Museums 4
MUSEUM OF AVIATION
It was established in 1957 by the Command of War Aviation and Air-defense. It has various types of aircraft, engines, equipment, memorial collections of particular pilots, models and teaching aids. The museum building of very attractive design is located at the plateau in front of the Belgrade Airport in Surčin.
MILITARY MUSEUM
The Military Museum was established in 1878. Its stock includes 26,047 items and the following collections: pre-history, classic period and western weaponry; oriental weaponry; national banners until 1918; factory-made weaponry; XVII to XX century paintings; flags from 1918 to 1945; medals and other decorations from 1918 to date; photographs from the XIX century to date; archives and uniforms. It publishes the "Vesnik" (The Herald) periodical.
Among the items kept in this museum, many are very interesting. They include everything from two Turkish lances and a suit of armor of a Turkish vizier dating back to the Battle of Kosovo, to old weapons, uniforms and war flags (including the uniform King Aleksandar Karađorđević was wearing when assassinated in Marseilles in 1934), to the collection of medals of national hero awarded to all fallen Partisans.
Exhibited in the outer space around the museum (the walls and the ditch of the Fortress) are the self-loading cannons from the XVIII and XIX century, heavy weaponry from the World War I and II, anti-airplane and naval guns, Partisan boats and other items.
MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY
It was established in 1895, upon the initiative of the Serbian Association of Professors, under the name of "Jestastvenički Muzej", not opened until 1904.
It has about 900,000 items and the following collections: minerals, rocks, hunting trophies, palaeontological, zoological and botanical collections. It publishes its own bulletin, the "Glasnik".
The museum has thematically exhibited items of nature. Especially interesting are the minerals from the Trepča mine, famous in the world for their size and beauty of crystals. Also, there are historical surveys of geological periods, integral collection of fossil mammals, as well as the samples of land life and life forms of salt waters.