Republic Square (Trg Republike)
It covers the space between the "Gradska Kafana" (City Restaurant), "Jadran" cinema, National Theatre and
Army Hall of Serbia and Montenegro.
The present square was formed after the demolition of the Stambol Gate in 1866 and the construction of the National
Theatre in 1869. The Gate had been built by the Austrians at the beginning of the XVIII century, and stood in the area
between the present monument to Prince Mihailo and the National Theatre building. It was the largest and most beautiful
town gate at the time when Belgrade was encircled by the moat. It was named after the road which led
through it - to Constantinople (Istanbul).
After the establishment of Serbian rule and the demolition of the Stambol Gate, the site of the present square was not laid out
for a long time. The National Theatre was the only large building standing here for more than thirty years. The square gradually
started to acquire more buildings after the monument to Prince Mihailo was erected in 1882. The place where now the National
Museum is, was the location of long single-storied building which housed, among other things, the famous "Dardaneli restaurant".
This was the meeting-place of members of the artistic circles of the time. The building was pulled down to make way in 1903 for
the Treasury (now the building of the National Museum). In a small park next to the National Theatre, there were the well-known
"Kolarac" restaurant and cinema (owned by Ilija Milosavljevic - Kolarac, a merchant and benefactor). The "Riunione" Palace,
in which the "Jadran" cinema is located today, was built in 1930.
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