istorical past of the Church Museum bring us back to far away past, into the time when were built our first monasteries, and together with them soon created treasuries where to were deposited priestly cassocks and all those chucrh artistic and liturgy values, which are used at religious services. Monastery and church treasuries, with their interior contents, are precurors of contemporary museum and gallery exhibits.

On the territory of the Dukedom of Serbia, first steps in the collection of church artistic values were taken in 1856 by Petar Jovanovic, Belgrade archbishop and Serbian metropolitan. Based on collected icons and other church values, in 1858 in the building of Belgrade mitropolitan diocese was opened "Hudozestvena hranilnica". Ten years after, this collection was moved to the Belgrade National Museum.

In 1937, in the time of Serbian patriarch Varnava, was made the agreement between the Kingdom of Yugoslavia and SOC (Serbian Orthodox Church) on the rent of the Duchess Ljubica Lodgins for here locating the Church Museum. After many difficulties, the Museum was finally opened, shortly before the beginning of the Second World War.

After the Second World War, from Zagreb was returned a part of the robed church artistic and other historical objects, guarded for centuries in the treasuries of Fruska Gora monasteries. In the same year, 1946, at the order of authorized state authorities, the Serbian Orthodox Church Museum was moved out from Duchess Ljubica Lodgins. All these historical-artistic and martyring treasure of the Serbian people then was stored in the Patriarchy building, with intention to have restored the Serbian Orthodox Church Museum and the Patriarchy Library. Finally, the Serbian Orthodox Church Museum was opened in the Serbian Patriarchy building on 14th June 1954 by Serbian patriarch Vikentije.

Display of the Serbian Orthodox Church Museum is conditioned by the available space and the character of artistic and historical materials. The fund base consists of: icons, church textile, metal liturgy objects, manuscript book and old printed church books, portraits, graphics, archivals, etc. The character of the exhibits, as well as the historical and artistic value of the museum objects, caused the creation of determined museum wholes. Among them are: liturgy metal objects from one epoque; manuscript books from 16th century; values related to Duke Lazar: exhibits related to the life of the Serbs on the territory of the Hapsburg Monarchy; collections of antimins, votive objects, panagys, church vestments and graphics: collection of icons from various periods, especially the icons of Serbian and Russian zoographs made in the same period. Separate room testifies about the works of folk creativity, and one glass showcase is filled up with the bishops' objects. Also are exibited the first printed books: "Oktoih" (Eight Melodies Book), first Serbian incunabula, printed in 1493/94, and the first printed book in Belgrade - "Tetragospel" from 1552. Certain exhibits, for its importance, have their own separated space: Serbian King Milutin's cape, 13th/14th century, and a silver gift-deposit made as a model of the monastery Ravanica in 1705. Special gallery represent the portraits of church dignitaries and historical figures from 17th, 18th and 19th century.

There are three basic sources which make the Serbian Orthodox Church Museum's fund: church artistical objects which before belonged to the Church Museum; then the values from Fruska Gora's monasteries taken away to Zagreb during the War and brought back to Serbian Orthodox Church in 1946; and presents received by Church Museum from various institutions and individuals. The last one source in the permanent one, where from the valuable objects almost daily enrich this Museum, which, by its artistic and historical meaning comes immediately after the Hilandar's treasury.

The icon painting works in the Belgrade's Serbian Orthodox Church Museum are considered the most important whole of the Serbian painting achievements between 15th and 19th century. Among the earliest painting works also figures the icon on which is showed Jesus Christ the Omniholder, Serbian work from 15th century. Icon "Birth of the Holy Mother of God", was made in 16th century. To the period of 16th or to the very beginning of 17th century belongs the icon "Mother of God with Jesus Christ and the Old Testament profets", which once belonged to the monastery Krusedol.

Important whole make the icons by the Crete's zoographs from 16th and 17th century, among which especially stand out the monumental icons of Christ the Pantocrator and of the Mother of God with Jesus Christ.

The icon "Saint John the Baptizer", of the kephalophoros tupe, work of the iconograph Andreja Rai-cevic from 1645, then the icon "Holy House of the Brankovic", are important works of the Serbian painting dating from the middle of 17th century. Among the zoograph's icons stand out the achievements of Ostoja Mrkojevic, Kozma Damjanovic, priest Stanoje Popovic and Joakim Markovic. The successors of this new course in the church painting are: Nikola Neskovic, Stefan Tenecki, Dimitrije Bacevic, Teodor Kracun. Painting works from 19th century in the Serbian Orthodox Church Museum were crowned by the works of Paja Jovanovic, Uros Predic, Arsa Teodorovic and Georgije Bakalovic.

