| Šumadija | |
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Location  | |
| State | Serbia |
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| Institutional website | |
Šumadija (Шумадија) is a geographic region in the central part of the Serbia.
To know
The area was heavily forested, hence the name (from šuma 'forest'). The town of Kragujevac is the center of the region and the administrative center of the Šumadija district in the Šumadija statistical region and western Serbia.
The region is very fertile and is known for its large fruit production (apples, grapes, plums, etc.).
Geographical notes
Šumadija is located between the Sava and Danube rivers in the north, the Great Morava River in the east, the Western Morava River in the south, and Kolubara, Ljig and Dičina in the west. According to some interpretations (for example the physiologist J. Cvijić and the ethnologist J. Erdeljanović), the northern border of Šumadija was located between Avala and the mountain of Kosmaj. According to this point of view, the capital of Serbia, Belgrade does not belong to this region.
The Šumadija power plant is famous for its rich horticulture, with its main products such as plums, apples, pears, apricots, peaches, nuts, cherries, strawberries and raspberries.
The Šumadija geological region includes enhanced uranium formations, such as the Brajkovac granite massif and the Medvednjak, Rudnik and Borač volcanites, with a high average instance of uranium and thorium.
When to go
The climate is continental, with cold and snowy winters and hot and humid summers. It is advisable to travel to these areas in late spring or autumn, paying close attention to the respective flow rates of the major watercourses.
Background
Prehistory
The archaeological sites of the Neolithic culture of Starčevo and Vinča (5500-4500 BC) are widespread in Šumadija. The settlements of the late phase of Starčevo are present throughout the territory of the Šumadija power plant. Risovača Cave is one of the most important Paleolithic archaeological sites in Europe. Notable Neolithic sites include Grivac and Kusovac to the west, Divostin in the middle, and Dobrovodica and Rajac to the east.
Middle Ages
The Slavs colonized the Balkans in the 6th and 7th centuries. Šumadija was located directly north-east of Raška, the center of the Principality of Serbia. It is not clear where the exact border with the Bulgarian Khanate went in the 10th century. Prince Zaharija is known for uniting several Slavic tribes along the common border to rebel against Bulgaria in the 1920s. Časlav (927-960), and Constantine Bodin (1081-1101), may have held parts of Šumadija. The southern half of Šumadija came under the rule of the great prince Stefan Nemanja and the Nemanjić dynasty (1166-1371).
The three central parts of Šumadija - Gruža, Jasenica and Lepenica most likely existed as administrative divisions or župe (counties) during the Byzantine era. Of these, Gruža was mentioned at the beginning of the 11th century as a peripheral province. The province of Lepenica, with the status of župa, officially entered the reign of the great prince Stefan Nemanja in 1183, and later Nemanja assigned it as a property (metochion) to his investiture, the monastery of Hilandar, which he confirmed in the Chrysobull of 1198. The province of Dendra, which was held by the Serbian ruler Desa (fl 1150-66), has been interpreted as Šumadija by some scholars, and as Toplica but it was concluded that it was in the vicinity of Niš; Leskovac (historically Glubočica and Dubočica).
The medieval Serbian state saw its end with the fall of the despotic Serbian in Šumadija in the 15th century.
Modern history
Until the fall of the Serbian Despotate, the region was advanced, rich and well populated. This stands out among the travelers who passed through Šumadija at that time. Many surviving topographical names to this day confirm ancient settlements, churches and monasteries (selište, crkvine, manastirine, kućerine, podrumine, varoševo, etc.), as well as old cemeteries and other traces. After the fall of the Despotate, the opportunities changed. The Ottoman invasion and the events that occurred in Šumadija until the beginning of the 19th century were the main cause of the population movement. Removing themselves before the Ottomans, they left their homes, hid in the mountains and ravines, or left in different directions. Settlements disappeared, churches and monasteries were destroyed, and the number of the population steadily decreased. A traveler, Gerlach, described the route from Batočina to Palanka: "I have not found any trace of settlements or culture, wherever there is wasteland, not a single piece of land has been cultivated, there is not a single village".
The first Serbian uprising started in Šumadija.
In addition to the emigration of the population, there was also immigration, more or less, depending on the circumstance that prevailed in Šumadija. However, after the Austro-Turkish War, after the creation of the Koča border, when Šumadija had a more bearable situation, he saw an increasing influx of settlers with his height after the outbreak of the First Serbian Uprising (1804). In the first decades of the 19th century, Šumadija received most of its population. A liberated, fruitful and hitherto sparsely populated region attracted the settlers.
During the 18th century, the forests and hills of Šumadija were the refuge for the hajduk bands (brigands, rebels, guerrillas) who fought against the Ottoman occupation. Parts of the Smederevo Sanjak, all from Šumadija, were liberated by the Austrian army in 1718, resulting in the establishment of the Kingdom of Serbia (1718-1739). After the Austro-Russo-Turkish War (1735-39), the sanjak was re-established. In 1788, the Habsburg-organized Serbian free body liberated Šumadija, who, after subsequent Austrian military involvement, joined the rest of the sanjak under Habsburg occupation (1788-92). The first Serbian uprising, which broke out in 1804, saw the region liberated by self-managed Serbian rebels led by Karađorđe, the national hero of Serbia, a native of Šumadijan. The Second Serbian Uprising in 1815 was led by Miloš Obrenović who successfully repulsed the Ottoman forces and, in 1830, gained full autonomy for Serbia, leading to the independence of central Serbia after several centuries under Ottoman rule.
Contemporary period
Between 1922 and 1929, one of the administrative units in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia was the Šumadijska Oblast. It roughly included the territory of the present Šumadija district with administrative headquarters in Kragujevac, which is also the seat of the modern district.
