The Museum of Yugoslavia has won the first prize in the Balkan Museum Network competition for the Best Museum Souvenir 2025 with the M25M Pen and Soap Holder.

This souvenir carries a unique story: it is made from marble panels removed from the façade of the Museum of May 25 during restoration. Instead of being discarded, fragments of marble were recycled and transformed into an object that is both functional and symbolic. By purchasing this item, visitors quite literally take a piece of the museum with them — a piece of the building, a piece of the material it was made from, a fragment of history.

Its minimalist and timeless form makes the object suitable for multiple uses — as a pen holder, soap holder, or paper holder. Each marble line is different, and the handcrafted work of a local artisan further emphasizes the uniqueness of every piece. The series is limited, which means that each owner possesses a one-of-a-kind fragment of architecture and memory. This is not just a souvenir, but an authentic part of the museum transformed into an everyday object.

What makes this souvenir stand out?

The jury particularly emphasized its deep connection with the museum itself, its ecological awareness through the practice of reuse, and the elegant simplicity that enriches everyday life. The object communicates not only through aesthetics but also through symbolism — showing how heritage can be transformed into contemporary design and how a museum souvenir can tell a story in a universal way.

About the building and the marble

The Museum of May 25 building was erected in 1962, designed by architect Mihajlo Janković as a gift from Belgrade to Josip Broz Tito on the occasion of his 70th birthday. It is one of the first buildings in Serbia constructed exclusively for museum purposes and is considered an exceptional work of Yugoslav international style.

The façade is clad in white Venčac marble, a precious material from Aranđelovac, renowned for its exceptional whiteness and strength. This marble has been used in some of the most important buildings in the country and the world, from the Mausoleum at Oplenac to the White House in Washington, D.C. During the museum’s renovation, damaged panels were carefully removed, catalogued, and repurposed to create the souvenirs. Only a thin layer was stripped away to preserve the authentic texture of the stone.

In the hands of the artisan, a fragment of the façade becomes an object that preserves the trace of the building and of time. The M25M Pen and Soap Holder is not merely a functional object — it is a materialized memory, a fragment of architectural heritage transformed into an everyday item.

Each piece carries a unique imprint and record of time, visible in traces of damage, earlier processing, and natural marble patterns.