Museum of the Serbian Orthodox Church

Most of the items originate from churches and monasteries from Fruška gora and east Srem, which were looted during the Second World War, transferred to Zagreb and then to Belgrade, in 1946. The rest of the collection are gifts and acquired/redeemed/bought items.

Even before the Second World War, founders of the Museum of the Serbian Orthodox Church, professors Radoslav Grujić and Lazar Mirković, worked on collecting valuable sacral items from Serbian churches and monasteries, in order to establish a church museum. 

An еpitaphios is a rectangular cloth with the image of Christ’s body laid for burial, which is placed on the central spot in church for veneration on Good Friday during Vespers. This еpitaphios is an exquisite sample of Byzantine art. 

It was made in the end of 13th or the beginning of 14th century in some of the best Constantinople weaver’s workshops, most likely at the request of King Milutin. The central part of the shroud has an embroidered representation of Christ’s body surrounded by six angels.  

At the bottom of the epitaphios there is an inscription with embroidered letters: REMEMBER, OH LORD, THE SOUL OF THY SERVANT MILUTIN UREŠI. 

The solemn attire of Prince Lazar is an exquisite example of Serbian medieval feudal garments, made of silk in the workshop of the city of Lucca, central Italy, before 1389. The relics of Prince Lazar were dressed in this vestment when they had been treasured in Vrdnik Monastery

Addorsed lions with gaping jaws and curved tails, standing on hind legs, embroidered by golden filaments, represent characteristic decorative motif on the fabric which was woven in the city of Lucca, the medieval centre of textile production in Italy.  

Saint Isaac the Syrian was a Syrian-Arab Orthodox bishop and theologian, an ascetic who lived in seventh century. He wrote homilies about spiritual life and ascetics, drawing conclusions from his own experience. These homilies were translated into many languages. 

The manuscript has one illuminated page with a flag with rich floral ornaments, two peacocks facing each other and a big initial letter in the shape of a rabbit attacked by a lion and a bird. 

Katarina Kantakuzina (Kantakouzene) Branković, daughter of one of the last Serbian Despots Djuradj Branković, made a mitre as a gift to the Belgrade Metropolitanate in the mid-15th century. The mitre is made of dark-blue and green silk and is richly decorated. 

In the upper part of the mitre, there is an inscription embroidered with beads, split in several parts, placed within several floral medallions, which reads as follows: “O Virgin Mother of God, accept this gift I bestow“. 

On the top of the mitre there is a metal ornament from a later date, in the form of a lily flower (fleur-de-lis), adorned with semi-precious stones and pearls, which is regarded as part of a crown.  

The incense holder was made in Smederevo in 1523, owing to the efforts of the Hegumen of Ravanica Monastery, Dionisije. It was made of gilded silver, in the form of a vessel, a nave with a low base, and was cast and decorated using techniques of embossing and engraving.

The interior of the incense holder is decorated with zoomorphic representations and floral ornaments. The central part of the base is decorated with enamel application with the carved representations of a gryphon, a lion and two rabbits. 

An incense burner with a long, horizontal handle is one of a few preserved vessels of this kind found in our region. It dates from 1654 and is linked with the name of hieromonk Dimitrije from Nova Vinča Monastery. 

Special attention in the decorative embellishment of the censer was dedicated to the bowl, which is made in the form of multi-angled Gothic building. It has many typical architectural elements: lancet windows, rosettes and buttresses. 

The icon of All Saints, originating from Šišatovac, 18th century, dimensions: 25.8 × 28.7 × 2 cm. The central part of the icon portrays Christ the King of Glory in a circular blue mandorla, sitting on a golden rainbow and blessing with both hands to the side. 

The upper part of the icon displays golden stars, the Sun and the Moon in the dark blue sky. The image of Christ is placed in a blue, radiant mandorla. He is wearing a golden himation and is sitting on a golden rainbow held by two angels.

The Patriarch Abraham with the souls of the righteous.