House of Flowers (mausoleum)


House of Flowers is the resting place of Josip Broz Tito, the President of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, and his third wife Jovanka Broz. It is located on the grounds of the Museum of Yugoslav History in Dedinje, Belgrade, Serbia.

Name

The name House of Flowers comes from the fact that many flowers surrounded the tomb until it was closed to the public after the breakup of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. Today there are only white rocks where the flowers used to be. It was internally called "flower shop" during Tito's life when it served as his auxiliary office with covered garden.
's tomb inside the mausoleum.

History

"House of Flowers" was built in 1975, on the basis of a project by architect Stjepan Kralj. It was built as a winter garden with areas for work and rest of Josip Broz with an area of near the residence where he lived. It consists of three parts: the central one - a flower garden, and two parallel wide corridors on the sides. On the opposite side of the entrance is an uncovered terrace with a view of Belgrade. In the central part, following his personal wish, Tito was buried in May 1980.
Permanent exhibition in "House of Flowers" consist of local, republic, and federal Relays of Youth from the period after 1957, from when 25 May was celebrated as Youth Day. Beside that, written messages that Tito received with relays, photographs of people carrying and exchanged batons, tickets and programs of rallies, and other related material are displayed in the museum.
For almost a decade after the breakup of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia the entire complex was closed to the public and the military guards were permanently removed. However, today the site is open again to tourists and to people who wish to pay their respects. Many guests, from all over the former Yugoslavia, visit the place, especially on May 25 - the former Youth Day under Socialism. The memorial was reportedly visited by more than eleven thousand people in 2004, and since 1982, more than 17,000,000 people.

Gallery