Croatia to Transform Tito’s Iconic Yacht into Museum

Moored at a dock in the Adriatic Sea port city of Rijeka, the Galeb (Seagull), best known for being used by the Yugoslav President, Josip Broz Tito, as his official yacht, is waiting for a makeover to restore its splendour and turn it into a museum.

Ahead of the expected opinion next year, the dock is currently closed to the public and curious visitors can only take glimpse through the fence at the 117-metre-long vessel on which Tito used to host various potentates from around the world.

Natasa Babic, a curator from Rijeka City Museum, which is in charge of the Galeb's conservation, told BIRN that the vessel still evokes a lot of interest among visitors.

"It's now in a very poor condition in the Baros Harbour area where it is inaccessible to visitors, but groups of tourists are still looking at the ship through the fence, showing interest, and asking tour guides to take them there and to show them the ship," Babic said.

The dilapidated ship should be restored and transformed into a museum as Rijeka becomes European Capital of Culture in 2020. The Museum of Rijeka has already begun collecting restored pieces of the ship's furniture while the project's managers are looking for a company to renovate the rusting hulk.

Rijeka's Department of Culture told BIRN that the ship is a valuable example of shipbuilding heritage, "with the added historical significance of its various roles in history".

"Although perhaps the most famous as Tito's Galeb, this boat actually has a very interesting biography that is worth of attention," it said.

The Galeb's turbulent history

The Galeb was built in Italy in 1938 by an Italian state company called Ramb. Its intended role was to transport bananas to Italy from its southern...