Spoken languages
The most used language is the Serbian, with numerous minorities Bosnian in the area adjacent to the border.
Culture and traditions
The most common folk costume in Serbia is that of Šumadija. It includes the national hat, the Šajkača, and the traditional leather footwear, opanci. The older peasants still wear their traditional costumes.
The fertile Šumadija region is particularly known for its plums and Slivovitz (Šljivovica), plum brandy, the national drink of Serbia. Plum and its products are of great importance to Serbs and part of numerous customs. Serbia is the largest exporter of Slivovitz in the world and the second largest producer of plums in the world.
Territories and tourist destinations
Urban centers
- Kragujevac - The fourth largest city in Serbia, located on the banks of the Lepenica River. Kragujevac was the first capital of modern Serbia (1818-1841); the first constitution in the Balkans was proclaimed in the city in 1835. The first school of grammar and prints were both established in 1833, followed by the National Professional Theater (1835), the Military Academy (1837) and the first full-fledged university the new independent Serbia (1838). There are many cultural institutions in Kragujevac that have acquired regional value, and some even have national significance in the field of arts and culture. The most important of these institutions are: Knjaževsko-srpski teatar (founded in 1835), National Library "Vuk Karadžić" (1866), Cultural and artistic group "Abrasević" (1904).
The "Kragujevac October" memorial park, located in Šumarice, commemorates the tragic events of 21 October 1941. The National Museum has various exhibits, including those relating to archeology, ethnic diversity, the history of Kragujevac and Šumadija and many paintings. The archeology department has a rich collection of 10,000 exhibit items and over 100,000 study items. The painting department has over 1,000 pieces of important Serbian art of extraordinary value. The "Museum of the old foundry" is located inside the old weapons foundry, the oldest surviving part of the military factory with the military - artisan school, the first of its kind in the principality of Serbia. The museum was founded in 1953 and presents the history of industrial development in Kragujevac and Serbia. It has the collection of 5,800 pieces: weapons and equipment, machines and tools, archival material, photos, paintings, trophies and medals. The Šumadija Historical Archive collects and archives the archives and issues of the seven municipalities of Šumadija and has at its disposal 700 meters (2,297 feet) of archive numbers with 780 registers and hundreds of thousands of original historical documents.
- Kraljevo - It stands on the banks of the Ibar River, 7 km west of its confluence with the Great Morava. Since 1990 an annual regatta called "Joyfull downhill" (Veseli spust) has been held on the Ibar River. The route is 25 km long, starting from the Maglič fortress and ending in Kraljevo. Held in early July, over 300 boats and 5,000 people attended in 2017. The inaugural race of 1990 had 150 participants, but the number grew to 10,000 in 2004-06 and 20,000 in 2008.
- Trstenik - Located along the banks of the Zapadna Morava. Main attractions: Ljubostinja - is a Serbian Orthodox monastery near Trstenik, Serbia. Located in the small mountain valley of the Ljubostinja River. It is dedicated to the Holy Virgin. The monastery was built between 1388 and 1405. Burials in the monastery include Princess Milica, the wife of Lazar Hrebeljanović and Nun Jefimija, who after the battle of Kosovo became a nun along with other widows of Serbian noblemen who lost their lives in the battles on the Maritsa River and Kosovo Polje. Today Ljubostinja is a female monastery which keeps and maintains about fifty nuns. During the Kočine rebellion, people were invited to the rebellion by the Ljubostinje monastery. After the collapse of the rebellion, the Turks burned the monastery to avenge the Serbs and most of the frescoes were destroyed. Also, when the monastery was set on fire, a secret treasure was discovered which was hidden in the monastery wall behind the icons where Princess Milica hid their treasure. Among the stolen treasure was the crown of Prince Lazar, which is now in Istanbul. Ljubostinja was declared a cultural monument of exceptional importance in 1979 and is protected by the Republic of Serbia
- Čačak - Located in the Moravica district. In the vicinity of Čačak there are more than 20 churches and monasteries, the largest number found in such a small area in Serbia. They represent cultural and historical monuments of great importance. The most important are the Church of the Ascension of Jesus, a church on Mount Ljubić dedicated to Saint Tsar Lazar, as well as the Vujan Monastery located on a nearby mountain of the same name. A special value is attributed to the monasteries of the Ovčar-Kablar gorge, which as a cultural and historical whole date back to the Middle Ages and represent the particularity of the cultural and artistic heritage of the region created over the centuries. Thermal and mineral springs with medicinal properties provide the basis for the development of recreational tourism. There are three spas on the territory of the town of Čačak: Gornja Trepča, Ovčar Banja and Slatinska Banja. There are also picnic sites: Gradina and the "Battle and Victory" park (also called "Spomen" park) on the Jelica mountain, the memorial complex on the Ljubić hill, the fields of Grujine, the rafts on the West Morava river in Beljina, Parmenac , Međuvršje and Ovčar Banja, and picnic sites on the tiny rivers called Dičina, Kamenica, Čemernica and Banja.
Other destinations
- Ovčar-Kablar gorge - The town of Čačak has a unique morphological zone in its surroundings, the Ovčar-Kablar gorge, where 300 monasteries have been built since the 14th century, but only 12 remain today. This area is also called "Serbian Mount Athos". Čačak got its present name in 1408; formerly it was called Gradac. One of Gradac's leaders was Stracimir Zavidović, brother of Stefan Nemanja, an important Serbian ruler. He built the church of "Our Lady" (Church of Jesus Ascension), which still stands in the center of Čačak. The church underwent a reconstruction from 2010 to 2011, following an earthquake that damaged the facade.
