Finding Tito in the Museum of Yugoslavia.


Museum of Yugoslavia, Belgrade.
August 2019.
I hadn’t been aware of it before my visit to the Serbian capital. But actually my general knowledge of modern history and its key world leaders had a large Yugoslavia shaped hole in it. Churchill? Sure, I have a solid overview. Stalin? Yup, I could certainly give you a few facts and figures. Mussolini? I reckon if I racked my brain I could tell you some stuff. Hitler? Duh…
But what about Yugoslavian President Josip Broz? The leader better known as Tito, a pseudonym he used as a young man while doing underground Communist Party work. Tito, eh? I’m gonna be honest and admit that my knowledge of the man amounted to diddly squat.

Josip Broz Tito (1892-1980).
Luckily for me, Belgrade has the perfect place for what you might call Tito enlightenment. Step forward The Museum of Yugoslavia, a place that focuses so heavily on the man who ruled the country between 1953 and 1980 that people often refer to it as the Tito Museum. Thus one afternoon Sladja took me to see what I can honestly say is one of the oddest, most unique museums I have ever visited.
Museum of Yugoslavia, Belgrade.

The Tito Museum.
The museum takes visitors on a haphazard but fascinating tour through The Kingdom of Yugoslavia (1918-1943) and its successive Socialist Yugoslavia era (1945-1992). This is a dense, complicated history (for me at least) that would be challenging to follow even in the hands of a skilled author.
Under the stewardship of the museum though, one could easily slip into a quagmire of confusion. In fact, the narrative is all over the place and told through acquired antiques and historic artefacts. Moreover, some of the stuff on display comes with English commentary, others just in Serbian, a few pieces nothing at all.

Museum of Yugoslavia.
In any case the museum’s curators have planted the focus firmly on Yugoslavia’s legendary leader. And in that sense, they’ve definitely succeeded in painting a picture of the man and his life and times. So how to summarise the legacy of Josip Broz Tito?
Born in the village of Kumrovec in northern Croatia, he first worked as a locksmith before joining the Austro-Hungarian Army where he became the youngest sergeant major of the day. During World War I the Russians captured him and he served time in a Prisoner of War camp. The below portrait, painted by the Serbian artist Đorđe Andrejević-Kun, is one of several in the museum.
Josip Broz Tito.

Museum of Yugoslavia.
After the war, in the recently formed Kingdom of Yugoslavia, Broz’s political career took off when he joined the League of Communists of Yugoslavia. First he became the General Secretary, then The President. When World War II broke out, Tito positioned himself as a fierce enemy of The Nazis, leading the resistance guerrilla movement The Partisans.
Yugoslavia’s place in the story of World War II is especially complex. One museum item that caught my eye is this antique poster referencing the 27th of March 1941. This was the day a British backed coup succeeded in overthrowing the Yugoslavian government who had, just two days earlier, signed the Tripartite Act, an alliance with Nazi Germany, Japan and Italy.

Museum of Yugoslavia.
Following the coup, the new government refused to ratify the previous agreement with The Nazis. Hence the Germans got all pissed off and invaded. The bombing of Belgrade began on April the 6th, while on the 10th a pro-fascist group called Ustaše announced Croatia (hitherto part of Yugoslavia) as an independent state in full support of The Nazis. By the end of April Yugoslavia had capitulated under German occupation. What a mess.

Museum of Yugoslavia.
Nevertheless, Tito’s efforts against The Nazis didn’t go unrecognised. Consequently, in 1944, it was Winston Churchill himself who gave Tito a signed photograph thanking him and Yugoslavia for their heroism. The photograph shows Churchill, Stalin and Franklin Roosevelt at the Tehran Conference in 1943. A very cool museum piece.
Museum of Yugoslavia, Belgrade.

An historic uniform.
Churchill gave Tito the present when they met in Naples. In order to impress the British Prime Minister, he wore his Marshall’s uniform, decorated with medals and gold braids. Churchill later wrote: “He was wearing a magnificent blue and gold uniform, which was very tight around the corner and highly inappropriate for the fervent heat!”

