Valjevo
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Valjevo (
Serbian Cyrillic The Serbian Cyrillic alphabet (, ), also known as the Serbian script, (, ), is a standardized variation of the Cyrillic script used to write the Serbian language. It originated in medieval Serbia and was significantly reformed in the 19th cen ...
: Ваљево, ) is a
city A city is a human settlement of a substantial size. The term "city" has different meanings around the world and in some places the settlement can be very small. Even where the term is limited to larger settlements, there is no universally agree ...
and the administrative center of the
Kolubara District The Kolubara District (, ) is one of administrative districts of Serbia. It occupies the central part of western Serbia. According to the 2022 census, it has a population of 154,497 inhabitants. The administrative center of the Kolubara Distric ...
in western Serbia. According to the 2022 census, the city itself has a population of 56,145 while the city administrative area has 82,169 inhabitants. The city is situated along the river Kolubara.


History

In the nearby village of Petnica, scientists found the first complete
neolithic The Neolithic or New Stone Age (from Ancient Greek, Greek 'new' and 'stone') is an archaeological period, the final division of the Stone Age in Mesopotamia, Asia, Europe and Africa (c. 10,000 BCE to c. 2,000 BCE). It saw the Neolithic Revo ...
habitat in
Serbia , image_flag = Flag of Serbia.svg , national_motto = , image_coat = Coat of arms of Serbia.svg , national_anthem = () , image_map = , map_caption = Location of Serbia (gree ...
and dated it at 6,000 years old. In Roman times this area was part of the province of
Moesia Moesia (; Latin: ''Moesia''; ) was an ancient region and later Roman province situated in the Balkans south of the Danube River. As a Roman domain Moesia was administered at first by the governor of Noricum as 'Civitates of Moesia and Triballi ...
. Valjevo was mentioned for the first time in 1393. It was an important staging post on the trade route that connected
Bosnia Bosnia and Herzegovina, sometimes known as Bosnia-Herzegovina and informally as Bosnia, is a country in Southeast Europe. Situated on the Balkans, Balkan Peninsula, it borders Serbia to the east, Montenegro to the southeast, and Croatia to th ...
to
Belgrade Belgrade is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers and at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin, Pannonian Plain and the Balkan Peninsula. T ...
. Valjevo became significant during the 16th and 17th centuries under stable Ottoman rule. According to Matija Nenadović, there were 24 mosques in Valjevo in the late 18th century. At the beginning of the 19th century most of the territory of
Serbia , image_flag = Flag of Serbia.svg , national_motto = , image_coat = Coat of arms of Serbia.svg , national_anthem = () , image_map = , map_caption = Location of Serbia (gree ...
rapidly transformed. The Serbian revolution began with armed rebellion. In 1804, the local Serb population had rebelled against the Turkish lords and liberated a large part of Serbia. One cause for the revolution was the killing of two prominent Serbian commanders by the Ottoman Turks. The two well-known knights, Ilija Birčanin and Aleksa Nenadović, were killed in Valjevo on the bridge over the Kolubara. The settlement's development accelerated further in the 20th century, when Valjevo became an important industrial and cultural center. During the
First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
the battle of Kolubara was fought in the immediate vicinity. A large hospital for the wounded was in the town. One of the captured partisan leaders Stjepan Filipović was executed by the Nazis in Valjevo in 1942. In 1999, Valjevo was repeatedly bombed during the NATO intervention in Yugoslavia.


Settlements

Apart from the city, Valjevo covers the administrative area which includes the following settlements:


Demographics

According to the 2022 census, the city proper has a population of 56,059, while the administrative area has a population of 82,169.


Ethnic groups

The ethnic composition of the city of Valjevo:


Geography

The Valjevo mountain range ( Medvednik, Jablanik, Povlen, Maljen, Suvobor), with gently-rolling hills surrounds the town. Divčibare is a plateau in the mountain of Maljen. It has an average altitude of 1000 m. It is 28 km from Valjevo and 110 km from
Belgrade Belgrade is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers and at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin, Pannonian Plain and the Balkan Peninsula. T ...
. The canyon of the Gradac River (also the name of a Valjevo suburb) ends in the town centre. The Gradac is one of Europe's cleanest rivers, as evidenced by the presence of
Eurasian otter The Eurasian otter (''Lutra lutra''), also known as the European otter, Eurasian river otter, European river otter, common otter, and Old World otter, is a semiaquatic mammal native to Eurasia and the Maghreb. The most widely distributed member o ...
s, which only inhabit unpolluted waters. It abounds in
brook trout The brook trout (''Salvelinus fontinalis'') is a species of freshwater fish in the char genus ''Salvelinus'' of the salmon family Salmonidae native to Eastern North America in the United States and Canada. Two ecological forms of brook trout h ...
. Also, the artificial lake Rovni is located 15 kilometers from the center of Valjevo. File:Duke Zivojin Misic Statue Valjevo.JPG, ''Duke Živojin Mišić statue in Valjevo'' File:Valjevo in first half of the 20th century.jpg, ''Valjevo in the first half of the 20th century'' File:Valjevo Timelaps.ogv, ''Valjevo time-lapse''


