COLLECTION OF FLAGS UNTIL 1918
The most numerous and extremely valuable collection of flags in our country is kept in the Military Museum in Belgrade. From the very foundation of the Museum, in 1878, in accordance with the Rules from 1879, by order of the military authorities, war flags from past liberation wars were handed over to it among the first items for safekeeping. When the first station was opened in 1904, the Museum already had a collection of 232 flags. Unfortunately, although evacuated with other items, this precious collection was looted. Part of the collection was returned from Pest in 1920, through reparation commissions. Between the restoration of the Museum in 1917, still on the Salonica front, and the reopening in 1937, an enviable number of military flags were collected, some by the transfer of a certain number from the National Museum's fund in 1928, some by a gift from the Royal Court and museums of the Allied countries from the First World War. The role of the National Museum in collecting, since its establishment in 1844, and keeping a number of flags during the Second World War, is very significant. In particular, in 1937, insurgent flags from the First Serbian Uprising were obtained from the National Museum and the Royal Palace..
The flag, a sign that has long been known in our area, is kept with special care. Given that they were made of sensitive material, it was difficult to preserve the flags that undoubtedly existed in the medieval Serbian state. The older flags in this collection are from the time of the First Serbian Uprising. There are flags from rebellions, uprisings and liberation wars of the Serbian people in the 19th century, several court and memorial flags, as well as allied, volunteer and certainly rare enemy flags, confiscated in the wars. The collection also includes several Turkish flags that were collected by purchase in the 30s of the 20th century. The most numerous are the regimental flags of the Serbian army. Loyalty to the military flag was the sacred duty of every soldier. To win the enemy's flag on the battlefield was an achievement, and to lose one's own was a shame. Of the 51 assigned to Serbian regiments in 1911, 47 have been preserved, one of which is in the Paris military museum. Serbian regiments fought under these flags in the two Balkan wars and the First World War. It is not known that any regimental flag was confiscated during the Balkans and the First World War.Many of the old flags are also valuable works of art, we would say that they represent masterpieces of applied art, whose designs or painting were done by famous painters, such as Nikola Marković, Nikola Apostolović, Ilija and Stefan Gavrilović. They are usually made of canvas, rips, brocade, and less often of silk, with different heraldic signs, coats of arms, motifs of important events, figures of saints, various techniques, sometimes painted and sometimes embroidered. The colors of the Uprising flags are varied, especially until 1809, when uniform regula flags were introduced. The ducal flags were established in 1811, and the Military Museum keeps the flag of Duke Jevrem Nenadović. Until then, hajduk or church flags were used. Several flags have been preserved, as well as a church one, from the beginning of the First Serbian Uprising, diverse in terms of symbols, colors, dimensions and materials. Unfortunately, most of the flags from the 19th century have not been preserved. They are evidenced by the regulations according to which they were delivered to the Museum for safekeeping, as well as preserved watercolors of their appearance. However, several Serbian and volunteer flags from the Serbian-Turkish wars of 1876-78 have been preserved. year. Successful conservation saved many flags, many of which were in fragments. So today we have, especially valuable, two Russian Cossack flags made in commemoration of the Russian-Turkish war of 1828-1829. year.
The collection is handled by: Marijana Jovelić