Yugoslav Ministry of Defence building

The Yugoslav Ministry of Defence building (Serbian: Savezni Sekretarijat za Narodnu Odbranu - SSNO, Савезни секретари за народну одбрану) is the building that was previously occupied by the Ministry of Defense of Yugoslavia, a governmental department responsible for defending the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia from internal and external military threats. Considered to be a masterpiece of post-war architecture, it was bombed on 30 April 1999 during Operation Allied Force.

The building was built between 1957 and 1965 and it was designed by Serbian architect, Nikola Dobrović. It is divided by Nemanjina Street, and its design is meant to resemble a canyon of the Sutjeska river, where one of the most significant battles of WWII in Yugoslavia was fought, with the street as a river dividing the two sides. As Nemanjina Street comes up the hill from the main railway station, the two parts of the building form a symbolic gate.

Severely damaged by the 1999 bombing, the building has not been repaired and is Belgrade’s most famous ruin. It is a protected monument, although there have been talks about turning it into a luxurious hotel.