Announcement of the Ministry of Culture and the National Theatre in Belgrade

The Ministry of Culture and the Management of the National Theatre inform the public that, following an inspection by the Sector for Emergency Situations of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Serbia, it has been decided that parts of the National Theatre building will be closed for use until the measures to address identified irregularities and deficiencies are fully implemented.

Following the conducted inspection, the National Theatre has been required to implement a total of 59 measures, the neglect or failure to implement which could compromise the functioning of the theatre, as well as the safety of the audience and staff.

We emphasize that the inspection by the competent authorities was initiated at the request of the Acting Director of the National Theatre, Dragoljub Bajić, after assuming office, and that the identified irregularities are the result of years of negligence by the relevant services of the national theatre.

Some of the deficiencies date back to 2011, when a technical acceptance of certain parts of the reconstructed Raša Plaović stage was not performed, followed by the absence of certification documentation regarding the fire reactions of materials used on evacuation routes (which were also unmarked), up to the failure to conduct regular inspections of both mobile and fixed fire protection systems.

Furthermore, since 2024, the National Theatre has not had a valid Fire Protection Plan, which is the most important internal document for a building in the fire protection system.

Starting today, October 3, 2025, over the course of the next three weeks, the National Theatre will continue implementing all measures to remedy the irregularities, which includes carrying out certain works and inspections in the areas of the Large and Small Stage. At the same time, the theatre management will take all necessary steps to establish accountability for the identified shortcomings.

During this period, the planned repertoire will not take place, and the management of the National Theatre asks the public for understanding and patience.