Leštane
Encyclopedia
Leštane is a suburban settlement of Belgrade
, the capital of Serbia
. It is located in the municipality of Grocka
.
It is located on the mouth of the Kaluđerički potok into the Bolečica
river. The name od the settlement is one of the variants for hazel
grove in the Serbian language .
Leštane is more populous than its municipal seat, Grocka. Thousands of people migrated to the settlement from southern Serbia and especially Kosovo and Metohija since 1970's and after exodus of Serbs from Kosovo and Goranci in 1999, new thousands settled in Leštane so it is estimated it might have reached up to 15,000 inhabitants today. As many entire families came from the northern Metohija
region, Leštane is nicknamed Mali Istok
(Little Istok).
Until late 1970s and early 1980s the economy of Leštane was based mainly on agriculture, but since then, a boom in privately owned small companies boosted the economy and attracted new population to migrate to the settlement. Some major economic facilities are a shoe factory, outpost of the National Customs
Serrvice, construction company Geosonda and a power relay station, a major one for the eastern parts of Belgrade, which was severely damaged during the NATO aggression on Yugoslavia
in 1999.
In the 2000s, the area from the crossroad of Smederevski put and Kružni put, along the Bolečica river is designed as industrial zone (Industrijska zona Leštane). So far, several hangars, construction and transportation companies, a parquetry
factory and a few smaller facilities (medicine factory, etc.) have been established, while some large areas are in the process of construction.
and Boleč
. In the 2000s, Leštane began expanding to the west, opposite of Novo Naselje, in the direction of Bubanj Potok
.
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...
, the capital of 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...
. It is located in the municipality of Grocka
Grocka
Grocka is a suburban neighborhood and one of 17 municipalities which constitute the City of Belgrade, the capital of Serbia.- Location :...
.
Location
Leštane is located 15 km east of Belgrade, originally further away from the major roads. As the settlement expanded, it reached the both major Smederevski put and Kružni put roads and in the last decade expanded even further.It is located on the mouth of the Kaluđerički potok into the Bolečica
Bolecica
The Bolečica is a short river in north-central Serbia, a 12 km-long right tributary to the Danube. During its entire flow it runs through the suburban section of Belgrade and despite being short it flows through the three Belgrade's municipalities, next to the half dozen of suburbs of Belgrade ...
river. The name od the settlement is one of the variants for hazel
Hazel
The hazels are a genus of deciduous trees and large shrubs native to the temperate northern hemisphere. The genus is usually placed in the birch family Betulaceae, though some botanists split the hazels into a separate family Corylaceae.They have simple, rounded leaves with double-serrate margins...
grove in the Serbian language .
Population
Leštane is one of the fastest growing suburbs of Belgrade, especially since the mid 1970s, experiencing an annual growth of over 10% in 1971-1981 period. It is still classified as a rural settlement (village) though agriculture is no longer an important branch of the economy. Population of Leštane:- 1971 - 1,484
- 1981 - 4,019
- 1991 - 6,681
- 2002 - 8,492
Leštane is more populous than its municipal seat, Grocka. Thousands of people migrated to the settlement from southern Serbia and especially Kosovo and Metohija since 1970's and after exodus of Serbs from Kosovo and Goranci in 1999, new thousands settled in Leštane so it is estimated it might have reached up to 15,000 inhabitants today. As many entire families came from the northern Metohija
Metohija
Metohija , is a large basin and the name of the region covering the southwestern part of Kosovo.It encompasses three of the seven districts of Kosovo, namely the historical :* District of Peć * District of Đakovica * District of Prizren...
region, Leštane is nicknamed Mali Istok
Istok
Istok or Istog is a town and municipality in the Peć district of north-western Kosovo. The town is the administrative capital of the municipality, which includes the town and the surrounding villages.-Name:...
(Little Istok).
Living conditions and economy
Like the most of the booming suburbs of Belgrade, Leštane has been expanding uncontrolled and without any urbanistic plans. This causes today's big communal problem the settlement is experiencing especially the sewage system, waterworks and transportation, as streets are curved, without any order and in many cases without pavement. All of this brings to the big problems in the settlement during rains.Until late 1970s and early 1980s the economy of Leštane was based mainly on agriculture, but since then, a boom in privately owned small companies boosted the economy and attracted new population to migrate to the settlement. Some major economic facilities are a shoe factory, outpost of the National Customs
Customs
Customs is an authority or agency in a country responsible for collecting and safeguarding customs duties and for controlling the flow of goods including animals, transports, personal effects and hazardous items in and out of a country...
Serrvice, construction company Geosonda and a power relay station, a major one for the eastern parts of Belgrade, which was severely damaged during the NATO aggression on Yugoslavia
Legitimacy of NATO bombing of Yugoslavia
The legitimacy of the NATO bombing of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia has been subject to question by many bodies and individuals from the time of the action continuing to this day. The key basis governing the legality of any act of war is international law...
in 1999.
In the 2000s, the area from the crossroad of Smederevski put and Kružni put, along the Bolečica river is designed as industrial zone (Industrijska zona Leštane). So far, several hangars, construction and transportation companies, a parquetry
Parquetry
Parquetry is a geometric mosaic of wood pieces used for decorative effect. The two main uses of parquetry are as veneer patterns on furniture and block patterns for flooring. Parquet patterns are entirely geometrical and angular—squares, triangles, lozenges. The most popular parquet flooring...
factory and a few smaller facilities (medicine factory, etc.) have been established, while some large areas are in the process of construction.
Novo Naselje
Novo Naselje (Cyrillic: Ново Насеље; Serbian for new settlement) is the eastern extension of Leštane, located on the both Smederevski put and Kružni put roads. As its name says it, it is a new settlement, developing mostly since the 1990s, with many small work shops, groceries and residential houses. It connects, in urban sense, Leštane with Kaluđerica (and thus with Belgrade), VinčaVinca
Vinca is a genus of six species in the family Apocynaceae, native to Europe, northwest Africa and southwest Asia. The English name periwinkle is shared with the related genus Catharanthus .-Description:Vinca plants are subshrubs or herbaceous, and have slender trailing stems 1–2 m long...
and Boleč
Bolec
Boleč is a suburban settlement of Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. It is located in the municipality of Grocka.- Location :...
. In the 2000s, Leštane began expanding to the west, opposite of Novo Naselje, in the direction of Bubanj Potok
Bubanj Potok
Bubanj Potok is a non-residential suburban settlement of Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. It is located in Belgrade's municipality of Voždovac.-Location:...
.