Titos bunker Konjic history and facts
Armijska Ratna Komanda Konjic, commonly referred to as the ARK, or informally as Titos Bunker Konjic, is an underground nuclear bunker and military command center from the Cold War era.
Situated near the town of Konjic in Bosnia and Herzegovina, this massive structure was designed to safeguard Yugoslav President Josip Broz Tito and up to 350 members of his inner circle in the event of a nuclear conflict. Constructed entirely underground, with its lowest point at 280 meters below ground, it houses residential quarters, conference halls, offices, strategic planning rooms, and various other facilities, including over 100 rooms.
The existence of the bunker remained a closely guarded state secret until after the dissolution of Yugoslavia in the 1990s.
The facility was under construction for 26 years, from 1953 until 1979. The construction cost about 4.6 billion U.S. dollars, what would be equal to over 10 billions U.S. in today's value.
The shelter has two tanks with 50 tons of oil, two types of air conditioning, a 2 huge water tanks with 170 cubic meters of running water and technical water from a natural well located in the mountain.
Each system has an alternative in case the first one fails.
Tito's residence in this building is elite equipped. It consists of five rooms. The room for the secretary and clients leads to Tito's office connected to the bedroom.
There is an emergency exit from the building that is not marked on the map. It leads to the hill above the building, 170 meters high, which you can use to reach the relay hub on mountain Zlatar.
The Cold War (in which SFRY had a very specific role), was time of fears of a nuclear disaster, but also a time of utopian ideas about world peace and the present time, which is characterized by an apocalyptic scenario of the end of the world. Hence, object D-0 was created to make sure that important persons and intelligence of Yugoslavia would survive that cataclysm.
Construction of the "Titov Bunker Konjic" began in 1953, following a decision by the top-ranking commanders of the former Yugoslav People's Army.
According to legend, workers involved with building Tito's bunker were blindfolded during their transportation to the site and were allowed to uncover their eyes only once they had entered the facility.
Once the bunker was completed, only 6 individuals knew of bunker full purpose and existence. Each of them had taken a solemn oath to maintain absolute secrecy.
The existence of D-0 remained completely concealed until after the disintegration of Yugoslavia in 1992.
At that point, soldiers of the Yugoslav People's Army vacated the site, transferring it first to the Territorial Defense of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and subsequently to the Army of B & H and the Armed Forces of B & H.
Today the facility is preserveing intact with all its symbols of the social, economical, political and ideological system of Socialist Yugoslavia.
Guided tours for the general public were introduced in 2011, following a declaration by the Ministry of Defense of Bosnia and Herzegovina, supported by NATO, stating that the site no longer held any military significance.
Since 2011, the D-0 ARK Tito bunker in Konjic has been transformed into a unique combination of a military museum and a space for contemporary art – Biennial D-0 ARK project.
A unique exhibition space, a nontraditional artistic setting from both a psychological and intellectual point of view.
Therefore since 2011. D-0 ARK is becoming hybrid museum between military, historical and contemporay artefacts.
The Biennial project has established an outstanding collection of contemporary art housed within "Tito's Bunker," featuring 131 works by 107 artists spanning 32 countries across four biennials since its inception.
Widely regarded by art experts as the most remarkable collection in Southeast Europe, it carries an estimated value of €8 million USD. Through this initiative, the project revitalizes and transforms the legacy of this historic site, shifting its narrative from military secrecy to a hub of artistic innovation and cultural significance.
Project Biennial primarily associates the period of the Cold War (in which SFRY had a very specific role), time of fears of a nuclear disaster but also a time of utopian ideas about world peace, the present time, which is characterized by an apocalyptic scenario end of the world. The goal of Project Biennial, no matter its biennial form, is to establish unique institution a hybrid museum as a result of the merger of military museum and contemporary art museum. Entire Project is inspired by the nuclear shelter a military object today, without any function, and thus no future.
