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Bajina Bašta

History

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Overlooking the panaromic view of Bajina Bašta.

Bajina Bašta was established on the remains of the Turkish community of Pljeskovo which was situated on the right bank of the Drina River between the Rača and Pilica Rivers, on the east foot of Tara Mountain. By the end of the 19th century, in accordance with the Serbian-Turkish agreement, the local Muslims had to move out from this region directly across the Drina River into Bosnia, where they started to build houses in the villages of Skelani and Dobrak. In the favorable settings of fertile plain close to the Drina River soon settled the inhabitants of the nearby villages.

The name Bajina Bašta comes from the vast orchards and vegetable gardens, that used to be located on the left bank of the Pilica River, which belonged to Turkish feudal owner, Baja Osman, who established the town's modern image in the mid-19th century. In English, the name Bajina Bašta literally means "Baja’s Garden". In 1858 the town became the administrative center of the Rača District. On September 15, 1872, Prince Milan Obrenović IV issued a decree that officially gave Bajina Bašta status of a town. A decade later, as an already developed town, Bajina Bašta gets its urban plan, long before many places in Serbia.

The Rača’s region primarily became a part of Sokolska nahija, in other words a part of Zvornik Sandžak, and later on a part of Užice nahija where it remained until its liberation from the Turks in 1834. Later on, this town belonged to the Užice District, canton, region and today again to the Zlatibor District. In 1875 a mixed craftsmen guild was founded with 88 different occupations, based on forestry and stock farming. In attempts to improve trade links between Serbia and Bosnia, in 1880, the first customs station was opened in Skelani. The following year, the first post office with a telegraph was opened. The number of inhabitants of 374 in 1864 grew to 1,306 by 1910. Residents of the village of Rača made a major contribution in liberation efforts between 1876-1878 when Serbia became an independent principality by the Congress of Berlin. In the following Balkan Wars and World War I (1912-1918), 304 people from this small town died for independence and Serbian freedom.

Roman ruins in downtown Bajina Bašta.

Regarding historical heritage, near Bajina Bašta, in the village of Pilica, there are archeological findings of Roman architecture dating from the 2nd and 3rd century and ornamented tombstones. There are other archeological sites in the valley of Kremna (43 tombstones), in Mokra Gora (38), in Perućac, Rastište and Dub. The oldest cultural historical findings in this area date from the neolithic (5,000 year BC) – remains of the communities, Kremenilo and Jokin Breg in Višesava. It has been found that in this area people lived in about 2.3 m deep dugouts, on three underground levels. Judging by their characteristics, these remains are considered to belong to Starčevo culture. There is much evidence of material culture of the Iron Age that belonged to the Illiryc tribe of Autariat (after which Tara Mountain most probably got its name). During Roman, Byzantine and medieval period, the place used to be an important trade center and the cross-border with Bosnia.

Monastery Rača (7 km from the town), the most significant historical treasure of the area, built by King Dragutin (1276-1282) was the center of the medieval rewritten literature. Abundant wall painting and iconostasis are considered most beautiful in Serbia. In the residence of the monastery there are a treasury and a library containing over 1,200 old books and manuscripts. In the village of Dub (10 km from Bajina Bašta) there is a wooden church from 1792, of a specific architecture, covered with shingle roof. Variety of ornaments and icons, a gate from 17th century, make this church one of the most beautiful wooden churches in Serbia.

The Monument to the Unknown Soldier from World War II.

During the unification of the Southern Slavs of Europe and creation of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, Bajina Bašta continued its urban expansion. In 1926, a metal bridge was built, replacing the ferry that crossed the Drina River. The electrification of the town started in 1928 and two years later in 1930 the first town’s hospital was built. The utilization of forests and tobacco, construction of elementary schools in the region greatly helped improve the standard of living and educational level of the inhabitants. In 1940, the downtown area built its first water piping and sewerage system and cobblestone streets.

During World War II, Bajina Bašta was severely damaged. Events that marked world history in the period between 1939-1945, were reflected in this region as well in a form of civil war and liberation fights against the occupants. The Rača’s militia was formed in the first stages of the armed resistance against the occupants. Between August 3rd and August 23rd in 1941, the militia solidified into a military formation consisting of 62 soldiers. The first free territory in the occupied Europe - "The Užice Republic", brought only temporary liberation to Bajina Bašta. In this region, the first People's Liberation Committee NOO was formed. During the war, the occupants’ terror, especially in 1943 by the Bulgarian forces caused many civilian casualties. Bajina Bašta was liberated from Nazi and Četnik forces on September 12, 1944.

After the World War II ended, Bajina Bašta continued to develop into an economical, cultural and administrative center of the municipality which extended on 672 square kilometers (418 square miles). The first decade of the 20th century is marked by the expansion of trade, banking, agricultural cooperatives, sawmills and craftsmen guilds. Intensive economic growth began in 1966 when the Bajina Bašta Hydroelectric Power Plant in Peruć was put in operation. This is the second largest hydroelectric power plant in Serbia and Montenegro today, after Đerdap on the Danube.

Climate

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A panaromic view of Bajina Bašta during the winter.

