DERVENĆANIN TURNS HIS APARTMENT INTO A MUSEUM

Branislav Gavrić, a resident of Derventa, has transformed his apartment in the city center into a unique mini-museum, packed with antique items that once played an essential role in everyday life.

PHOTO: SRNA

For decades, Gavrić has been collecting historical artifacts—items that are now hard to come by. His passion began in the 1980s with a few coins and a bayonet. After retiring, he dedicated his free time to expanding the collection by visiting flea markets and participating in exhibitions across the country.

“I started in the '80s with just a few coins and a bayonet. When I retired, I had a lot of free time, so I began collecting more seriously, visiting markets, trading, and attending exhibitions,” Gavrić explained.

He doesn’t keep count of the number of items he owns, but says many of them are unknown to most people today. His home is filled with curiosities such as a functioning gramophone, a cast-iron stove from the Austro-Hungarian era, various weapons—including pistols, sabers, knives, and bayonets—as well as military helmets, coffee grinders, vintage kitchenware, clocks, and paintings.

“These are antiques that are no longer made. If something breaks, I take it to Doboj or Sarajevo for repairs,” said Gavrić, who has a background in metalworking and is able to restore many of the pieces himself.

He sources most of his items from flea markets across the country, occasionally selling some of them. His collection includes pocket, wrist, and wall clocks, a gramophone with a stone record and spring-operated arm, and a range of objects once reserved for the elite under Austro-Hungarian and Ottoman rule—such as ornate stoves, weapons, and household items.

Branislav, who has no heir to carry on his legacy, says he will continue collecting as long as he can. Among his treasures are a coffee mill, balance scales, a charcoal iron, a vintage Singer sewing machine, a typewriter, flasks for water and brandy, a spindle, spinning wheel, and both military and firefighter helmets.

Also part of his diverse collection are a French “Lefaucheux” pistol, an Austro-Hungarian “Gasser” revolver, various sabers and knives, a drum from Africa, gusle from Montenegro, as well as traditional Balkan instruments like šargija, violins, and flutes.

Gavrić says collecting antiques brings him joy, helps him pass the time, and sometimes even contributes a bit to his household income—though not everything is for sale.

“The cast-iron wood stove is not for sale. It takes up the most space in the apartment and is nearly impossible to find these days. Its value might be around 500 KM now, but I doubt anyone could make one like it again, or that many still exist in our country,” Gavrić noted.

Nearly every Thursday, he visits the flea market in Derventa, where he chats with buyers, sells a few items, and often discovers where he might find the next valuable piece of history.