Zvornik
Encyclopedia
Zvornik is a city on the Drina
river in northeastern Bosnia and Herzegovina
, located south of the town of Bijeljina
in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The town Mali Zvornik
("little Zvornik") lies directly across the river in Serbia
, and not far north is Loznica.
and Belgrade
runs through the city. Zvornik has also the distinction of being the only city in Bosnia that directly lies on the border to Serbia
.
period, Zvornik was the capital of the Zvornik sanjak
(an administrative region). This was primarily the case because of the city's crucial role in the economy and the strategic importance of the city's location. In the year 1806 the city of Zvornik was home to the famous Bosniak, kapetan Mehmed-beg Kulenović
.
(1992–1995) Zvornik's Bosniak population was totally expelled. The military attack from Serbia on Zvornik commenced on 8 April 1992. During April 1992, many European news stations daily reported Serbian Army attacks and mass killings of the Bosniak population of Zvornik and the surrounding villages.
On 19 May 1992, combined JNA, Serb paramilitary
and Arkan's Tigers occupied Zvornik and Mali Zvornik
. It is known that the suburbs of Karakaj
and Čelopek were places of prisons where hundreds of Zvornik's Bosniaks were killed. The remaining Bosniaks and non-Serbs were relegated to concentration camps and detention facilities throughout the area. During the war Serb forces destroyed mosques in and around the city.
Vojin Vučković, commander of the Yellow Wasps
, and his brother Duško were convicted in 1996 for killing of 17 civilians in Čelopek
, a suburb of the town of Zvornik, during the ethnic cleansing of the Bosniak population of the Drina valley in 1992.
The town of Zvornik proper had a total of 14,584 inhabitants, of which:
However, the city's demographic situation has changed drastically during the Bosnian War that followed. Today, the population of Zvornik is about 95% Serb.
Monuments in the town include:
Kula Grad, a village that is part of Zvornik municipality, is home to a Middle Age fort, built by Serbian despot Đurađ Branković.
usually takes part between August 2 and 8, and its main objective is to become a traditional cultural event which will open the doors of Zvornik for the recognized cultural values.
On 10 October 2010, a memorial ceremony took place at the theatre, to honour Serbian actress Kapitalina Eric, the theatre has been titled after her name. Since that day, the official name of the theatre is "The Kapitalina Eric Zvornik Theather". Members of her family, who arrived from London
, made this occasion very special. Also Jovan Ćirilov
– Serbian theatre expert, Serbian actress Jelena Žigon, Professor Lidija Pažin, Professor Zoran Ivanović and many others. Kapitalina Erić spent her childhood in the small village near Zvornik. When she was 13 she began her acting studies in Belgrade, and became the actress of the National Theatre in Belgrade
.
, FK Drina Zvornik
, plays in the First League of the Republika Srpska
.There is also a basketball club called KK Drina Zvornik.
• Baljkovica
• Baljkovica Donja
• Boškovići
• Buložani
• Čelopek
• Divič
• Donja Pilica
• Donji Lokanj
• Drinjača
• Dugi Dio
• Đevanje
• Đulići
• Glodi
• Glumina
• Goduš
• Gornja Pilica
• Gornji Lokanj
• Grbavci Donji
• Grbavci Gornji
• Gušteri
• Jardan
• Jasenica
• Jusići
• Kamenica Donja
• Kamenica Gornja
• Kiseljak
• Kitovnice
• Klisa
• Kostijerevo
• Kozluk
• Kraljevići
• Križevići
• Kučić Kula
• Kula Grad
• Liješanj
• Malešići
• Marčići
• Međeđa
• Mehmedići
• Nezuk
• Novo Selo
• Pađine
• Paljevići
• Petkovci
• Potočani
• Rastošnica
• Roćević
• Rožanj
• Sapna
• Skočić
• Snagovo
• Snagovo Donje
• Snagovo Gornje
• Sopotnik
• Šepak Donji
• Šepak Gornji
• Šetići
• Tabanci
• Trnovica
• Tršić
• Ugljari
• Vitinica
• Vrela
• Zaseok
• Zelinje
Drina
The Drina is a 346 kilometer long river, which forms most of the border between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia. It is the longest tributary of the Sava River and the longest karst river in the Dinaric Alps which belongs to the Danube river watershed...