“What the bloody hell are you wearing?”
When World War II ended Tito was a man with plenty of friends in high places. As a result, he was able to wield great influence. And so he came to power, forming The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, of which he was the Prime Minister between 1944 and 1963.
He also became president in 1953, a role he held until his death in 1980. Along the way, Tito managed to depose Peter II, the last king of Serbia. He also executed a dangerous political enemy, Draža Mihailović, and effectively stifled all domestic opposition. Such are the acts of a dictator. Among his many political successes, he became the first Communist leader to break free from The Soviet Union and forge his own independent road to national Communism.

Draža Mihailović. Executed by firing squad in July 1946.
He also maintained an incredible cohesion between all of Yugoslavia’s six republics, suppressing the rise of revolutionaries and nationalist groups. The below painting, Vigil or Fruits of Peace by the artist Miladin Aničić, depicts Tito in contrasting perspectives as a beloved ruler and hated dictator.
Vigil or Fruits of Peace.

Museum of Yugoslavia.
The artwork shows a sculptor carving the great leader’s face into the rocks overlooking a verdant, paradise-like land. Does the artist think of Yugoslavia as a utopia? Or is he being ironic? And the hives and buzzing bees on his head. Do they symbolise the leniency and grace of honey? Or the ruthless bee stings that will come to anyone who poses a threat? It’s a curious piece, whatever the answers.

Museum of Yugoslavia.
Outside, in the large garden, Sladja and I strolled down the central path admiring dozens of striking sculptures. They were all gifts to President Tito from across Yugoslavia’s various republics. Most of them were birthday presents, such as Doe and Fawn pictured below, by Vladeta Petrić.

Museum of Yugoslavia.
If the museum experience had ended there, I may have left feeling somewhat underwhelmed. However, we definitely got our money’s worth with the second part of the complex, the House of Flowers. Tito had it built in 1975 as an indoor winter garden just a short walk from his private residence.

Museum of Yugoslavia.
Tito loved his House of Flowers so much he quickly made plans for the central chamber to become his final resting place. And that’s precisely where the state buried him after his death in Slovenia on the 4th of May 1980.
Museum of Yugoslavia.

Museum of Yugoslavia, Belgrade.
At 87 years old, Tito had been suffering from blood circulation problems in his legs. But when doctors insisted he needed to have one leg amputated, he simply refused. Before long Tito developed gangrene, after which a close advisor eventually convinced him to have his left leg removed. Unfortunately though, the amputation came too late.

House of Flowers.
Despite being a controversial figure, Tito had a fantastic reputation among world leaders and boy did they turn up in force for his state funeral. In fact, there were 31 presidents, 22 prime ministers and 6 princes in attendance, including the likes of Indira Gandhi, Robert Mugabe, Helmut Schmidt, Margaret Thatcher and Prince Philip, husband of Queen Elizabeth II.

Statue of Tito, Museum of Yugoslavia.
Amusingly, U.S. President Jimmy Carter was a no show, as he didn’t want to bump into Soviet General Secretary Leonid Brezhnev. Carter did come and visit Tito’s grave later that year, standing right on the spot Sladja and I were on that afternoon.

Museum of Yugoslavia.
We also took a moment to pause at the grave of Tito’s third wife, Jovanka Broz. A lieutenant colonel in the Yugoslav People’s Army, she was married to Tito for 28 years, though they had no children together. According to several historians, Jovanka was the victim of several ambitious politicians who succeeded in turning Tito against his wife in his final years.
House of Flowers.

Museum of Yugoslavia.
In the days following Tito’s death, Jovanka found herself placed under house arrest where she lived out the rest of her life in quiet seclusion. Finally, her wish to be placed next to her husband in the House of Flowers was fulfilled in 2013 after she passed away aged 88.

Jovanka Broz (1924-2013).
The House of Flowers also holds an exhibit on Tito’s political life. This one does a much better job of breaking down his story with a logical, well-presented, year by year narrative.

Museum of Yugoslavia.
Part of the display focuses on Youth Day, a national celebration held each year on Tito’s Birthday, May the 25th. These were huge events dominated by a curious tradition called the Relay of Youth.
It involved youngsters from all over Yugoslavia racing across the country handing over a baton containing a special birthday pledge for Tito. The race started in his home town Kumrovec and finished in Belgrade, where one lucky young boy or girl got to present the baton to Tito.

Museum of Yugoslavia.
Furthermore, the museum houses a massive collection of batons he received over the years. The tradition became so important all kinds of organisations began sending him their own unique batons as presents throughout the year.

