The Aesthetics of Rural Cultural Centres and Their Impact on the Community: Two Case Studies from the Nišava District

<p>The expansion of cultural centre construction in underdeveloped areas was an integral part of the cultural policy pursued by the new political and social order in Yugoslavia following the end of the Second World War. The conceptual aim was to foster the cultural life of rural populations while simultaneously promoting the principles of collectivism and socialist ideology. These buildings were erected according to predefined schemes developed by professionals specifically engaged for this purpose. However, the actual construction process, including the final selection of materials and decoration, was largely entrusted to the local inhabitants, who actively participated in building their own cultural centres. Today, due to the dissolution of Yugoslavia and the country's entry into a transitional period, these buildings are often abandoned and in a state of disrepair, while the local communities, formerly their users, have no legal rights to continue using them.</p> <p>This paper analyses two case studies of rural cultural centres in the Nišava District – the cultural centre in Kamenica and the cultural centre in Gornji Matejevac. The focus of the analysis is on the aesthetic components of these buildings and the effects they generated during their active use, as well as their current aesthetic value and the impact they produce as abandoned structures. The aim of the paper is to examine the extent to which the aesthetics of these cultural centres and the symbols they embody as the only institutions of their kind in rural areas influence the local population. The expected outcomes are intended to provide a response to the hypothesis that an aesthetic imbued with specific ideological symbols, incorporated within the eclectic architectural style of cultural centres, and their subsequent devastation, affects community development and alters the identity of place.</p>