Exhibition 'Forgotten Steel – Trophies of Freedom': Models of Captured Tanks, Improvised Equipment during the Aggression on BiH

(Patria) - On the occasion of the 33rd anniversary of the formation of the First Corps of the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the solemn opening of the exhibition 'Forgotten Steel – Trophies of Freedom', by Adnan Klepo, an internationally recognized model maker from Sarajevo, was held at the Educational Center of the Sarajevo Memorial Center.

The exhibition presents a unique display of models of combat vehicles – tanks, armored vehicles,
transporters, and other machines that were captured, improvised, or repaired during the aggression on Bosnia and Herzegovina under conditions of complete blockade. Each exhibit faithfully reflects the actual combat vehicles used for the defense of besieged Sarajevo and the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina as a whole.

At the solemn opening of the exhibition, the attendees were addressed by the Director of the Sarajevo Memorial Center, Ahmed Kulanić, and the author of the exhibition, Adnan Klepo. Info panels about the siege of Dobrinja were also presented to the public, with a special emphasis on the role of 'Kuća Sloboda' – today's Educational Center.

- In this space, we are opening the exhibition 'Forgotten Steel - Trophies of Freedom', which preserves the memory and educates in a unique way about the years when survival depended on courage, resourcefulness, and the decisive will to defend the city and the country, said Director Ahmed Kulanić.

As he stated, the models of tanks, transporters, and other vehicles were carefully crafted by the internationally recognized model maker Adnan Klepo.

- His work is precise and skillful, and its importance lies in the context that this exhibition carries. The displayed combat vehicles were not bought or imported. They were captured, improvised, repaired, and transformed into means of defense for our homeland during the arms embargo. Each exhibit, although scaled down, carries the magnitude of a collective effort to save the city and the country from destruction; each is a lesson, each model carries the lived experience; the experience of those who developed skills without resources and were brave without guarantees, emphasized the Director of the Sarajevo Memorial Center.

According to him, the exhibition also has an educational purpose. Its role is to awaken the curiosity of young people about their history. To bring closer to younger generations what defense truly looks like, how resistance is built in a situation with no way out, how freedom is strived for in the most difficult conditions.

A special segment of the exhibition, consisting of info panels about Dobrinja, prepared for this occasion by Alma Rizvanović Kovačević, an employee of the Sarajevo Memorial Center, aimed to highlight the daily heroism of the residents of this settlement, which was hit by multiple sieges and destructions during the war.

The author of the model exhibition, Adnan Klepo, emphasized that the exhibition is the result of many years of work.

- It took me 3 years for this exhibition. The models were made with the aim of accurately representing the actual combat vehicles in a 1:35 scale. A total of 17 exhibits are displayed, and given that the Sarajevo Memorial Center has set up the exhibition in a top-notch way, I decided to lend the models for a permanent display, and there are plans to add several new models to the exhibition, explained Klepo, adding that he is grateful to the Sarajevo Memorial Center and Director Ahmed Kulanić for recognizing the importance of his work and providing him with a space worthy of the context this exhibition carries.

The exhibition remains open until September 19, 2025, every weekday from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM, and admission is free.