Kolašin
Encyclopedia
Kolašin is a town in northern Montenegro
. It has a population of 2,989 (2003 census).
Kolašin is the centre of the municipality (population 9,949) and unofficial centre of Morača region, named after Morača River.
Decree in 1565, by which the deceased Grand Duke Miloš was replaced by his son Todor. The Turkish town was named after the former village of Kolašin.
In 1651, Patriarch Gavrilo assigned Eparch of Zahumsko
, the Eparchy of Nikšić
, Plana
, the Kolašinovićevs and the Morača
to Basil of Ostrog. This document also, like the one from 1667, shows that the Orthodox Christian
population of this region called the Kolašinovići, was organized in a recognized and respected tribal community of the Kolašinovićs. The historical science and sources recognize the surname Kolašinović. By all odds, the name was also derived, same as the name of the region, fortress - settlement and the tribe from the same source—the village of Kolašin.
The origin and the meaning of the word Kolašin is still unknown although there is a whole range of linguistic hypotheses.
According to one version there was a Slavic Duke Kolašin who erected the settlement of Kolašin. Maybe the village of Kolašin from Sultan‘s Decree was that Kolašin from oral tradition and the settlement of the Slavic Duke Kolašin whose title had been inheritable and the tribe influential.
By the decisions of the Congress of Berlin
, in 1878, Kolašin officially became a part of Montenegro. This was preceded with fierce fighting with the Ottoman Empire
over the Kola[in region. Constant battles had been waged by the members of Rovca, Drobnjaci
, Morača, Vasojevići
, Uskoci and other Montenegrin tribes to liberate this and other parts of the land from the Ottomans.
It was in 1798 when young Mina Radović, the son of tke Duke Radule, who had been killed by the Turks, ambushed and killed Hasanbeg Mekić, who had come to collect taxes, in the vicinity of Morača monastery
. The attack had been arranged with the Montenegrin ruler Petar I Petrović-Njegoš
. Mina Radović received the title of Duke and, in 1799, during the convention of the people's prominent representatives of Montenegro and the Hills held in Cetinje
, he was nominated a member of the Court Administration of Montenegro and the Hills, in charge of judicial and administrative power. This meant that the Montenegrin government considered the Morača region to be a legitimate part of Montenegro.
There is a document written by Duke Miljan Vukov, who headed the Vasojević tribe in that battle, about the attack on Kolašin in 1858. It was the bloodiest battle in whole Montenegro: I participated in many a battle as ? Flag bearer, captain and war lord – he testified – but none of them had been so fierce and bloody as was the battle for taking Kolašin in 1858, which was, truly, one of the bloodiest that had ever happened in the vicinity of Montenegro.
The victory in that bloody battle established the new borders of Montenegro towards the regions that still remained under the Turkish rule. Fighting for liberation continued on the left bank of the Tara River
around the Lower Kolašin villages. The Lipovo battle in 1872 is particularly remembered. There was no peace until the Congress of Berlin when Kolašin joined the principality and later the Kingdom of Yugoslavia
created immediately after the World War I
, all until it was disintegrated.
A year or two after the Congress of Berlin, the Kolašin brigade of Montenegro's people's army was formed. During the World War I , by the end of 1915 and in the beginning of 1916, it played a mayor part under the command of Serdar Janko Vukotić
as part of the Sandžak
army. In the famous Battle of Mojkovac
, it successfully defended the gates of Mojkovac having repelled all the attack by much more numerous soldiers of the Austro - Hungarian
army.
In the liberation wars between 1912 and 1918, the brigade lost more than 1000 soldiers and officers.
In the Second World War
, the Kolašin region again suffered hardship, heavy human casualties and destruction. After the Italian capitulation
, this part of Montenegro was free and so, on November 15 and 16, 1943, the First Session of the National Antifascist Council of Montenegro and Boka was held in Kolašin, attended by 544 delegates from all regions of Montenegro and 42 of them from Kolašin district, and its decisions were of critical importance for rerconstruction and rebuilding of the Montenegrin state. In those days, Kolašin was the war capital of Montenegro.
