Contemporary Ethnographic Museology in Serbia: Cultural Continuity and the Search for New Concepts

DOI: 10.33876/2311-0546/2025-3/7-29

Authors

Keywords:

ethnographical museums, Serbia, new museology, identity, tradition

Abstract

The article focuses on the modernization of ethnographic museums, as well as their significance in the contexts of identity, and cultural and social memory. Through an analysis of ethnographic exhibitions in museums of the Republic of Serbia, the article analyzes how these are presented, which topics are chosen for display, and how the collections are influenced by the concepts of 'new museology,' the anthropologization of ethnology, and an expanded understanding of the ethnographic field. Furthermore, the political changes have been an additional influential factor in Serbia. The reforming state showed interest in ethnology and ethnographic museum collections not only in terms of culture, but also for socio-political engineering.   Consequently, in Serbia, the conceptual paradigm of ethnographic museums at the beginning of the 21st century required transformation. The article describes debates within Serbian academic circles, including criticism from colleagues, regarding the state of museums in Serbia. It assesses the role of the Ethnographic Section of the Museum Society of Serbia, the Ethnographic Museum of Belgrade, the Open Air Museum 'Old Village' in Sirogojno, and other museums with ethnographic departments, and describes the practical steps and examples of innovative exhibitions in the country's exhibition halls. In the author's opinion, Serbia's experience can be considered successful in many respects.

Author Biography

  • Marina Martynova, the Russian Academy of Sciences N. N. Miklouho-Maklay Institute of Ethnology and Anthropology

    Martynova, Marina Yu. — Dr. of History, Professor, Head of the Department for European Studies, the Russian Academy of Sciences N. N. Miklouho-Maklay Institute of Ethnology and Anthropology (Moscow, Russian Federation). E-mail: martynova@iea.ras.ru ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7280-7450

    For citation: Martynova, M. Yu. 2025. Contemporary Ethnographic Museology in Serbia: Cultural Continuity and the Search for New Concepts. Herald of Anthropology (Vestnik Antropologii) 3: 7–29.

    Funding: The study was carried out as a part of the research plan of the Russian Academy of Sciences N. N. Miklouho-Maklay Institute of Ethnology and Anthropology.

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Published

23.09.2025

Issue

No. 3 (2025): Herald of Anthropology (Vestnik antropologii)

Section

Ethnography in European Museums: The Interpretation and Construction of Traditions