river in northeastern Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
, located south of the town of Bijeljina
Bijeljina
Bijeljina is a city and municipality in northeastern Bosnia and Herzegovina. The city is the second largest in the Republika Srpska entity after Banja Luka and fifth largest city in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and is situated on the flat rich plains of Semberija...
in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The town Mali Zvornik
Mali Zvornik
Mali Zvornik is a town and municipality located in the Mačva District of Serbia. In 2011, the population of the town is 4,384, while the population of the municipality is 12,496. It lays opposite of the Drina river from the town of Zvornik, in Bosnia and Herzegovina.-History:There are traces of...
("little Zvornik") lies directly across the river in 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...
, and not far north is Loznica.
History
Zvornik is first mentioned in 1410, although it was known as Zvonik ("bell tower") at that time. The town's geographic location has made it an important trade link between Bosnia and the east. For instance, the main road connecting SarajevoSarajevo
Sarajevo |Bosnia]], surrounded by the Dinaric Alps and situated along the Miljacka River in the heart of Southeastern Europe and the Balkans....
and 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...
runs through the city. Zvornik has also the distinction of being the only city in Bosnia that directly lies on the border to 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...
.
Ottoman rule
During the OttomanOttoman 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...
period, Zvornik was the capital of the Zvornik sanjak
Sanjak
Sanjaks were administrative divisions of the Ottoman Empire. Sanjak, and the variant spellings sandjak, sanjaq, and sinjaq, are English transliterations of the Turkish word sancak, meaning district, banner, or flag...
(an administrative region). This was primarily the case because of the city's crucial role in the economy and the strategic importance of the city's location. In the year 1806 the city of Zvornik was home to the famous Bosniak, kapetan Mehmed-beg Kulenović
Mehmed-beg Kulenović
Mehmed-beg Kulenović, Gazi Mehmed-beg Kulenović, Mehmed-beg Kulinović, also known as Kulin-kapetan ; was a Bosnian Ottoman soldier born and raised in Bihać and later became the Kapetan of Bosnia Eyalet. He was a very important regional official for the Ottoman forces due to his ties with the...
.
Bosnian war
During the Bosnian WarBosnian War
The Bosnian War or the War in Bosnia and Herzegovina was an international armed conflict that took place in Bosnia and Herzegovina between April 1992 and December 1995. The war involved several sides...
(1992–1995) Zvornik's Bosniak population was totally expelled. The military attack from Serbia on Zvornik commenced on 8 April 1992. During April 1992, many European news stations daily reported Serbian Army attacks and mass killings of the Bosniak population of Zvornik and the surrounding villages.
On 19 May 1992, combined JNA, Serb paramilitary
Serb paramilitary
- Before World War II :* Komitadji* Chetniks* Narodna Odbrana, reported to have committed war crimes in Macedonia.- Yugoslav war :* Serbian Guard* White Eagles, also known as Šešeljevci, reported for ethnic cleansing in Bosnia, Vojvodina and Kosovo....
and Arkan's Tigers occupied Zvornik and Mali Zvornik
Mali Zvornik
Mali Zvornik is a town and municipality located in the Mačva District of Serbia. In 2011, the population of the town is 4,384, while the population of the municipality is 12,496. It lays opposite of the Drina river from the town of Zvornik, in Bosnia and Herzegovina.-History:There are traces of...
. It is known that the suburbs of Karakaj
Karakaj
Karakaj is a town located 2 km north from the city Zvornik in Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina, on the Drina River, it has also the border checkpoint with Serbia. The word Karakaj comes from Turkish word which means dark stone...
and Čelopek were places of prisons where hundreds of Zvornik's Bosniaks were killed. The remaining Bosniaks and non-Serbs were relegated to concentration camps and detention facilities throughout the area. During the war Serb forces destroyed mosques in and around the city.
