Kijevo, Croatia
Encyclopedia
Kijevo is a small village in the Dalmatia
n hinterland, southeast of Knin
in the Šibenik-Knin county
in Croatia
. The population of the municipality is 623 (2005), with 99.9% declaring themselves Croats
.
mountain near the source of river Cetina
. It is located on the State route D1
between towns of Vrlika
and Knin
.
In World War II
, Kijevo became part of the Independent State of Croatia
. In the spring of 1942, the town was attacked by Yugoslav Partisans. The attack resulted in approximately half the town's population fleeing the town, and resettling in Slavonia
and Syrmia
. On January 27, 1943 Kijevo was attacked by Chetniks
at a time when there was no military defence in the town, resulting in the deaths of 45 civilians. A total of 209 people from Kijevo died during the war.
in 1990 and 1991 when it was one of the first places attacked by the rebel Serbs
in the formation of Republic of Serbian Krajina
. The Croatian Ministry of the Interior established a police station in Kijevo which was then a village of 1,261 people, 99.6% Croats
, but surrounded by ethnic Serbian
villages of Polača, Civljane and Cetina. Kijevo was soon surrounded and besieged by the Serbian forces of Milan Martić
on August 17, 1991, who put up barricades and prevented entry into the village. On August 18, 1991, Milan Martić laid down an ultimatum to the police and inhabitants of Kijevo, asking them to leave.
Finally on August 26 and August 27, 1991, the remains of the Yugoslav People's Army
(Serbia and Montenegro) under colonel Ratko Mladić
attacked the village with heavy armament and invaded it, which caused the Croatian forces to flee for Drniš
. The remaining Croatian population left after the artillery had destroyed much of their settlements. The reporter of Belgrade
television Vesna Jugović recorded these events. Martić and Mladić have been testified against at the ICTY due to this instance of ethnic cleansing
.
Dalmatia
Dalmatia is a historical region on the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea. It stretches from the island of Rab in the northwest to the Bay of Kotor in the southeast. The hinterland, the Dalmatian Zagora, ranges from fifty kilometers in width in the north to just a few kilometers in the south....
n hinterland, southeast of Knin
Knin
Knin is a historical town in the Šibenik-Knin county of Croatia, located near the source of the river Krka at , in the Dalmatian hinterland, on the railroad Zagreb–Split. Knin rose to prominence twice in history, as a one-time capital of both the Kingdom of Croatia and briefly of the...
in the Šibenik-Knin county
Šibenik-Knin County
Šibenik-Knin County is a county in Croatia, located in north-central Dalmatia. Its center is Šibenik; other notable towns are Knin, Drniš and Skradin....
in Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
. The population of the municipality is 623 (2005), with 99.9% declaring themselves Croats
Croats
Croats are a South Slavic ethnic group mostly living in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and nearby countries. There are around 4 million Croats living inside Croatia and up to 4.5 million throughout the rest of the world. Responding to political, social and economic pressure, many Croats have...
.
Location
Kijevo lies underneath the DinaraDinara
Dinara is a mountain located on the border of Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. One of its summits, also called Dinara, is the highest point in Croatia at 1,831 m and a prominence of 728 m.-Etymology:...
mountain near the source of river Cetina
Cetina
Cetina is a river in southern Croatia. It has a length of and its basin covers an area of . Cetina descends from an altitude of 385 m at its source to the sea level when it flows into the Adriatic Sea. It is the most water-rich river in Dalmatia....
. It is located on the State route D1
D1 (Croatia)
The state road D1 is a national highway in Croatia. It is a one-lane highway that spans from Macelj border crossing in the north via Krapina, Zagreb, Karlovac, Slunj, Gračac, Knin, Sinj, ending in Split...
between towns of Vrlika
Vrlika
Vrlika is a small town and municipality in inland Dalmatia, Croatia. The closest large towns are Sinj, Knin, and Drniš. The town of Vrlika has a population of 959, while the municipality has a population of 2,705 . There are 2,670 Croatian speakers, 16 Serbian speakers and 19 speakers of other...
and Knin
Knin
Knin is a historical town in the Šibenik-Knin county of Croatia, located near the source of the river Krka at , in the Dalmatian hinterland, on the railroad Zagreb–Split. Knin rose to prominence twice in history, as a one-time capital of both the Kingdom of Croatia and briefly of the...
.