Amenities

The Valjevo mountain range offers clean air, medicinal herbs, forest fruits and wild game. The vicinity is kept free of industrialisation and the soil is unpolluted, so the food grown there is healthy. Hunting and fishing in the mountain rivers is common. The air-spa of Divčibare offers rest and recreation. Vrujci Spa has mud baths for rheumatic diseases, as well as a hotel and sports complex with swimming pools. Old water mills are found in the thirteen square kilometers natural reserve. In Petnica, 5 km away from Valjevo, the Petnica Science Center supports young researchers. It has outdoor swimming pools with minor sports facilities, as well as lake Pocibrava, a recreational area. The Nenadović Tower (Кула Ненадовића), originally an armory built by Jakov Nenadović and his son Jevrem in spring 1813, is adjacent to the road to Šabac, at the edge of Kličevac hill. The construction material was stone from an older Vitković tower. Later, the Ottomans turned it into a prison.


Surroundings

The village of Brankovina is situated near Valjevo and is the home of the Nenadović family. The sights of Brankovina are encompassed in a cultural and historical complex, which includes: the Church of Saint
Archangel Archangels () are the second lowest rank of angel in the Catholic hierarchy of angels, based on and put forward by Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite in the 5th or 6th century in his book ''De Coelesti Hierarchia'' (''On the Celestial Hierarchy'') ...
, Archpriest's school, Desanka's school, Old Courtroom, the Sleeping Outbuilding of the Nenadović family, the graves of the Nenadović family and Desanka Maksimović, as well as old “sobrašica” summer houses in the exquisitely beautiful Brankovina church yard. Several ancient monasteries are located in the area surrounding of Valjevo, including Pustinja, Lelić, and Ćelije. The sites on which the current monasteries stand have been used for religious purposes since the 10th century, although the current church buildings date to between 14th and 17th centuries. Pustinja Monastery is located in the cleft of a remote mountainous valley and contains rare Serbian medieval frescoes. Excavations have shown that the current church was built on the foundations of a much older church. Parts of the foundation and an unidentified tomb, much older than the church itself, were discovered. The church is only accessible by a steep path. However, despite its inaccessibility, the Turks managed to damage the monastery more than once. It was damaged in 1683 during the invasion of Turkish army to Vienna. Pustinja is today an active female monastery.


Climate

The climate in this area has mild differences between highs and lows, with adequate rainfall year-round. The
Köppen Climate Classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...
subtype for this climate is " Cfa" (Warm Temperate Climate).


Society and culture


Cultural institutions

The most important cultural institution is the National Museum founded in 1951, under whose auspices are the Museum of the First and Second Serbian Uprisings and displays in Brankovina. Other institutions include the Institute for Protection of Cultural Monuments, the Historical Archive of Valjevo, the Town Library. The Cultural Centre has a well-equipped stage and an auditorium with 630 seats. The Youth Centre has "Gallery 34" for exhibitions and forums. The Serbian Language and Culture Workshop offers classes in Serbian for foreigners. Valjevo has two elite art galleries. The Modern Gallery has a permanent display of works of the Academician Ljuba Popović (1953-63 period), a collection of works presented by exhibitors and a concept of representing fantastic painting after the model of the famous "Mediala". The International Art Studio "Radovan Mića Trnavac" exhibits foreign painters of different styles. The Cultural and Artistic Society "Abrašević" has a renowned choir, along with folk music and drama ensembles. Theatrical performances are given by the private theatre "Mala scena" and the Drama Studio of Valjevo Grammar School. The
Jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...
Fest is accompanied by summer literary talks in the Library Yard. Desanka's May Talks discuss literary topics, where the Desanka Maksimović Foundation grants an annual poetry award.