Vojin Vučković, commander of the Yellow Wasps
Yellow Wasps
The Yellow Wasps were a Serbian paramilitary group which was active in the Bosnian War. Its leader was Vojin Vučković Žućo. The group was active in the Zvornik region...
, and his brother Duško were convicted in 1996 for killing of 17 civilians in Čelopek
Čelopek (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Čelopek is a suburb of the city of Zvornik, on the Drina river in northeastern Bosnia and Herzegovina. At the start of the Bosnian war 1992-1995, in the early stages of the ethnic cleansing of the Bosniak population of the Drina Valley, brutal war crimes were perpetrated by the Yellow Wasps...
, a suburb of the town of Zvornik, during the ethnic cleansing of the Bosniak population of the Drina valley in 1992.
Demographics
According to the 1991 census, the municipality of Zvornik was home to a total of 81,295 inhabitants. They were divided into the following ethnicities:- Muslims - 48,102 (59.16%)
- SerbsSerbs of Bosnia and HerzegovinaThe Serbs of Bosnia and Herzegovina are people of Serb ethnicity inhabiting the Balkan regions of Bosnia and Herzegovina, or, since the establishment of Bosnia and Herzegovina as a state in the 1990s, the Serbs who have its citizenship. The Serbs are one of the three constitutive nations of this...
- 30,863 (37.96%) - YugoslavsYugoslavsYugoslavs is a national designation used by a minority of South Slavs across the countries of the former Yugoslavia and in the diaspora...
- 1,248 (1.53%) - CroatsCroats of Bosnia and HerzegovinaCroats of Bosnia and Herzegovina form one of the three constitutive nations in Bosnia and Herzegovina.There is no precise data regarding Bosnia and Herzegovina's population since the last war. Ethnic cleansing within Bosnia and Herzegovina in the 1990s saw the vast majority of Croats move and take...
- 122 (0.15%) - Others and unknown - 960 (1.18%)
The town of Zvornik proper had a total of 14,584 inhabitants, of which:
- Muslims - 8,854 (60.71%)
- Serbs - 4,235 (29.03%)
- YugoslavsYugoslavsYugoslavs is a national designation used by a minority of South Slavs across the countries of the former Yugoslavia and in the diaspora...
- 944 (6.47%) - Bosnian Croats - 76 (0.52%)
- Others and unknown - 475 (3.25%)
However, the city's demographic situation has changed drastically during the Bosnian War that followed. Today, the population of Zvornik is about 95% Serb.
Climate
Just like most of Bosnia, Zvornik has very hot summers and cold winters. Except for the area near the river Drina, the city is surrounded by mountains with preserved forests, which creates a beautiful scenery with the town's location at the bottom of a valley.Main sights
- Zvornik fortress
- Museum collection
- Villa Andr Zvornik
Kula Grad, a village that is part of Zvornik municipality, is home to a Middle Age fort, built by Serbian despot Đurađ Branković.
Culture
The manifestation called the Cultural Summer of ZvornikCultural Summer of Zvornik
The great manifestation called the Cultural Summer of Zvornik, Bosnia and Herzegovina, usually starts on August 2 and lasts for about six days. Its main objective is to become a traditional cultural event which will open the doors of Zvornik for recognized cultural values.The festival was first...
usually takes part between August 2 and 8, and its main objective is to become a traditional cultural event which will open the doors of Zvornik for the recognized cultural values.
On 10 October 2010, a memorial ceremony took place at the theatre, to honour Serbian actress Kapitalina Eric, the theatre has been titled after her name. Since that day, the official name of the theatre is "The Kapitalina Eric Zvornik Theather". Members of her family, who arrived from London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, made this occasion very special. Also Jovan Ćirilov
Jovan Ćirilov
Jovan Ćirilov is a Serbian theater expert, philosopher, writer, theatre selector, poet, and significant contributor to Serbian culture.- Biography :After finishing school in Kikinda, he enrolled and graduated philosophy at the University of Belgrade in 1955...