History
Thirty-four people from Kijevo died in the First World War.In World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Kijevo became part of the Independent State of Croatia
Independent State of Croatia
The Independent State of Croatia was a World War II puppet state of Nazi Germany, established on a part of Axis-occupied Yugoslavia. The NDH was founded on 10 April 1941, after the invasion of Yugoslavia by the Axis powers. All of Bosnia and Herzegovina was annexed to NDH, together with some parts...
. In the spring of 1942, the town was attacked by Yugoslav Partisans. The attack resulted in approximately half the town's population fleeing the town, and resettling in Slavonia
Slavonia
Slavonia is a geographical and historical region in eastern Croatia...
and Syrmia
Syrmia
Syrmia is a fertile region of the Pannonian Plain in Europe, between the Danube and Sava rivers. It is divided between Serbia in the east and Croatia in the west....
. On January 27, 1943 Kijevo was attacked by Chetniks
Chetniks
Chetniks, or the Chetnik movement , were Serbian nationalist and royalist paramilitary organizations from the first half of the 20th century. The Chetniks were formed as a Serbian resistance against the Ottoman Empire in 1904, and participated in the Balkan Wars, World War I, and World War II...
at a time when there was no military defence in the town, resulting in the deaths of 45 civilians. A total of 209 people from Kijevo died during the war.
War of Independence
Kijevo gained infamy during the Croatian War of IndependenceCroatian War of Independence
The Croatian War of Independence was fought from 1991 to 1995 between forces loyal to the government of Croatia—which had declared independence from the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia —and the Serb-controlled Yugoslav People's Army and local Serb forces, with the JNA ending its combat...
in 1990 and 1991 when it was one of the first places attacked by the rebel Serbs
Serbs
The Serbs are a South Slavic ethnic group of the Balkans and southern Central Europe. Serbs are located mainly in Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and form a sizable minority in Croatia, the Republic of Macedonia and Slovenia. Likewise, Serbs are an officially recognized minority in...
in the formation of Republic of Serbian Krajina
Republic of Serbian Krajina
The Republic of Serbian Krajina was a self-proclaimed Serb entity within Croatia. Established in 1991, it was not recognized internationally. It formally existed from 1991 to 1995, having been initiated a year earlier via smaller separatist regions. The name Krajina means "frontier"...
. The Croatian Ministry of the Interior established a police station in Kijevo which was then a village of 1,261 people, 99.6% Croats
Croats
Croats are a South Slavic ethnic group mostly living in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and nearby countries. There are around 4 million Croats living inside Croatia and up to 4.5 million throughout the rest of the world. Responding to political, social and economic pressure, many Croats have...
, but surrounded by ethnic Serbian
Serbs
The Serbs are a South Slavic ethnic group of the Balkans and southern Central Europe. Serbs are located mainly in Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and form a sizable minority in Croatia, the Republic of Macedonia and Slovenia. Likewise, Serbs are an officially recognized minority in...
villages of Polača, Civljane and Cetina. Kijevo was soon surrounded and besieged by the Serbian forces of Milan Martić
Milan Martic
Milan Martić is a Serbian politician, former president of the Republic of Serbian Krajina...
on August 17, 1991, who put up barricades and prevented entry into the village. On August 18, 1991, Milan Martić laid down an ultimatum to the police and inhabitants of Kijevo, asking them to leave.
Finally on August 26 and August 27, 1991, the remains of the Yugoslav People's Army
Yugoslav People's Army
The Yugoslav People's Army , also referred to as the Yugoslav National Army , was the military of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.-Origins:The origins of the JNA can...
(Serbia and Montenegro) under colonel Ratko Mladić
Ratko Mladić
Ratko Mladić is an accused war criminal and a former Bosnian Serb military leader. On May 31, 2011, Mladić was extradited to The Hague, where he was processed at the detention center that holds suspects for the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia...
attacked the village with heavy armament and invaded it, which caused the Croatian forces to flee for Drniš
Drniš
Drniš is a town in Croatia, located in inland Dalmatia at halfway between Šibenik and Knin. Its municipality population is 8,595 , with 3,332 in the town itself and the rest in two dozen surrounding villages...
. The remaining Croatian population left after the artillery had destroyed much of their settlements. The reporter of Belgrade
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
television Vesna Jugović recorded these events. Martić and Mladić have been testified against at the ICTY due to this instance of ethnic cleansing
Ethnic cleansing
Ethnic cleansing is a purposeful policy designed by one ethnic or religious group to remove by violent and terror-inspiring means the civilian population of another ethnic orreligious group from certain geographic areas....
.