Tešnjar

Tešnjar is one of the oldest paved streets in Valjevo. It is used for films based in the past and is one of the places that makes the beautiful town unique.


Economy

The main economic activity in the second half of the 20th century was the arms manufacturing firm Krušik, which returned to production after the wars. The Valjevo economy is characterized by small, private companies working in metallurgy, food production and textiles. Austrian company Austrotherm GmbH, Italian company Golden Lady and Slovenian company Gorenje have built production facilities in Valjevo. Another domestic company is Valjevska Pivara, founded in 1860. The following table gives a preview of total number of registered people employed in legal entities per their core activity (as of 2022):


Politics

Seats in the city parliament won in the 2016 local elections:


Gallery

File:Valjevo sharp.jpg, ''A view of the city from the west. River Kolubara and city wheat silo can be seen'' File:Petnica cave.jpg, '' Petnica cave'' File:Desanka Maksimovic PhotoAdamRadosavljevic.jpg, '' Desanka Maksimović monument'' File:Nenadović Tower from 1813.jpg, ''Nenadović Tower from 1813'' File:Park Pećina 4.JPG, ''Cave Park'' File:Park Pećina 1.jpg, Cave Park File:Tešnjar.JPG, '' Tešnjar, old urban settlement in Valjevo'' File:Gradac river near Valjevo.jpg, '' Gradac River near Valjevo'' File:Zgrada gimnazije, Valjevo 010.jpg, Valjevo Grammar School File:Valjevo, chrám.JPG, Temple of Our Lord's Resurrection File:Valjevo, Skulptura Seča knezova, 04.jpg, "Mother Serbia", Memorial dedicated to the Slaughter of the Knezes File:Spomen groblje 1914-1915, Valjevo 010.jpg, Memorial cemetery to the victims of the World War I


Notable people

* Serbian singer, songwriter, and producer Željko Joksimović grew up in Valjevo. * Serbian basketball player Miloš Teodosić was born in Valjevo. * Draginja Babić (1886-1915) was born in Valjevo and worked at Valjevo Hospital during the
Balkan Wars The Balkan Wars were two conflicts that took place in the Balkans, Balkan states in 1912 and 1913. In the First Balkan War, the four Balkan states of Kingdom of Greece (Glücksburg), Greece, Kingdom of Serbia, Serbia, Kingdom of Montenegro, M ...
and
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
. * Gorica Gajević (born 1958), a lawyer and politician born in Valjevo.


Nenadović family

This family produced leaders of the
First Serbian Uprising The First Serbian Uprising (; sr-Cyrl, Први српски устанак; ) was an uprising of Serbs in Orašac (Aranđelovac), Orašac against the Ottoman Empire from 14 February 1804 to 7 October 1813. The uprising began as a local revolt ...
, ministers of the first
Serbian government The government of Serbia ( sr-cyrl, Влада Србије, Vlada Srbije), formally the Government of the Republic of Serbia ( sr-cyrl, Влада Републике Србије, Vlada Republike Srbije), commonly abbreviated to Serbian Governme ...
, spiritual leaders and travel writers. Some members are:
Voivode Voivode ( ), also spelled voivod, voievod or voevod and also known as vaivode ( ), voivoda, vojvoda, vaivada or wojewoda, is a title denoting a military leader or warlord in Central, Southeastern and Eastern Europe in use since the Early Mid ...
Aleksa, Archpriest Mateja Nenadović, Voivode Jakov Nenadović,
Sima Sima or SIMA may refer to: People * Sima (Chinese surname) * Sima (Persian given name), a Persian feminine name in use in Iran and Turkey * Sima (Indian given name), an Indian feminine name used in South Asia * Sima (surname) * Sima (born 1 ...
and Jevrem, writer Čika Ljuba Nenadović, and Princess Persida Karađorđević, the mother of King Peter I of Serbia.


International cooperation

Valjevo has official sister cities:


See also

*
List of populated places in Serbia This is the list of populated places in Serbia (excluding Kosovo), as recorded by the Demographics of Serbia, 2002 census, sorted alphabetically by Municipalities of Serbia, municipalities. Human settlement, Settlements denoted as "Urban area, urb ...
* Tešnjar * Valjevo Mountains * Kolubara * Gradac (river)


References


External links

*
Valjevska posla news portal

U gradu news portal
{{Authority control Municipalities and cities of Šumadija and Western Serbia Populated places in Kolubara District Articles containing video clips