– Serbian theatre expert, Serbian actress Jelena Žigon, Professor Lidija Pažin, Professor Zoran Ivanović and many others. Kapitalina Erić spent her childhood in the small village near Zvornik. When she was 13 she began her acting studies in Belgrade, and became the actress of the National Theatre in Belgrade
National Theatre in Belgrade
The National Theatre was founded in the latter half of the 19th century. It is located on Republic Square, in Belgrade, Serbia.The National Theatre was declared a Monument of Culture of Great Importance in 1983, and it is protected by the Republic of Serbia....
.
Sport
The local football clubFootball team
A football team is the collective name given to a group of players selected together in the various team sports known as football.Such teams could be selected to play in an against an opposing team, to represent a football club, group, state or nation, an All-star team or even selected as a...
, FK Drina Zvornik
FK Drina Zvornik
FK Drina is a football club from the town of Zvornik, in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The club competes in the First League of the Republika Srpska.- History :...
, plays in the First League of the Republika Srpska
First League of the Republika Srpska
First League of the Republika Srpska is a second level football competition in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Since there were three different football championships in country, organized on ethnic principles, the "First League of the Republika Srpska" was the top flight in Republika Srpska before 2002....
.There is also a basketball club called KK Drina Zvornik.
Settlements
Androvići• Baljkovica
• Baljkovica Donja
• Boškovići
• Buložani
• Čelopek
• Divič
Divič
Divič is a place located in the Zvornik Municipality, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Divič is an ethnic Bosniak village.-Demographics:The 1991 census showed Divič had a total population of 1388.* 1,360 - Bosniaks* 4 - Serbs* 4 - Croats* 7 - Yugoslavs...
• Donja Pilica
• Donji Lokanj
• Drinjača
Drinjača
Drinjača is a left tributary of the Drina in eastern Bosnia and Herzegovina. It rises on the mountain of Konjuh 15 km northeast of Kladanj at an altitude of about 1000 m and ends after 77 km. The catchment area covers 1875 km²....
• Dugi Dio
• Đevanje
• Đulići
• Glodi
• Glumina
• Goduš
• Gornja Pilica
• Gornji Lokanj
• Grbavci Donji
• Grbavci Gornji
• Gušteri
• Jardan
• Jasenica
• Jusići
• Kamenica Donja
• Kamenica Gornja
• Kiseljak
• Kitovnice
• Klisa
• Kostijerevo
• Kozluk
Kozluk (Zvornik)
Kozluk is a village located in the Zvornik Municipality, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Kozluk is an ethnic Bosniak majority village.-Demographics:The 1991 census showed Divič had a total population of 1388.* 2565 Bosniaks* 302 Serbs* 3 Croats* 76 Yugoslavs...
• Kraljevići
• Križevići
• Kučić Kula
• Kula Grad
• Liješanj
• Malešići
• Marčići
• Međeđa
• Mehmedići
• Nezuk
• Novo Selo
• Pađine
Pađine
Pađine is a hamlet located in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Republika Srpska region at . There is a "museum" where one can find various fossils from the Mesozoic period.- Population :...
• Paljevići
• Petkovci
• Potočani
• Rastošnica
• Roćević
• Rožanj
• Sapna
Sapna
Sapna is a town and municipality in northeastern Bosnia and Herzegovina. Administratively, it is part of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Tuzla Canton.-History:...
• Skočić
• Snagovo
• Snagovo Donje
• Snagovo Gornje
• Sopotnik
• Šepak Donji
• Šepak Gornji
• Šetići
• Tabanci
• Trnovica
• Tršić
• Ugljari
• Vitinica
• Vrela
• Zaseok
• Zelinje