Gradsko setaliste bb, 32000 Cacak
+381 32 342 360
The hub of cultural events, firmly rooted in the overall social and economic life of the city, the Cultural Centre is to a large extent the initiator and creator of the cultural habits of the Čačak citizens. It is located in the centre of the city, in an impressive building occupying an area of app. 4000 m2. The building was designed in 1970 by Luj Šverer, architect from Zagreb.
The idea of building and founding the House of Culture was born at the end of the 1950s, after the closing of the city National Theatre and its programme of events, literary evenings, lectures and concerts.
The “Society for Reading Serbian-Slavonic Newspapers” was founded on 12 th January 1848 according to the old calendar, as the oldest cultural institution in the city on the Western Morava River. The Society was established by a group of distinguished citizens of Čačak, gathered around the District governor Milija Dragićević. It was a predecessor of the later Reading Club, then the Reading Room, first and second Library, a symbolic milestone in the temple of the written and printed word and knowledge.
The successors of the Society founded the Reading Room in 1860, the opening of which was announced by the bells from the Church of Stracimir and shooting of prangi, which shows the respect of our ancestors to books. The library is named after the poet Vladislav Petković Dis, the founder of modern Serbian poetry, the author of “Nirvana”, “Utopljene duše”, “Možda spava”… Today, the library has about 140,000 books, and as part of its legacy, it preserves a large number of old and rare books. The library has about 5,000 regular members. In recent decades, it has emerged as a significant publisher, and is also known outside of Serbia for the poetry event “Dis’ Spring” in honor of Vladislav Petković Dis and poetry.
The “Dis’ Spring” festival has received some of the most important poets of the 20th century, ever since its first edition on 13 th April 1964, when Branko V. Radićević gave a speech in front of the poet’s memorial bust.
The organised protection of archival historic materials in the territory of this institution began with the establishment of the Archives Centre in Čačak, on 24th March 1948. At the time of establishment, the territorial jurisdiction of the institution at the time of its foundation extended to the following districts: Ljubić-Trnava, Dragačevo, Žički, Takovski, Ljiški, Moravički and Studenički. The first manager of the institution was Margita Radović, teacher at the Čačak grammar school. The institution nowadays manages archival material and official records in the territory of the municipalities of Čačak, Gornji Milanovac and Lučani. It is under the supervision of the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Serbia, and it is professionally connected with the parent institution, the Archives of Serbia in Belgrade.
The archive is located in the building of the former Headquarters of the Čačak district, built in 1877, located at Gospodar Jovana 2. The ground floor of the building houses depots with archival materials, while the first floor is a work space and contains a library with a reading room, a photo laboratory and an archive gallery. The building housing the Archive was recognised as a venue of special cultural significance on 11th February.
The Archive is situated in the building of the former Head Administration of the Cacak district, built in 1877, located at Gospodar Jovanova 2. The ground floor is occupied by the depots containing the archive materials, whereas the upstairs section contains the working premises: the library with the reading room, the photographic laboratory and the Archive gallery. The building housing the Archive is a site of outstanding cultural significance, based on a decision dated 11 th February 1974.
The residence of Master Jovan Obrenović in Čačak is the city’s oldest preserved building apart from the church. It was built in 1835 by Jovan Obrenović, the brother of Prince Miloš Obrenović.
The coat of arms of the Obrenović family is painted in colour on the exterior facade of this house - the only preserved of its kind in the country. The National Museum in Čačak was founded on 30th August 1952 and its first permanent exhibition was opened in 1953. The National Museum contains three units - a presentation of history from the Neolithic to the Middle Ages, the "Ovčar-Kablar Monasteries and Churches of the Čačak Region" and "Čačak Region in Uprisings and Wars 1804-1941". The five departments of the National Museum in Čačak treasure around 20,000 objects in their collections.
In its first 60 years of existence (1952-2012), the Museum has organized a total of 448 exhibitions, undertaken 110 archaeological excavations, and printed 181 publications. Since 1969, it has regularly published its own journal “Collection of Works of the National Museum” (the 41st issue was published in 2012), has printed 89 catalogs, and 51 other special editions (monographs, proceedings of scientific conferences, guides). The Museum’s library has 10,000 books and 548 titles of periodicals with 10,470 volumes.
Visit the websiteArt Gallery Nadežda Petrović (founded in 1961) is one of the oldest and most important institutions of its type in the country. The activity of the Gallery is the protection of movable cultural assets and the monitoring of contemporary art production through exhibition activity.
The gallery features five collections: "Nadežda and contemporaries", "Yugoslav painting of the second half of the 20th century", "Contemporary art", "Bogić Risimović- Risim memorial collection" and the collection "Drawings and caricatures of Pjer Križanić". In the rich collection of the 20th century paintings, the Gallery owns over 500 works, some of which are representative exhibits, often masterpieces of their authors.
The "Risim" gallery is an integral part of the "Nadežde Petrović" art gallery and represents the legacy of the Risimović family. The gallery houses a permanent exhibition of paintings by Bogić Risimović-Risim, painter, poet and narrator, who was born in Čačak in 1926.
In addition to exhibitions, the Gallery organizes other programmes, lectures and promotions and is known for its contribution to the national art scence, not only as the chronicler, but also as an active participant and initiator.
