Virtual Exhibition / The Triumphal Gate of Nish
Thursday-Thursday / AUGUST 24 – SEPTEMBER 7, 2023 / Cultural Center of Nish / Officers’ Club
A pivotal event in the history of Nish occurred on January 11, 1878, when Prince, and future King, Milan proudly entered the liberated town. Nish would commence its metamorphosis in line with the visionary ideas of the Obrenovic ruler. It seems that the beloved liberator felt quite comfortable in Nish, and that Nish somehow naturally became “his own”. Over time, Nish rose to the level of the second capital of the Obrenovic dynasty. The first elementary school in Nish, “Sveti Sava”, behind the Cathedral Church, hosted sessions of the National Assembly of Serbia in 1878, 1879/80. At the 13 sessions of the Serbian Assembly held in Nish (second only to Belgrade), a large number of laws and decisions were passed.
Over time, the winding Turkish alleyways were straightened, and new spacious squares were formed, the riverside area was rearranged, and flowers blossomed in the parks. The city and the surrounding areas were now connected by new roads and it became an administrative, cultural, and economic centre of the region.
The people of Nish never forgot Milan Obrenovic, the visionary king-liberator, so it was with great excitement that they welcomed his significantly less esteemed heir, King Alexander, and Queen Draga, to the Europeanized Nish of the early 20th century. The constant emphasis on the queen’s Serbian origins was a significant feature of all public appearances of King Alexander in 1901 and 1902. Speeches delivered by representatives of local authorities in Kragujevac, Chachak, Kraljevo, Uzhice, Krushevac, and even Nish, built the myth of the first Serbian queen in the renewed Serbian state. The people of Rudnik particularly celebrated the queen who was “nourished by Rudnik milk.” The tragically infatuated royal couple could pass through numerous Triumphal Gates during their tours through Serbia. One was erected in Nish on King Milan’s Square for that occasion. Even today, in photographs and postcards from those days, an optimistic message can be seen:
“Our royal crown’s adorned by love
In Love resides the God above
Bestow love upon us, and take love in return
From your faithful city, Nish, where you can adjourn.”