The very town of Kolašin changed hands several times between 1941 and 1944. It was bombarded 18 times by the Germans
and Italians. Finally, on December 29, 1944, the town was liberated by the soldiers of the fifth Montenegrin poletarian bigade. In the national liberation struggle in the period of 1941–1945, more than 1400 soldiers from the Kolašin region took part and almost 400 died. Around 250 patriots lost their lives in various aggressors' torture chambers and on execution sites, and there were quite a lot of futile victims of fratricidal war.
Population of Kolašin:
Ethnic groups (1991 census):
Ethnic groups (2003 census):
and the People's Party by a 56% majority or 3,381 of the popular vote, over a candidate of the Democratic Party of Socialists of Montenegro
, Milosav Bato Bulatović who received only 2,656 or 44%.
Kolašin is one of the centres of Montenegro's mountain tourism. Although Žabljak
is considered more attractive destination, Kolašin has the advantage of being easily accessible by road and rail.
Kolašin is located on the foot of Bjelasica
and Sinjajevina mountains, which offer great conditions for skiing
. Because of Kolašin's altitude (954 m), the town is considered an air spa.
Biogradska Gora
national park is in the town's vicinity, and is considered a premium tourist attraction.
The development of Kolašin as a tourist destination is bolstered by opening of Bianca Resort & Spa, a luxury resort in town's center.
with northern Montenegro and Serbia
(E65
, E80
).
Kolašin is also a station on Belgrade - Bar railway.
Podgorica Airport
is 80 km (49.7 mi) away, and has regular flights to major Europe
an destinations.
Montenegro
Montenegro Montenegrin: Crna Gora Црна Гора , meaning "Black Mountain") is a country located in Southeastern Europe. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea to the south-west and is bordered by Croatia to the west, Bosnia and Herzegovina to the northwest, Serbia to the northeast and Albania to the...
. It has a population of 2,989 (2003 census).
Kolašin is the centre of the municipality (population 9,949) and unofficial centre of Morača region, named after Morača River.
History
Kolašin, fortress-settlement, was raised by the Turks in the middle of the 17th century in the namesake village in Nikšić district (nahiye). The village of Kolašin was first mentioned in the Sultan'sSuleiman the Magnificent
Suleiman I was the tenth and longest-reigning Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, from 1520 to his death in 1566. He is known in the West as Suleiman the Magnificent and in the East, as "The Lawgiver" , for his complete reconstruction of the Ottoman legal system...
Decree in 1565, by which the deceased Grand Duke Miloš was replaced by his son Todor. The Turkish town was named after the former village of Kolašin.
In 1651, Patriarch Gavrilo assigned Eparch of Zahumsko
Eparchy of Zahumlje and Herzegovina
The Eparchy of Zahumlje and Herzegovina is an eparchy of the Serbian Orthodox Church with its seat in Mostar, temporarily transferred to the Tvrdoš monastery near Trebinje, Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina.-Early:The region was under the Metropolitanate of Durazzo, which in turn was under...
, the Eparchy of Nikšić
Eparchy of Budimlje-Nikšic
The Eparchy of Budimlja-Nikšić is an ecclesiastical territory or eparchy of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Montenegro. It is mostly situated in eastern Montenegro...
, Plana
Plana
Plana may refer to:* plural of Latin word Planum used in planetary geology* Planá is name of several locations in the Czech Republic* Plana Peak in Antarctica* Plana Cays in the Bahamas* Plana in Bosnia and Herzegovina...
, the Kolašinovićevs and the Morača
Morača
Morača is a river in Montenegro. It originates in northern Montenegro, under Rzača mountain. It generally flows southwards for some , before emptying into Lake Skadar....
to Basil of Ostrog. This document also, like the one from 1667, shows that the Orthodox Christian
Orthodox Christianity
The term Orthodox Christianity may refer to:* the Eastern Orthodox Church and its various geographical subdivisions...
population of this region called the Kolašinovići, was organized in a recognized and respected tribal community of the Kolašinovićs. The historical science and sources recognize the surname Kolašinović. By all odds, the name was also derived, same as the name of the region, fortress - settlement and the tribe from the same source—the village of Kolašin.
The origin and the meaning of the word Kolašin is still unknown although there is a whole range of linguistic hypotheses.
