Dynasty Obrenović is without doubt one of our most significant dynasties. The key characteristics of the rulers belonging to this dynasty encompassed nation-building strategies, political talent and astuteness. While they were ruling Serbia, the Obrenović family paid special attention to Rudnik and Takovo Region, and with a reason. Their whole history is inextricably tied to this region – especially its beginnings. Not many people know nowadays that Višnja – the mother of prince Miloš who founded the dynasty and was the leader of Takovo Uprising that sparked off under the one-hundred-year-old oak trees in 1815 on Cveti – who was from Brusnica and married to Obren Martinović, gave birth to son Milan who would give his surname to the dynasty later on, as it turned out. Princess Ljubica was also from a local renowned family Vukomanović, and queen Draga was born in Gornji Milanovac in 1866. The Obrenović family did a lot during their rule to improve and develop this region.

Numerous endowments, frequent visits to Gornji Milanovac and its surroundings, as well as the special cherishing of the cult of Miloš’s uprising led to the situation that the memory of them is systematically and thoroughly still preserved here nowadays. The key institution in terms of defining and preserving heritage is the museum in Gornji Milanovac, which has continually been adding objects, documents and works of art to its collections since its founding. They, in their own way, tell the story of not only the private lives of this renowned dynasty’s family members, but also their public activities.

Systematic obtaining of rich and varied museum material, which is classified in several separate, but interlinked collections, enabled the museum to design, prepare and put up the permanent exhibition titled “Presents and Repurchases – the Obrenović Dynasty Period” within six months only from its founding. To be more precise, in the attic of the family Brković’s house on 17 September 1994, the public saw a display for the first time, which has been depicting both members of this renowned dynasty and the whole XIX century Serbian history for two decades now, with slight changes only.

Arranged according to the chronological method, presents and repurchases reveal the role and significance of the five rulers of the Obrenović dynasty in the general development of Serbian society. Exhibition items are very interesting. Following their significance and exclusivity, the items that stand out include prince Mihailo’s cup and a candlestick from his days spent in Vienna, then a rectangular maroon carpet and deer-shaped candlesticks from the Old Court, as well as a luxurious table set made of Czech porcelain which belonged to king Milan’s mistress Artemiza Hristić. What is also worth mentioning are two oleographs of two Obrenović royal couples, the front pages of Waltz and Queen Draga’s March by the author Karl Mertl, as well as the original invitation for the consecration of the Takovo court foundation, dated August 1899. Simultaneously, several medals from the second half of the XIX century, a set of coins made from 1868 to 1897, as well as books written in honour and glory of the Obrenović family, together with greater number of photographs, correspondence and postcards, all give an insight into what the rulers of this dynasty did and strived for, but also their desire to secure their position in the nation through propaganda.

The most intriguing item related to this renowned dynasty is the curtain from the Old Court which was used for wrapping up the bodies of king Alexander and his wife queen Draga and then disposing them by throwing the curtain from the court’s balcony following the conspiratory murder on 29 May 1903. Owing to the act of kindness of Vraćevšnica Monastery – where the curtain was kept secretly for the entire nine decades – the Museum got this precious item as a present in 1995.

The story about the Obrenović dynasty becomes complete with the displayed household furniture from the Takovo court, which was destroyed in the fire during the war in 1917. The chair made of solid wood with leather back, luxuriously decorated cutlery made of silver and box-wood, china plates with Alexander Obrenović’s monogram, a fruit bowl, as well as a highly luxurious multipiece brass chandelier all testify about luxury. Besides the Obrenović ruling dynasty, one part of the permanent exhibition follows the family of a merchant –Nikola Milićević Lunjevica, the organiser of Serbian Uprisings and the closest collaborator of prince Miloš and queen Draga’s grandfather. Personal items, that is photographs and documents of his fourth wife Đurđija, then his daughter Lena (married) Pavlović, and Ana Lunjevica’s granddaughter Vojka, tell the story about the rise of one of the first town families of the then Serbia.

In order to fully and clearly understand Rudnik and Takovo Region in the XIX, that is the first half of the XX century, it made sense for one not that small part of presents and repurchases to be dedicated to the founding and development of a town centre of the whole area – Despotovica, i.e. Gornji Milanovac. Items which were at disposal and chosen carefully – such as documents related to the founding of the town and its institutions, together with personal and household objects of renowned citizens of Gornji Milanovac – all give a complete and overall picture of a historical development of the town at the foot of Rudnik mountain. Original letters, postcards, photographs, drawings and illustrations, local newspaper copies, business cards of “renowned people”, as well as shares, that is banks’ bills of exchange add to the story by depicting the atmosphere of the then everyday life in the town.

The exhibition contains items from ethnological and art collections that provide valuable testimonies of people’s everyday lives and sacred past of this region.