Socialist Yugoslavia led the so-called Third World countries during the Cold War by initiating the Non-Aligned Movement.
Belgrade, as the capital city, hosted the participants of the Non-Aligned conferences twice—the first conference was organized in September 1961, and the ninth in 1989.
The tour includes sites associated with these international gatherings which, through art, bear witness to Socialist Yugoslavia’s efforts to promote political neutrality and solidarity among Third World countries.
The idea of non-alignment became one of the key legacies of the postwar period marked by the Cold War. The term “Non-Aligned” was first coined by Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru during his speech in 1954 in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Prominent members included Yugoslavia, India, Egypt, and South Africa. After the end of the Cold War, the Non-Aligned Movement struggled to find a new purpose for its existence.
The conferences of the Non-Aligned Movement were held every three years. The countries that hosted the conferences were: the SFRY (Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia), Egypt, Zambia, Algeria, Sri Lanka, Cuba, India, Zimbabwe, Indonesia, Colombia, South Africa, and Malaysia. Yugoslavia hosted the conferences twice: the First (1961) and the Ninth (1989) Non-Aligned Movement Conferences.
In Belgrade, there is a significant number of artworks created specifically for the Non-Aligned conferences, as well as ceremonial gifts from the former SFRY that were intentionally donated to the city for those occasions. In addition, the city is home to museums, parks, fountains, murals, mosaics, street names, and commemorative plaques that mark the Non-Aligned Movement. Unfortunately, many of these sites are now forgotten and difficult to recognize for both the citizens of Belgrade and tourists.