According to one version there was a Slavic Duke Kolašin who erected the settlement of Kolašin. Maybe the village of Kolašin from Sultan‘s Decree was that Kolašin from oral tradition and the settlement of the Slavic Duke Kolašin whose title had been inheritable and the tribe influential.
By the decisions of the Congress of Berlin
Congress of Berlin
The Congress of Berlin was a meeting of the European Great Powers' and the Ottoman Empire's leading statesmen in Berlin in 1878. In the wake of the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–78, the meeting's aim was to reorganize the countries of the Balkans...
, in 1878, Kolašin officially became a part of Montenegro. This was preceded with fierce fighting with the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
over the Kola[in region. Constant battles had been waged by the members of Rovca, Drobnjaci
Drobnjaci
Drobnjaci is an Old Herzegovinian clan and region in northern Montenegro . Its unofficial centre is in Boan/Šavnik. The Drobnjaci families are predominantly Serb Orthodox, with a majority declaring as Serbs, the rest as Montenegrins...
, Morača, Vasojevići
Vasojevici
The Vasojevići tribe is the largest Serb clan in Montenegro. It occupies the area between Vjetarnih Lijeva Rijeka in the South and Bihor under Bijelo Polje in the North, Mateševo in the West to Plav in the East. The clan is one of seven "highland clans"...
, Uskoci and other Montenegrin tribes to liberate this and other parts of the land from the Ottomans.
It was in 1798 when young Mina Radović, the son of tke Duke Radule, who had been killed by the Turks, ambushed and killed Hasanbeg Mekić, who had come to collect taxes, in the vicinity of Morača monastery
Moraca monastery
Morača is a Serbian Orthodox monastery located in the valley of the Morača River in central Montenegro. It is one of the best known medieval monuments of Montenegro. It was founded in 1252 by Stefan, son of Vukan Nemanjić, the Grand Prince of Zeta, the grandson of Stefan Nemanja...
. The attack had been arranged with the Montenegrin ruler Petar I Petrović-Njegoš
Petar I Petrovic-Njegoš
Petar I Petrović Njegoš was the ruler of Montenegro, the Cetinje Episcop of the Serbian Orthodox Church and Exarch of the Serbian Orthodox Church throne. He was the most popular spiritual and military leader from the Petrović dynasty...
. Mina Radović received the title of Duke and, in 1799, during the convention of the people's prominent representatives of Montenegro and the Hills held in Cetinje
Cetinje
Cetinje , Цетиње / Cetinje , Italian: Cettigne, Greek: Κετίγνη, Ketígni) is a town and Old Royal Capital of Montenegro. It is also a historical and the secondary capital of Montenegro , with the official residence of the President of Montenegro...
, he was nominated a member of the Court Administration of Montenegro and the Hills, in charge of judicial and administrative power. This meant that the Montenegrin government considered the Morača region to be a legitimate part of Montenegro.
There is a document written by Duke Miljan Vukov, who headed the Vasojević tribe in that battle, about the attack on Kolašin in 1858. It was the bloodiest battle in whole Montenegro: I participated in many a battle as ? Flag bearer, captain and war lord – he testified – but none of them had been so fierce and bloody as was the battle for taking Kolašin in 1858, which was, truly, one of the bloodiest that had ever happened in the vicinity of Montenegro.
The victory in that bloody battle established the new borders of Montenegro towards the regions that still remained under the Turkish rule. Fighting for liberation continued on the left bank of the Tara River
Tara River (Montenegro)
The Tara is a river in Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina. It emerges from the confluence of the Opasnica and Veruša Rivers in the Prokletije mountain, part of Dinaric Alps of Montenegro...
around the Lower Kolašin villages. The Lipovo battle in 1872 is particularly remembered. There was no peace until the Congress of Berlin when Kolašin joined the principality and later the Kingdom of Yugoslavia
Kingdom of Yugoslavia
The Kingdom of Yugoslavia was a state stretching from the Western Balkans to Central Europe which existed during the often-tumultuous interwar era of 1918–1941...
created immediately after the World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, all until it was disintegrated.
