History Construction Though some preparatory works had begun, the prince didn't live to see the construction completed. He was assassinated in
Košutnjak on 10 June 1868, and the foundation stone was laid by his successor,
prince Milan, on . On that day the
Metropolitanate of Belgrade Mihailo Jovanović consecrated the foundations. The building was roofed the next January and ceremonially opened on 12 November 1869. The Great Constitutional Assembly adopted the famous 1888 Constitution in this building.
Interbellum Still, the condition of the stage and utility rooms caused further problems, so in 1911 a decision was made to do another reconstruction of the building. Works began, but due to the
World War I had to be halted. The reconstruction continued in 1919 and was finished by 1922. The project was drafted by architect Josif Bukavac. After the reconstruction was finished, the outer appearance of the building lost its unity of decorative styles and the unison original concept of the
Vienna Secession and
Baroque architecture blend. The auditorium was enlarged to 944 seats, the stage was enlarged and deepened and the rotational round stage was added.
World War II The theatre building was damaged during the
German bombing of Belgrade on 6 April 1941. Ministry of the construction in the German-installed Serbian
Government of National Salvation began the repairs by the end of 1941. German military area commander for Belgrade,
Oberst Ernst Moritz von Kaisenberg, ordered German soldiers to participate in the reconstruction and the reconstruction was finished in June 1942. German administration effectively managed the theatre, forcing the quisling government to create its own theatres for propaganda purposes, like Srbozor Theatre in the
Nemanjina Street.
Post-war period After the 1964-1965 season ended, another reconstruction began, based on the plan of the architect Nikola Šercer. It included minor refurbishments of the Main Stage. In 1986, the National Theatre and the City of Belgrade opted for the new, necessary and detailed reconstruction of the, by now, almost completely unusable venue. The main architects who headed the project were Ljubomir Zdravković and Slobodan Drinjaković. The interior was designed by Milan Pališaški, façade and ornamental plastic was done by Branka Bremec, Dimitrije Ivančević and Zoran Badnjević, while the engineer Milenko Popović was entrusted with solving the problem with
statics. The reconstruction lasted for 3 years and cost $4,5 million. The building was reopened in 1989, 120 years since it became operational. The building was fully reconstructed while the new annex was built in the direction of the Braće Jugovića Street, doubling the floor venue of the edifice. While the annex was built in the modern, glass style, the old section of the theatre actually regained its 1922 appearance. The annex has 5 floors above and 2 floors below the ground. The total floor area of the building is , of which can be used. The architects projected special places for the future connections between the annex, now called the Working Building, and the possible new Opera and Ballet building on the Square Republic, across the Francuska Street. In August 2018 another reconstruction began. The façade will be reconstructed (removal of the parts prone to falling off, filling of the holes and damaged sections with the façade stone, replacement of the glass panels, etc.). Additionally, some interior works will be done, too, mostly concerning the reparation of the chairs and seats. The works should be finished by January 2019.
Events of 1999 During one of the toughest times in Serbian history, which is the 1999
NATO bombing, this theatre was the only one to open its doors to the public during the 78-day air raids. For only 1
dinar, opera, plays and ballets were performed to the public. The performance times were very unusual, from 15:00 to 18:00. It was done because in that period of time there were not NATO air strikes on Belgrade. World well-known opera conductor, maestro Alberto Zedda, said once that during those horrible days Belgrade Opera was proudly writing the most dignified pages of history of world opera.
Characteristics The National Theatre was built according to the design of Aleksandar Bugarski, the most productive architect of Belgrade in the 19th century. The building was a typical theatre building at the time and was particularly reminiscent of
La Scala, in
Milan, with regard to its
Renaissance conception and the decorative finish. Beside theatrical purposes, the hall has been used for charity balls and concerts during the 19th century.
Performance facilities The National Theatre Belgrade has 2 halls for performing arts. •
Main Stage The Grand Hall has 3 levels. The ground level has 219 seats in total with the seats at the front being most expensive. There are 3 balconies in the theatre with the first one being the most expensive. Large operas, dramas and ballets are presented at the Grand Hall. •
Raša Plaović Stage Raša Plaović has 281 seats and with no balconies. It is much smaller and less beautiful then the Grand Hall. Smaller scale dramas are played out on this stage. == Drama, opera, ballet ==