A special whole make the icon painting achievements of the Russian zoographs from 17th till 19th century.

Among the fine arts achievements in the Serbian Orthodox Church Museum, special place belongs to graphic, wood carving and copper engraving.

In the very top of the European copper engraving graphic figure the works of Hristofor Zefarovic and Zaharije Orfelin, which in the Serbian Orthodox Church Museum make one separate whole.

Church liturgy metal, by its number and historical durability, figures among the most valuable ones. Just to mention the silver glass from 1500, the incense box also of silver, made in 1523 in the city of Smederevo, the gift deposit in the shape of five cupola church from 1550/51.

Church textile, together with metal liturgy objects, represents the exceptionally precious whole in the Serbian Orthodox Church Museum. King Milutin's cape (end of 13th and beginning of 14th century), was made in golden threads having as a model the Byzantium embroidery. Also belonging to that period are the Krusedol bracelets, on which was embroided the Apostles Communion. Duke Lazar's vestment (cape), made before 1389, is decorated with reared lions and numerous geometrical and floral elements. Shroud for the Duke Lazar's head, more known as Jefimija's embroidery, was embroided about 1402 by the modest nun Jefimija, once wife of Serbian despot Ugljesa Mrnjavcevic, who had been killed in 1371 in the battle on Marica. Katarina (Kantakuzin), daughter of Serbian despot Djuradj Brankovic, embroided in the middle of 15th century a miter for the Belgrade metropolitan. The majority of the church textile consists of the vestments (clothing for religious service) elaborated in golden and silver threads in 14th, 15th and 16th century.

A separate whole among the church textiles represents the collection made of 500 antimins from 15th to 19th century.

Collection of manusript books and old printed books from the beginning of 13th till the end of 19th century counts over 800 specimens.

"Aprakosian Gospel" was copied in the middle of 13th century on the parchment, and at the end of the last quarter of 13th century was written the "Tetragospel", afterwards copied by two scribes.

"Syntagma of Matija Vlastar" was copied in 1453 by deacon Damjan. In the same year monk Damjan copies the "Scale of Saint Jovan Scalemaker", at the order of Serbian despot Djuradj Brankovic of Smederevo, and Branicevo's metropolitan Savatije. Priest Jovan of Kratov copied in 1580 the "Tetragospel", and one other "Gospel" was copied in 1579 by monk Nikanor in the monastery of Remeta. However, numerous names of the copyists, illuminators and masters of artistic binding remained unknown till today.

Among the old printed books in the Serbian Orthodox Church Museum there are "The Book of Psalms", printed in Cetinje in 1494 in the printing shop of Djuradj Crnojevic, then the "Religious Service Book" from Bozidar Gorazdanin's printing shop from 1519, Gracanica's "Eight Melodies Book" from 1539, as well as the Belgrade "Tetragospel" printed in 1552, and hundreds more of medieval Serbian church books and other religious service books printed in scriptoriums of the Serbian monasteries, as well as in the printing shops of Venice, Moscow, Kiev, Vienna, and other cities.

In the Serbian Orthodox Church Museum funds are also guarded numerous charters, privileges, syncelluses, diplomas, berats, among which can be found the charters of King Vukasin, Emperor Dusan, Duke Lazar, despot Jovan Brankovic, then the charters of Vlach rulers Konstantin Basaraba and Serban Kantakuzin. About the relations between the Serbs and Russians testify the chapters of Russian Emperors Alexandar Mihailovich and Peter the Great. Privileges of Austrian Emperors Ferdinand the Third, Leopold the Sixth, Joseph the Second, and Emperatrice Maria Theresa speak about the rights of the Serbs on the territory of Hapsburg Monarchy of that time. Certain whole also make the Turkish documents issued to the Serbian monasteries during the second half of 16th century and throughout the whole 17th century.

The Serbian Orthodox Church Museum is open for visitors and scientific workers from the country and abroad. Among its numerous guests until now were presidents of the states and heads of churches and religious communities. Especially is remembered the visit of Sir Lorens Olivier, who spent a certain time in front of the exposed King Milutin's cape in a prayer peace, to start speaking, afterwards, as the unique interpreter of Shakespeare's works, one dramatic text from "Hamlet".

Numerous valuable exhibits of the Church Museum were exposed in many museum centers of Europe: in Paris (two times), London, Madrid, Moscow, Bucarest, Vienna and other cities.

Story: M. A. Slobodan Mileusnic