A year or two after the Congress of Berlin, the Kolašin brigade of Montenegro's people's army was formed. During the World War I , by the end of 1915 and in the beginning of 1916, it played a mayor part under the command of Serdar Janko Vukotić
Janko Vukotic
Janko Vukotić, was a Serbian General, Serdar and Voivode from Montenegro in the Balkan Wars and World War I. He served as Montenegro's Minister of Defence in periods 1905-1907, 1911–1912 and 1913–1915 and as the Prime Minister of Montenegro 1913-1915...
as part of the Sandžak
Sandžak
Sandžak also known as Raška is a historical region lying along the border between Serbia and Montenegro...
army. In the famous Battle of Mojkovac
Battle of Mojkovac
The Battle of Mojkovac was a famous World War I battle fought between 6 January and 7 January 1916 near Mojkovac, Montenegro, between the armies of Austria-Hungary and Montenegro...
, it successfully defended the gates of Mojkovac having repelled all the attack by much more numerous soldiers of the Austro - Hungarian
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
army.
In the liberation wars between 1912 and 1918, the brigade lost more than 1000 soldiers and officers.
In the Second World War
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...
, the Kolašin region again suffered hardship, heavy human casualties and destruction. After the Italian capitulation
Kingdom of Italy (1861–1946)
The Kingdom of Italy was a state forged in 1861 by the unification of Italy under the influence of the Kingdom of Sardinia, which was its legal predecessor state...
, this part of Montenegro was free and so, on November 15 and 16, 1943, the First Session of the National Antifascist Council of Montenegro and Boka was held in Kolašin, attended by 544 delegates from all regions of Montenegro and 42 of them from Kolašin district, and its decisions were of critical importance for rerconstruction and rebuilding of the Montenegrin state. In those days, Kolašin was the war capital of Montenegro.
The very town of Kolašin changed hands several times between 1941 and 1944. It was bombarded 18 times by the Germans
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
and Italians. Finally, on December 29, 1944, the town was liberated by the soldiers of the fifth Montenegrin poletarian bigade. In the national liberation struggle in the period of 1941–1945, more than 1400 soldiers from the Kolašin region took part and almost 400 died. Around 250 patriots lost their lives in various aggressors' torture chambers and on execution sites, and there were quite a lot of futile victims of fratricidal war.
Population
Kolašin is administrative centre of Kolašin municipality, which in 2003 had a population of 9,949. The town of Kolašin itself has 2,989 citizens.Population of Kolašin:
- March 03, 1981 - 2,439
- March 03, 1991 - 2,807
- November 1, 2003 - 2,989
Ethnic groups (1991 census):
- Montenegrins (93.16%)
- SerbsSerbsThe 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...
(4.34%)
Ethnic groups (2003 census):
- Montenegrins (50.65%)
- SerbsSerbsThe 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...
(44.77%)
Mayor
Mileta-Mikan Bulatović is the mayor of Kolasin. He was elected in 2006 as a candidate of the Socialist People's Party of MontenegroSocialist People's Party of Montenegro
The Socialist People's Party of Montenegro is a socialist opposition political party in Montenegro. It has 16 MPs in the Parliament of Montenegro, which it won on the 2009 parliamentary election...
and the People's Party by a 56% majority or 3,381 of the popular vote, over a candidate of the Democratic Party of Socialists of Montenegro
Democratic Party of Socialists of Montenegro
The Democratic Party of Socialists of Montenegro is the ruling social-democratic political party in Montenegro....
, Milosav Bato Bulatović who received only 2,656 or 44%.
Municipal Assembly
2006 election:- Coalition SNPSocialist People's Party of MontenegroThe Socialist People's Party of Montenegro is a socialist opposition political party in Montenegro. It has 16 MPs in the Parliament of Montenegro, which it won on the 2009 parliamentary election...
-NS - 1,936 - 11 - DPSDemocratic Party of Socialists of MontenegroThe Democratic Party of Socialists of Montenegro is the ruling social-democratic political party in Montenegro....
- "Democratically and European for Kolasin - Milo Đukanović" - 1,525 - 9 - Coalition SNS-NSSPeople's Socialist Party of MontenegroPeople Socialist Party of Montenegro was an opposition political party in Montenegro within the Serbian List due to its support of political union of Montenegro with Serbia, holding 1 seat in the Assembly of the Republic of Montenegro...
-SRSSerbian Radical PartyThe Serbian Radical Party is a far-right Serbian nationalist political party in Serbia, founded in 1991. Currently the second-largest party in the Serbian National Assembly, it has branches in three of the nations that currently border Serbia – all former federal republics of Yugoslavia...
