This joint project of the Ethnographic Museum in Belgrade and the Museum of Republika Srpska presents, in a representative manner, the richness of Serbian traditional culture and its significance in a European and global context.
The exhibition was officially opened by H.E. Ms. Ana Hrustanović, Ambassador of the Republic of Serbia to France, who emphasized the importance of cultural diplomacy and the role of cultural heritage as a lasting bridge between peoples.
The audience was also addressed by Ms. Marija Nestorović, Director of the Cultural Centre of Serbia in Paris, who highlighted the institution’s role as a meeting point of heritage, international audiences, and contemporary interpretations of tradition.
Mr. Marko Krstić, Director of the Ethnographic Museum in Belgrade, and Mr. Davor Strika, Director of the Museum of Republika Srpska, spoke about the importance of cooperation, emphasizing that the exhibition is the result of strong inter-institutional collaboration and joint efforts in preserving and promoting cultural heritage internationally.
The exhibition curators are Ms. Mirjana Kraguljac Ilić, Senior Curator at the Ethnographic Museum in Belgrade, and Ms. Danijela Đukanović, Museum Advisor and Ethnologist at the Museum of Republika Srpska. They stressed the importance of presenting the authentic heritage of the Zmiјanje region to international audiences, noting that Zmiјanje embroidery was inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2014.
A special segment of the program was a live demonstration of Zmiјanje embroidery by Ms. Svetlana Marković, who introduced visitors to the complexity and artistic value of this traditional technique.
The exhibition features 52 historical objects from museum collections in Belgrade and Banja Luka, dating from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, as well as 22 works by contemporary associations, demonstrating the continuity and vitality of this tradition.
The realization of the exhibition takes place in the year marking the 125th anniversary of the Ethnographic Museum in Belgrade.
The exhibition will be open to visitors at the gallery of the Cultural Centre of Serbia in Paris until May 30, 2026.
