Surdulica ( sr-cyr, Сурдулица) is a town and municipality located in the
Pčinja District
The Pčinja District ( sr, Пчињски округ, Pčinjski okrug, ) is one of nine administrative districts of Southern and Eastern Serbia. It covers the southern part of Serbia, bordering the disputed territory of Kosovo, along with Bulgari ...
of southern Serbia. As of 2011, the population of the town is 11,400, while the municipality has 20,319 inhabitants.
History
Historically, the town by its modern name was first mentioned in texts from 1530 by
Benedict Kuripešić
Benedict may refer to:
People Names
*Benedict (given name), including a list of people with the given name
*Benedict (surname), including a list of people with the surname
Religious figures
*Pope Benedict I (died 579), head of the Catholic Chur ...
. Following the revolutions of Serbia and the last Turks out of the town in 1877, it soon started to grow and develop in the hands of the independent nation of
Serbia
Serbia (, ; Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin and the Balkans. It shares land borders with Hung ...
. Today, it is an industrial town with beautiful nature and plenty of wildlife.
Massacre during World War I
During
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...
, 2,000–3,000 men were
massacred by Bulgarian forces in the town from 1916 to 1917.
Yugoslavia (1918–92)
From 1929 to 1941, Surdulica was part of the
Vardar Banovina of the
Kingdom of Yugoslavia
The Kingdom of Yugoslavia ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Kraljevina Jugoslavija, Краљевина Југославија; sl, Kraljevina Jugoslavija) was a state in Southeast and Central Europe that existed from 1918 until 1941. From 1918 ...
. After World War II, Surdulica gradually industrialized, with one of the largest employers in the town being Zastava Pes, a supplier to
Zastava's automotive wing. With the introduction of
sanctions against Yugoslavia during the 1990s, Zastava Pes reduced its workforce by 70% and had its international contracts terminated.
1999 NATO bombings
Over the course of the
1999 NATO bombing of Yugoslavia
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) carried out an aerial bombing campaign against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia during the Kosovo War. The air strikes lasted from 24 March 1999 to 10 June 1999. The bombings continued until an a ...
, Surdulica was subject to NATO bombings on multiple occasions. By the end of the bombing campaign, approximately fifty homes were destroyed and around 600 more were damaged in Surdulica alone. On April 27, 1999, NATO missiles struck several houses in the southern town of Surdulica. A
CNN journalist named Alessio Vinci subsequently visited the local morgue, where he reported 16 civilians killed as a result of the attack.
One of Serbia's
public broadcasters,
RTS, reported that 20 civilians were killed during the April 27 bombings,
whereas
Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch (HRW) is an international non-governmental organization, headquartered in New York City, that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. The group pressures governments, policy makers, companies, and individual human ...
only recorded eleven deaths.
Many of the victims had been killed in a single house on Zmaj Jova street, owned by Vojislav Milić.
Milić's family and several neighbors took refuge in Milić's basement when his house was struck by two bombs, after which nine people were killed in his house alone.
Over the night of May 30–31, 1999, NATO airstrikes destroyed a sanatorium and a retirement home in Surdulica. Human Rights Watch published the names of the 23 civilians killed in the sanatorium.
Geography
The town stands at 480 m above sea level; it is surrounded by mountains to the north by
Čemernik and to the south by
Vardenik; the highest peak
Strešer stands at 1875 meters high. Some twenty kilometres along the river
Vrla and up the mountains there is a highland called
Vlasina. In the 1950s, a man made dam created a lake called Vlasinsko Jezero (
Vlasina Lake) which is famous for its peat floating islands which were harvested by local farmers. The highland of Vlasina is unique natural reserve with rich wildlife in particular the many rare species of migrating birds that use this unique place as a stop on their migrating way north or south. The lake is rich with fish and is one of largest reservoirs of clean water in that part of the country. The surrounding soil is lush and green resembling the Devon Downs or Argentine pampas. It presents great potential for cattle breeding and dairy production. It has distinct four seasons with long snowy winters and brief hot summers.
