Savremena’s students visit Museum of the Serbian Orthodox Church

The late spring Tuesday and Wednesday of 30 and 31 May were chosen for Savremena’s students’ visits to the Museum of the Serbian Orthodox Church, where they witnessed the beauty of artefacts of inestimable religious, cultural and artistic value, that vividly tell the story of Serbian Orthodox Church’s past, from Stefan Nemanja and Saint Sava to this day.

Museum that helps keep the orthodox heritage

The Museum of the Serbian Orthodox Church, located in the Patriarchate Palace at Kosančićev Venac, houses a wealth of relics from the rich orthodox heritage, including items protected by UNSECO.

The Museum is home to an extensive collection of the most valuable handwritten and printed church books, old Serbian etchings, vestments, sacral objects made of metal, wood, bone, nacre and skin, votive offerings, church embroidery, seals, historical documents and the portraits of church dignitaries.

History and religious education at the source

It was a great opportunity for the students to learn how cities, castles, fortresses… disappeared in the course of the toilsome Serbian past; when they learned that a part of the cultural heritage was preserved by monks and priests, their respect for them grew even greater.

Savremena’s students who chose religious education as elective subject delighted in seeing King Milutin’s epitaphios, Holy Prince Lazar’s robes, nun Jefimija’s “Encomium to Prince Lazar”, King Dušan’s charters, as well as the reliquary of Saint Stefan of Dečani from 1343; they also visited the Saint Simeon’s Chapel.

The students also viewed the charters and other documents that bear witness to the history of Serbia and the Serbian church through relations with Russia, Austria and Turkey, as well as works by our most renowned painters – the portraits of patriarchs, metropolitans, bishops and dignitaries from Serbia’s past, that left a strong impression on the students, reminding them of the importance those people had on the development of Serbian spirituality, art and culture.

Savremena recognises the students’ interests, and their activities are tailored to their wishes. During this school year, the students repeatedly expressed eagerness for studying Serbian history and tradition, and this visit to the museum was an excellent opportunity to understand them better and get to cherish them even more.

I am extremely pleased and proud to be the parent of a Savremena student. During my first encounter with the school management, when I asked about my child’s potential enrolment, I saw how much love, enthusiasm and professionalism you put in your work. I was impressed by your approach, ideas and methods. I couldn’t believe something like this existed in our country! It doesn’t take long to realise that this is a school you would recommend to everyone. Creativity, modern technology, top-quality education, and most of all, the humaneness that can be seen throughout the school, make it truly different and worthy of its name – Savremena Gimnazija. With such an approach, the success of this school and, consequently, our children’s success, is unavoidable. Congratulations! Jelena Đorđević, Andrija’s mum
Contemporary in any sense of the word, our school offers functional knowledge and quality preparation for tertiary education in Serbia and abroad. Implementing modern and creative teaching in the classroom, where the teachers’ pedagogy and students’ performance are aligned with the highest academic standards for the high-school finals, our school develops linguistic, mathematical, scientific, artistic, cultural, technical and ICT competence, which is a prerequisite for further education and professional development. Teaching is supported by the interactive whiteboards and educational software, whereas practice exercises research and critical thinking.