“National Treasury of Cultural Heritage”, a unique digital platform dedicated to the conservation and popularisation of Serbia’s national symbols and heritage, is available to the public as of today. The central place on the interactive platform initiated by the Foundation “For Serbian People and State” is taken by a digital version of the exhibition of state flags from 1835 and the Sretenje Constitution to today’s flag, including Republic Srpska, which additionally strengthens the importance of the holiday – the Day of Serb Unity, Freedom, and the National Flag on 15th September.
The main page of the platform displays seven flags. The first on the left is the flag of the Principality of Serbia from 1835, which was our first official state flag. It is followed by the flag of the Principality from 1839, when the tricolour flag and the national coat of arms were recognized by the firman. The third in the row is the flag of the Kingdom of Serbia featuring the double-headed white eagle on the red escutcheon with a royal crown and with a lily under each of the eagle’s claws. On the eagle’s chest there is the coat of arms of the Principality – a white cross on the red escutcheon with a fire steel in every corner of the cross. Each flag is accompanied by interesting facts, while the platform also offers an educational section where everyone who wants will be able to test the knowledge about our history and symbols.
“The project constitutes a continuation of last year’s exhibition of Serbian flags, when for the first time in one place we displayed all constitutionally defined flags of the Republic of Serbia, and is also based on the book “The Symbol of Freedom and Unity – A Short History of the Modern Serbian State Flag” by Professor Danko Leovac, PhD, from the Faculty of Philosophy, the University of Belgrade. We wanted to show that our national symbols are not only part of the past, but are also guardians of our collective identity and statedom. In this way, tradition and modern technologies are merged into a valuable digital resource for present and future generations, and we believe that the National Treasury will become an important source of knowledge, easily accessible for the purposes of research works and school projects”, the Foundation “For Serbian People and State” stated.
The book by Professor Leovac methodically follows the evolution of the Serbian state flag and becomes part of the history of Serbian statedom through the prism of its most important symbols.
“In the era of globalization that is increasingly threatening the authenticity of local identities and traditions, while social divides become more pronounced, this study offers precious insights about the irreplaceable role of state symbols in preserving national unity. Throughout centuries, flags served as visible bridges connecting the people from different social layers, creating a deeply rooted feeling of belonging to the common fatherland and its values. This historical perspective becomes particularly current in the context of modern society that is coping with the challenges of multiculturalism and digital revolution in communications. In such an environment, the state’s visual identity becomes even more important as a means of preserving social cohesion, while common symbols assume the role of key guardians of collective conscience”, Professor Leovac, PhD, pointed out.
The National Treasury is soon planned to cover a wider range of topics, such as Serbian uprising flags, virtual tours through the monuments protected by the UNESCO all over Serbia and research of the Serbian people’s heraldic heritage, as well as other important symbols.