There are also two streams running from the mountains and joining at the town of Surdulica. This is where the
Romanovce River
Romanovce ( mk, Романовце, sq, Rramanli) is a village in the municipality of Kumanovo, North Macedonia.
Demographics
On the 1927 ethnic map of Leonhard Schulze-Jena, the village is written as "Ramanovci" and shown as a Turkish village.S ...
joins the
Vrla River
A valve regulated lead–acid (VRLA) battery, commonly known as a sealed lead–acid (SLA) battery, is a type of lead–acid battery characterized by a limited amount of electrolyte ("starved" electrolyte) absorbed in a plate separator or formed ...
on their way to
South Morava
The South Morava (Macedonian and Serbian: Јужна Морава, ''Južna Morava'', ; sq, Lumi Morava) is a river in eastern Kosovo and in southern Serbia, which represents the shorter headwater of Great Morava. Today, it is 295 km long ...
and thence to the
Danube
The Danube ( ; ) is a river that was once a long-standing frontier of the Roman Empire and today connects 10 European countries, running through their territories or being a border. Originating in Germany, the Danube flows southeast for , ...
and the
Black Sea
The Black Sea is a marginal mediterranean sea of the Atlantic Ocean lying between Europe and Asia, east of the Balkans, south of the East European Plain, west of the Caucasus, and north of Anatolia. It is bounded by Bulgaria, Georgia, ...
.
Settlements

Aside from the town of Surdulica, the municipality includes the following settlements:
*
Alakince
*
Bacijevce
Bacijevce is a village in the municipality of Surdulica, Serbia
Serbia (, ; Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe, Southeastern a ...
*
Belo Polje
*
Binovce
*
Bitvrđa
Bitvrđa is a village in the municipality of Surdulica, Serbia
Serbia (, ; Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pan ...
*
Božica
Božica is a village in the municipality of Surdulica, Serbia
Serbia (, ; Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pann ...
*
Vlasina Okruglica
Vlasina Okruglica is a village in the Municipalities of Serbia, municipality of Surdulica, Serbia. According to the 2002 census, the village has a population of 163 people.Popis stanovništva, domaćinstava i Stanova 2002. Knjiga 1: Nacionalna ili ...
*
Vlasina Rid
Vlasina Rid is a village in the municipality of Surdulica, Serbia
Serbia (, ; Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe, Southeastern ...
*
Vlasina Stojkovićeva
*
Vučadelce
Vučadelce is a village in the municipality of Surdulica, Serbia
Serbia (, ; Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the P ...
*
Gornja Koznica
Gornja Koznica is a village in the municipality of Surdulica, Serbia
Serbia (, ; Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe, Southeast ...
*
Gornje Romanovce
Gornje Romanovce is a village in the municipality of Surdulica, Serbia
Serbia (, ; Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads ...
*
Groznatovci
Groznatovci is a village in the municipality of Surdulica, Serbia
Serbia (, ; Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe, Southeastern ...
*
Danjino Selo
Danjino Selo is a village in the municipality of Surdulica, Serbia
Serbia (, ; Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe, Southeastern ...
*
Dikava
Dikava is a village in the municipality of Surdulica, Serbia
Serbia (, ; Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe, Southeastern and ...
*
Donje Romanovce
Donje Romanovce is a village in the municipality of Surdulica, Serbia. According to the 2002 census, the village has a population of 509 people.Popis stanovništva, domaćinstava i Stanova 2002. Knjiga 1: Nacionalna ili etnička pripadnost po n ...
*
Drajinci
Drajinci is a village in the municipality of Surdulica, Serbia
Serbia (, ; Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe, Southeastern an ...
*
Dugi Del
Dugi Del is a village in the municipality of Surdulica, Serbia
Serbia (, ; Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe, Southeastern an ...
*
Dugojnica
Dugojnica is a village in the municipality of Surdulica, Serbia
Serbia (, ; Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe, Southeastern a ...
*
Zagužanje
Zagužanje is a village in the municipality of Surdulica, Serbia
Serbia (, ; Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the P ...
