After the cooperation with the Coal Mining Museum in Senjski Rudnik was established in 2023 and hosting our exhibition “Manasija Monastery – Six Decades of Research and Protection”, at the invitation of the director of the Coal Mining Museum Nenad Anžel, the cooperation continues successfully. This year, the museum in Senjski Rudnik will host an exhibition entitled “Women’s Fashion in Pomoravlje 1860–1940”, the author of which is Jasmina Trajkov, art historian, museum advisor of the Regional Museum of Jagodina.
The exhibition has been adapted to the space in the Coal Mining Museum where it will be installed, and this is its premiere presentation. It presents the development of urban women’s fashion in Pomoravlje during the last quarter of the 19th century until the beginning of World War II. The clothing of the population very strikingly reflects the character of all other changes that took place in the social and cultural sphere of life of the entire people, and especially of the young bourgeois class that was just entering the historical stage. The tendency to free oneself from outdated traditional forms and many oriental admixtures is striking, as is the ever-widening acceptance of European models. Clothing represents a system of functions and signs, and as a medium it transmits messages about many aspects of the life of the social groups to which it belongs. Thus, in this exhibition, one can learn that the ladies of our region followed the fashion trends that came from Western European countries and Russia, so Parisian fashion could also be seen on the streets of Jagodina, Paraćin and Ćuprija. Grooming and decorating wives and daughters was a way to show the success, status and power of the spouses, or parents.
Simultaneously with the Europeanization of clothing and the liberation from Turkish influences, the process of creating a urban national costume is also taking place. It has been in use since the 1830s, and the most striking part of this clothing is certainly the libade – formal short, unbuttoned vest. Visitors to the exhibition will be able to see a very beautiful libade from the collection of our museum, as well as a photograph of Mrs. Stanija Nedeljković from Jagodina, who was its owner and who is wearing it in this photo.
We didn’t forget the wedding dresses either, which initially had all the elements of urban nationalcostume, and then European fashion made its way into this clothing segment.
It is important to note that this exhibition will feature a fistan (a type of dress of oriental origin) from the first half of the 19th century, very precious item from the collection of our museum, which, after conservation in 2018, was, according to the advice of conservators, withdrawn from the permanent exhibition and is exhibited only on special occasions.
The exhibition will be opened on Friday, May 16, 2025 at the Coal Mining Museum in Senjski Rudnik. The public will be able to see this exhibition until October 1, 2025.
