On this rainy day, I had the privilege of being allowed to see a preview of the National Museum’s new permanent display.

As the old one was removed 15 years ago, the Museum for me is a vague memory, conspicuous by its absence. It was a place where I can’t take my visiting friends, it contained artworks that I, alas, cannot see, and was proof of Serbia’s strange attitude towards its heritage. As a country, we are (too) eager celebrate it and talk about it, but, in reality, completely neglect it.

Alas, while it is sad that 15 years did not bring a much needed expansion to the Museum, which houses 400,000 artefacts, I was absolutely stunned with what I found inside. In many ways, it was like being reunited with a lost relative – like seeing someone you think you know and care about, but understanding that there is so much more to get to know about them now that they are in front of you.

Thankfully, there will be plenty of time for getting to know it. The museum officially reopens on 28 June, and will be free to visit every Sunday.