Modernism in the case of governmental, communist party and army buildings in Yugoslavia

The history and theory of modern architecture, very often more or less consciously, has avoided certain areas of the world, regardless how were artistically valuable, geographically or ideologically close to developments in Western Europe, United States or in some other privileged parts of the world. Recently in European professional community exist some new interest about the architecture development in the areas behind the former "Iron Curtain". Yugoslavia, with declared wish to establish own social and state system somewhere between capitalist West and the socialist East of Europe was representing a specific area, in the geopolitical, but also cultural sense. Processes in art and architecture were, more or less systematically controlled by state and served as an instrument for presenting that idea of particularism. The modernists’ promotion of importance of architecture and architects as someone who can create a base for social welfare and happiness coincide with the declared ideals of a new socialist society. Much more intensive relationships and openness to the West than it was the case in the countries of the so-called Eastern Bloc, a critical mass of architects educated in the West and "infected" by modernist ideas and unquestioning and phenomenological support of the system have generated an authentic modern expression which was completely overcame in all parts of the former Yugoslavia. Without strong support of the system that intense development of avant-garde modernism in architecture of Yugoslavia would not have been possible. It is interesting that some of the most rigid parts of that system such as the Communist Party, the Yugoslav army, or State President Tito were investors or clients of some of the most successful modernist buildings. The link between social context and architecture throughout history is notorious and always visible, but emergence and total acceptance of progressive and humanist-oriented architecture from this particular socialist system, which is often seen as the opposite of those terms is an interesting phenomenon suitable for this research supported with some of the most illustrative examples.