Display of birthday batons in the House of Flowers.
Some came from The Army, others from schools and businesses. An incredible amount of time and effort went into the design and creation of these batons in the hope that they would stand out from the crowd.
Museum of Yugoslavia.

Museum of Yugoslavia.
There are other gifts on display too. How about this fancy silver writing set gifted to Tito by U.S. President John F. Kennedy in 1963? Apparently it was one of his favourite presents from a world leader, hence it had pride of place on his office desk for years.

Museum of Yugoslavia.
I also got a kick out of this signed photograph of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip. The British monarch sent it to Tito in 1971 ahead of her visit to Yugoslavia in 1972.

To President Tito from Queen Elizabeth II.
It was The Queen’s first visit to a communist country, which began in Belgrade. After a few days in the capital she, Philip and their 22 year old daughter Princess Anne embarked on a 780 mile tour around some of the country’s most popular scenic spots.

Princess Anne: Not looking particularly excited about her visit to Yugoslavia.
The last display we saw was on Tito’s famous Blue Train, the president’s luxury 19-carriage mobile palace. This was how he travelled across the country, meeting the people and attending conferences and special events.
Lavishly designed with Art Deco furnishings, Tito also took the Blue Train for visits to France, Bulgaria, Poland, Hungary and beyond. On numerous occasions world leaders such as Yasser Arafat and François Mitterrand stayed in the guest carriage,
The Blue Train.

Museum of Yugoslavia.
And it was the blue train that carried Tito’s coffin from Slovenia to Belgrade for his funeral. Incredibly, it’s possible to rent the train for a ride from the Serbian capital to the Montenegrin town of Bar. Yes, it’s pricy. When not in use visitors can get tickets to see the Blue Train on display in Belgrade’s Topčider Station.

The Blue Train pictured in Belgrade, 1976.
On our way out Sladja stopped to read the guest book. There were comments by people from all over the world, the vast majority of them positive. While I felt much of the exhibit in the main building lacked cohesion, I’m still glad I took the time to explore the place.
After all, I learned a lot about Tito. And to stand in front of his tomb… well it was surreal and melancholic… perhaps even a little exciting. For anyone looking for a curious entry point to the man and his life, The Museum of Yugoslavia is well worth a visit.

