belgrade has enjoyed the status of a cultural heritage of particular importance.