- "Serbian List - Andrija MandićAndrija MandicAndrija Mandić is a Montenegrin politician. He is the President of the major ethnic Serb political party in Montenegro, the New Serb Democracy...
" - 966 - 5 - SDPSocial Democratic Party of MontenegroThe Social Democratic Party of Montenegro is a political party in Montenegro....
- "Because we can do better" - 699 - 4 - Movement for ChangesMovement for ChangesMovement for Changes is a political party in Montenegro which has a proclaimed goal to integrate their country into the European Union and to support political and economic reforms to bring it into line with European norms...
- Nebojša MedojevićNebojša MedojevicNebojša Medojević is a politician in Montenegro. He is the president of Movement for Changes , a political party emerging from the Montenegrin NGO Group for Changes...
- 427 - 2 - Democratic Serbian Party - Dragan Vulević - 282 - 1
- Alliance of Communists of Yugoslavia - Communists of Montenegro - 89 - 0
Tourism
Žabljak
Žabljak is a small town in northern Montenegro. It has a population of 1,937.Žabljak is the seat of the municipality...
is considered more attractive destination, Kolašin has the advantage of being easily accessible by road and rail.
Kolašin is located on the foot of Bjelasica
Bjelasica
Bjelasica is a mountain range in North Central Montenegro. The highest point of Bjelasica is Crna Glava , which is high.-Features:...
and Sinjajevina mountains, which offer great conditions for skiing
Skiing
Skiing is a recreational activity using skis as equipment for traveling over snow. Skis are used in conjunction with boots that connect to the ski with use of a binding....
. Because of Kolašin's altitude (954 m), the town is considered an air spa.
Biogradska Gora
Biogradska Gora
Biogradska Gora is a forest and a national park in Montenegro within Kolašin municipality.-Location:Biogradska Gora is located in the mountainous region of Bjelasica in the central part of Montenegro between the rivers Tara and Lim, and is surrounded by three municipalities: Kolašin, Berane and...
national park is in the town's vicinity, and is considered a premium tourist attraction.
The development of Kolašin as a tourist destination is bolstered by opening of Bianca Resort & Spa, a luxury resort in town's center.
Transport
Kolašin is connected with rest of Montenegro by two-laned motorways. It is situated on the main road connecting Montenegro's coast and PodgoricaPodgorica
Podgorica , is the capital and largest city of Montenegro.Podgorica's favourable position at the confluence of the Ribnica and Morača rivers and the meeting point of the fertile Zeta Plain and Bjelopavlići Valley has encouraged settlement...
with northern Montenegro and Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
(E65
European route E65
European route E 65 is a north-south Class-A European route that begins in Malmö, Sweden and ends in Chaniá, Greece. The road is about in length.-Itinerary:* Sweden** E 65: Malmö – Ystad* Baltic sea, ferry Ystad-Świnoujście* Poland...
, E80
European route E80
European route E 80, also known as Trans-European Motorway or TEM, is an A-Class West-East European route, extending from Lisbon, Portugal to Gürbulak, Turkey, on the border with Iran...
).
Kolašin is also a station on Belgrade - Bar railway.
Podgorica Airport
Podgorica Airport
Podgorica Airport is an international airport located south of Podgorica, Montenegro. It is the main hub for Montenegro Airlines....
is 80 km (49.7 mi) away, and has regular flights to major Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an destinations.
See also
- Bjelasica MountainBjelasicaBjelasica is a mountain range in North Central Montenegro. The highest point of Bjelasica is Crna Glava , which is high.-Features:...
- Biogradska Gora National ParkBiogradska GoraBiogradska Gora is a forest and a national park in Montenegro within Kolašin municipality.-Location:Biogradska Gora is located in the mountainous region of Bjelasica in the central part of Montenegro between the rivers Tara and Lim, and is surrounded by three municipalities: Kolašin, Berane and...
- Tourism in MontenegroTourism in MontenegroMontenegro is a small Mediterranean country with rich architectural and cultural heritage, diversity of landscapes and climates, and well preserved natural environment. Naturally well-suited for development of all kinds of tourism, Montenegro is focused on becoming an elite tourist destination....