Igumanov Palace

A symbol of Terazije

At the very end of Terazije, dominating the view towards Slavija, rises the monumental Igumanov Palace. This building is not only an architectural jewel of Belgrade, but also a monument to great parental grief transformed into the noblest of works.

The endowment was built by Sima Andrejević Igumanov, a wealthy merchant who, having outlived his children, decided to direct all his love and possessions towards “Serbian youth”. The palace was built in 1938 to a design by the brothers Petar and Branko Krstić in the modern Serbo-Byzantine style.

Sculpture at the top

At the top of the building stands the distinctive sculpture “Sima Igumanov with Orphans”, the work of the sculptor Lojze Dolinar. The sculpture symbolises his life's mission – care for the education of young people. Although it was destroyed by the communist authorities after the Second World War, it was restored and returned in 2021, restoring the Igumanov Palace to its full splendour.

The income from this magnificent building is intended for the maintenance of the Prizren Seminary, through which Sima Igumanov, decades after his death, still fulfils his vow.