*
Jelašnica
*
Kalabovce
Kalabovce is a village in the municipality of Surdulica, Serbia. According to the 2002 census, the village has a population of 102 people.Popis stanovništva, domaćinstava i Stanova 2002. Knjiga 1: Nacionalna ili etnička pripadnost po naselji ...
*
Kijevac
*
Klisura
Klisura, a South Slavic word of Greek origin (''kleisoúra''), for "pass", "gorge" or "canyon", may refer to:
Albania
*Këlcyrë, a Byzantine town, now in Albania
Bosnia and Herzegovina
* Klisura (Višegrad), a village in the municipality of Vi� ...
*
Kolunica
Kolunica is a hamlet in the municipality of Surdulica, Serbia
Serbia (, ; Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe, Southeastern and ...
*
Kostroševci
*
Leskova Bara
Leskova Bara is a village in the municipality of Surdulica, Serbia
Serbia (, ; Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the ...
*
Masurica
*
Mačkatica
Mačkatica is a village in the municipality of Surdulica, Serbia. According to the 2002 census, the village has a population of 259 people.Popis stanovništva, domaćinstava i Stanova 2002. Knjiga 1: Nacionalna ili etnička pripadnost po naselj ...
*
Novo Selo
*
Palja
*
Rđavica
Rđavica is a village in the municipality of Surdulica, Serbia. According to the 2002 census, the village has a population of 40 people.Popis stanovništva, domaćinstava i Stanova 2002. Knjiga 1: Nacionalna ili etnička pripadnost po naseljima ...
*
Stajkovce
Stajkovce ( sr-cyr, Стајковце) is a village located in the municipality of Vlasotince
Vlasotince ( sr-cyr, Власотинце) is a town and municipality located in Jablanica District of southern Serbia. As of 2011, the municipality ha ...
*
Strezimirovci
Strezimirovci ( Serbian and bg, Стрезимировци; also ''Strezimirovtsi'', ''Strezimirovtzi'') is a divided village in easternmost Serbia and westernmost Bulgaria. The Bulgarian half of the village is part of Tran Municipality, Pernik ...
*
Suvojnica
Suvojnica is a village in the Municipalities of Serbia, municipality of Surdulica, Serbia. According to the 2002 census, the village has a population of 926 people.Popis stanovništva, domaćinstava i Stanova 2002. Knjiga 1: Nacionalna ili etnička ...
*
Suhi Dol
*
Topli Do
*
Topli Dol
*
Troskač
Troskač is a hamlet in the municipality of Surdulica, Serbia. According to the 2002 census, the village has a population of 3 people.Popis stanovništva, domaćinstava i Stanova 2002. Knjiga 1: Nacionalna ili etnička pripadnost po naseljima. ...
*
Ćurkovica
Demographics
According to the 2011 census results, the municipality of Surdulica has a population of 20,319 inhabitants.
Ethnic groups
The ethnic composition of the municipality of Surdulica:
Economy
The following table gives a preview of total number of registered people employed in legal entities per their core activity (as of 2018):
Education
There are two primary schools in the town of Surdulica - ''Vuk Karadžić'' and ''Jovan Jovanović Zmaj'', and several schools in the villages around the town. There are three secondary schools: ''Svetozar Marković Gimnazija'' (Grammar School), ''Josif Pančić School of Agriculture'' and a technical college, ''Nikola Tesla''. In line with falling population in the municipality of Surdulica the number of high school students is also falling.
See also
*
List of places in Serbia
This is the list of populated places in Serbia (excluding Kosovo), as recorded by the 2002 census, sorted alphabetically by municipalities. Settlements denoted as " urban" (towns and cities) are marked bold. Population for every settlement is gi ...
Notes and references
;Notes
* Zmaj Jova street is named after
Jovan Jovanović Zmaj. Serbian
variations of nouns are such that the street is spelled as "''Zmaj Jove''" (as opposed to having an "a" letter at the end) in the context of the sentence in the ''OK Radio'' article on the Milić family from Surdulica.
;References
;Sources
*
External links
*
{{Authority control
Populated places in Pčinja District
Municipalities and cities of Southern and Eastern Serbia