Museum of Yugoslavia.
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55 Comments
Not much idea of this region’s history so very interesting. Amazed he held the different cultures together, though no idea if it was good or bad.
Hey Gary, glad this put together a few pieces of the puzzle. He is still very much a revered man in The Balkans, especially across Serbia. As for whether his binding of the nations was good or bad, it depends on who you speak to I guess. Read some of your restaurant reviews last night, good craic.
Hi Leighton, Only thought a couple of friends read my rubbish. Thanks P.S renewed st
dictators are always bad…
Thanks for throwing in your two cents!
😎
What a place what a complex character. I can well imagine this wasnt easy to write, such thick history and the museum doing things in their own way.
Thanks for reading Stan! Yes, a complex character to say the least and one whose story is a little lost under the layers considering he played a key role during The Second World War. Definitely not your average Nation Museum.
I’d heard of Tito through history lessons but only had vague recollections of his role until reading this. Certainly a complex character and a very interesting place to visit whilst in Belgrade Leighton. Thanks for sharing this with us.
Thank you Marion, the fact that The Museum of Yugoslavia houses Tito’s tomb really elevates it above similar exhibits across Europe. Quite surreal, plus the gardens are lovely and peaceful, packed with those curious sculptures.
In keeping with the habit of left wing dictators and in line with Leningrad and Stalingrad, the now Montenegro capital was renamed Titograd during the Yugoslavia era, if memory serves me correctly. Like most Iron Curtain dictators, Tito was in reality a Moscow puppet…although of course in the instance of Yugoslavia the “iron” became more of a “net curtain” with the advent of package tour tourism in the 70s. Until I read your article I always thought Tito was disliked by the Serbs, but if they host his museum then I guess I must be mistaken.
Well, there will never be complete unity on the subject but yeah, plenty of Serbs still hold Tito in high regard. Totally disagree about him being a Moscow puppet though, from what I understand it was the opposite. He came to power independently and forged a new path of National Communism, breaking away from Soviet influence. The Tito-Stalin split and all that. Stalin even planned to have Tito assassinated, though it never came to fruition. It’s a delicate subject I think, as he was often branded a puppet by The West for various reasons (execution of Mihajlovic, imprisonment of Stepinac, support of Communists in the Greek Civil War blah blah blah).
Ah I stand corrected and apologise to Tito fans everywhere! I guess it shows that I was brought up on Cold War propaganda.
Growing up, I had heard of Tito, but as with all things communist, most of the news about him reaching the West did not paint a favourable picture. He certainly managed to hold the various factions in the country together during his time in power. Thanks for elaborating on his history. Happy Wednesday Leighton. Allan
Sure thing Allan. I mean, at the end of the day a dictator is a dictator, even a reasonably benevolent one like Tito. Thanks for reading, hope all is well with you over there and that summer is rapidly approaching.
Having known nothing about this world leader, I now know something. Love your history lessons, Leighton, as well as your photographs. I always learn something from your posts. Bravo, my friend!
Not sure if this is Mike or Kellye but thank you! This was a very tricky piece to write, especially as I know some readers may have strong feelings about the man and his dictatorship. In any case it’s a weird and somewhat wonderful museum that is well worth a visit.
It’s Kellye. I’m the social media person in our family 🙂 Regarding your post: it’s the fact that Tito was a historic leader that makes reading about him interesting. We go to a lot of American presidential museums and other historic sites, and while we didn’t agree with the politics of some of them, we do appreciate and respect the fact that they were once the leaders of our country. I can’t imagine anyone being offended by your overview of the Tito Museum.
Tito was a difficult figure to classify as I was growing up. He was certainly a communist and that automatically made him a bad man. But he was also staunchly independent and worked hard to keep Yugoslavia from being governed by Moscow. It was a fine line to walk but he seemed to do so successfully. It’s difficult to picture all of the country being united under a single government today. Thanks for the history lesson. I learned a lot.
Thanks Memo. Difficult to classify is about right as he wasn’t your typical dictator in many respects. I can safely say that I have never seen another national museum quite like this one.
What an interesting guy and museum! Museums always make me wish I paid more attention in history class. I only memorized things to do well on tests, not to retain the information. It amazes me that we can be in the same spot as some very influential people from history.
I wish I’d paid more attention in history class too! Thanks for reading Lyssy.
Like you, I knew diddly squat about Tito before reading your post. Good history lesson; thanks for sharing.
Thanks for reading!
It is nice of you to shed light on Tito and recent Yugoslavian history. I had a different impression of him, but I guess Tito must have had some good qualities. President Carter brought his wife and daughter when he paid his respects. I don’t recall other U.S. presidents who mourned the loss of a communist leader during the Cold War.
Yeah, he seemed to keep all the world leaders onside, which is remarkable really. Glad this gave you another perspective John, thanks for checking in.
Great post Leighton, I didn’t know any of this stuff either. I always thought he was hated think I’m confusing him with someone else!
Hey Alison, glad this article painted a picture of sorts. Obviously the museum didn’t cover his dark side and what he did to secure power, but in many ways he wasn’t your typical dictator. A fascinating man and a quirky museum!
I was thinking of Ceausescu! Got them mixed up. Glad you sorted that out
I wasn’t aware about this part of the history. Thanks for sharing and giving an insight via your writing and pictures. Those sculptures do exude a wonderful charm.