Bajina Bašta's climate is moderate continental with four distinct seasons. Summers are warm and pleasant with cool nights, and winters are sunny, with snow levels high enough for widespread winter sports. However, the humidity of the air increased greatly after the construction of the power plant in Perućac and the formation of the artificial lakes above the dam and in Zaovine in the mountains. The average annual rainfall is 700-800 mm locally, making the hydrologic profile of the area very rich.

Demographics

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According to the 2002 Census Data (PDF), the municipality of Bajina Bašta has 29,049 people. The city itself hosts 9,525 people while the other 19,524 live in thirty-five outlying villages and non-urban areas surrounding the city.

Most of the residing population are immigrants, who after the liberation of the area from the Turks in the 19th century, settled these areas, originally coming from Herzegovina, the north-western parts of Montenegro, Sandžak, Osat (Bosnia), Dalmatia (Pepelj) and Kremna. At present, a considerable decrease in population is recorded due to economic migrations towards the regional centers of Serbia, such as Užice, Valjevo, Čačak, and Belgrade.

Economy

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Bajina Bašta Hydroelectric Power Plant in Perućac.

The greatest natural resources of the municipality are the Drina River and Tara Mountain. The Drina is especially significant for its water power potentials. Specialists have estimated that it is possible to erect several hydroelectric power plants on this river. The annual flow of the Drina River is about 12.5 cubic kilometers of water. The Bajina Bašta Hydroelectric power plant was built on the Drina to harness that energy. The dam is located 12 km west of Bajina Bašta, near Perućac. Its average annual production amounts to 1,625 GWh of electric power. For the sake of better utilization of water power potential, the first reversible hydro-electric power plant in Europe was built in Zaovine, near the top of Tara Mountain.

Tara Mountain has long been a well-known tourist resort owing to its pleasant moderately continental and sub-continental climate. In 1981, Tara became a national park. It covers an area of 300 square kilometres and is the largest natural park in Serbia. The mountain has an abundance of flora and fauna. Apart from white pine tree, maple-trees and famous Serbian Spruce (Picea omorika), here you can find rare game including bear, roe deer, and chamois. The Drina River is a part of the local cultural identity and has great potential in rafting sports and fishing.

Moderate continental and mountainous climatic conditions are especially suitable for recovery and medical treatment of patients with bronchial asthma, chronic bronchitis, anemia and other diseases. Special attention is paid to tourism development and different tourist manifestations utilizing the clean and clear air of Tara Mountain.

Industry had developed fairly well in Bajina Bašta, but recently saw a major downturn due to economic hardships and the civil wars that raged across the region in the 1990s. The major employers before the outbreak of the Yugoslav Wars were:

  • Crni Vrh, a wood-processing and furniture factory (Open)
  • IKL, a manufacturer of metal parts and ball bearings (Closed)
  • Kadinjača, a textiles corporation (Open, but with limited capacity)
  • Tarateks, a ready-wear manufacturer (Closed)
  • Sloboda a manufacturer of electronics and household appliances (Closed)
  • Elektroizgradnja Bajina Bašta, makers of power line towers and industrial electronic equipment (Open)
  • Razvoj, a construction corporation (Open)
  • Laminat, a manufacturer of cardboard and cardboard containers (Closed)
  • Zemljoradnička zadruga Bajina Bašta, a farmers' co-operative - production of highest grade raspberry, as well as different kinds of fruits (plums, pears, apples), vegetables (potatoes, beans, cabbage, corn) (Open)

The closing of some of these companies threw a majority of Bajina Bašta's and surrounding region's population into unemployment. The only company still functioning well is Drinske Hidroelektrane (Drina Hydroelectrics), headquartered in downtown Bajina Bašta, owners of the "Bajina Basta" Višegrad hydroelectric power plants.

Thanks to exceptionally good climatic conditions, Bajina Bašta has exceptional potential for agricultural profit. High-quality types of tobacco and medicinal herbs flourish in the valley of the Drina, grown by Bajinovac, an agriculture company. Plums, used for the making of Bajina Bašta’s own regional juniper brandy Klekovača, grow in abundance. Wheat is a mainstay of the valley, growing well during both the summer and winter growing seasons. The Bajina Bašta municipality is famous for its raspberry farms.

Architecture

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Bajina Bašta's main street.

The city has preserved its architecture from the end of the 19th and the first half of the 20th century, which gets along well with modern urban structures. Rural settlements are mostly of closed type, among which the most attractive and significant ones are Rogačica, the former center of the Rača district, as well as Kostojevići, Pilica, and other localities.

The expansion and development of Bajina Bašta by the modern urbanization plan was directed along the main streets which represent a part of the main routes to Užice-Perućac (Kneza Milana Obrenovića Street) and Rogačica-Tara (Svetosavska Street), which intersect in the town’s center, where the rest of the town’s streets link. Bajina Bašta is considered a modern urban settlement with a potential for horizontal expansion. Downtown represents the residential area with buildings of different facades and height.

Tourism

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There are some traces of the Neolithic Age, the Roman sacrificial altars and necropolis, which were left here by other cultures. The ruins of the ancient town Solotnik, the log cabin Church in the village Dub and Rača Monastery are important parts of Serbia's cultural legacy. Kaluđerske bare and the hotels Omorika (spruce), Javor (maple) and Beli bor (white pine), as well as Mitrovac with its children rest-home, are the representative tourist destination which offer swimming pools, skiing and sports facilities.

Communications and Media

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Sports organizations

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Education

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See also

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References

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