Cheers,
Charu
Hey Charu, thanks for reading the articles in my Belgrade series and indeed for following Leighton Travels! The museum is unusual in many respects, but I do like the way the garden and its sculptures separate the main exhibit from the House of Flowers.
I’m glad to join your adventures 😊 Keep sharing and inspiring.
I heard of Tito during my trip throughout the Balkan countries a couple of years ago, but I never went into depth learning about him (only the fact that he was considered a ruthless dictator in history). However, based on your post, this museum seems to humanize him as more than just a tyrant, and to dedicate a museum to a single person in history is certainly a powerful and impressive feat. Glad you got to enlighten yourself while in Belgrade!
Hey Rebecca, I’m glad you got to find out more about Tito. As you say the museum definitely humanises him and strikes a strictly celebratory tone. To find out about his bad stuff, I had to go looking outside the museum walls ha ha. As someone already said in this comment thread “dictators are bad” but this guy certainly wasn’t your typical dictator. A multi layered character. Thanks for tackling this atypical travel report and contributing to the conversation!
Wow, what a fascinating museum! I liked Tito because he had come to power independent and was not a Soviet-installed puppet, unlike other Eastern European leaders. It’s amazing actually how many times, if I remember correctly, it was around 20! – that Stalin sent assassins to kill Tito! Thanks for sharing and have a good day 🙂 Aiva
Hey Aiva, he was the president that would not be killed! In the end it was his own stubbornness to get medical treatment that signalled his end. Thanks for reading and contributing!
I had no idea who Tito was prior to reading your post. But then again, history was never really one of my best subjects when in school. Can you imagine getting a sculpture for a birthday present? The House of Flowers seems like the highlight of the museum.
Yeah I think the magic of the place lies almost fully in The House of Flowers. Tito must have grown quite indifferent to all those gifts after twenty years of it. “Oh yes, another sculpture…” Thanks for reading!
A fascinating read. Having spent 2 solid weeks in and out of Soviet museums it really baffles me that Tito was so popular. I had assumed, under a communist regime, he would be like Stalin and feared by the west for his ideals, rather than sent signed photos!!! From reading this, it’s almost like he wasn’t aligned to Stalin – he did his own thing which was probably seen as good in the west. I suppose he died well before the genocides in the area occurred, and before the Srpska army massacred 8,000 Bosnians.
Hey Hannah, yeah his position as a well-connected, near universally liked dictator is a curious one. I guess a bit of charm and benevolence goes a long way. You’re absolutely right that he died before those really dark times kicked in. It’s funny (peculiar not ha ha) how things turn out sometimes. Thanks for reading and for your thoughtful contribution to the thread.
I’ve never even heard of Tito, so it would appear you knew slightly more than me going into this. Really interesting history, Leighton. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for reading Diana!
I was able to visit Tito Museum on my 1-day tour there. I remember the tour guide was so excited and proud to take us there, even for a half hour, as we were short in time.
Wow, half an hour to see the museum! I guess the guide just took you straight into the House of Flowers?
The visit was extremely rushed! Having only about 10 hours there, the tour guide wanted to show us as much as possible of Belgrade.
I honestly don’t remember much of the museum. This is how rushed it was 😀
It is an interesting page of history, the time of dictatorships in Europe is not so far away. Tito, Franco, Salazar, Hodja, Ceausescu and some others, people seem to have a short memory. Thank you for the refresher course.
Glad you enjoyed this, thanks for reading and leaving a comment!
Fantastic history lesson on this controversial man. He is someone that I knew his name and a glimmer of understanding about his tenure as leader so it fascinating to really dig down and learn more about him.
Glad to have provided an overview Meg. Not the lightest of subjects for a travel report but hey, it is what it is. Thanks for reading!
We also have a well-known ‘Tito’ in our country (he was our Minister of Finance for 3 years – and a very good one, may I add). But I didn’t know about Yugoslavian President Tito 😉. Very interesting history about this man (who it seems was for a very long time the president – yet, I have never heard of him before). I also liked the part about the blue train (we also have one here in South Africa – and pricy). Thank you for taking the time to visit this museum, it was great to catch up on a bit of history that I don’t know at all!
Well, I shall have to do a quick read up on South Africa’s Tito, how curious. I’m glad you enjoyed this somewhat heavy travel report. When in Belgrade, it’s definitely an essential site in terms of understanding the city and an important chapter of Serbian culture. Cheers Corna!
An interesting history lesson. I too knew very little about Tito, although I do remember when we visited Yugoslavia back in the late 1980s someone we got talking to there told us that he was the glue holding the country together and it would disintegrate after his death – they weren’t wrong! The display of gifts in the House of Flowers reminds me of the huge displays we saw in North Korea of the presents received by Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il. I must write about that some time!
Thanks for your two cents Sarah, Yugoslavia in the late 1980s must have been something else.
To be honest it was back in the days when we just did little European summer breaks and it was a popular (and cheap) coast for such holidays. We stayed in a B&B in Makarska, in what is now Croatia, and did trips to Dubrovnik, Medjugorje and Mostar, as well as a few beach days. The guy I mentioned was a young student working as a guide on one of those trips. We also met an older guy one evening (shared a restaurant table with him and his American wife) who had fought in the resistance against the Nazis, hiding out in caves in the hills. He was a big admirer of Tito.