Bijeljina

Bijeljina (Serbian Cyrillic: Бијељина) is a town and municipality in northeastern Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The town is situated on the flat rich plains of Semberija. Bijeljina is 6 km (4 mi) from the border of Serbia, 40 km (25 mi) from Croatia and 35 km (22 mi) from Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

[edit] Architecture

The oldest building in Bijeljina is the Serbian Orthodox Saint George church (Svetog Djordja) which was built in 1872. The second oldest building is the Semberija Museum which was built in 1876. The city park (Gradski Park) was founded in 1892.

[edit] Transportation

There is only one railway line in Bijeljina. That Railway Line stretches from Bijeljina to Šid in Serbia. From Šid you join a line where you can go east towards Belgrade or go west to Croatia.

Bijeljina also has an airfield.

[edit] Geography

Semberija is a flat region which is bound by the rivers Sava, Drina and the Majevica mountains. The entire Semberija area is typically an agricultural region which has fertile land and suitable weather conditions.

Semberija has the most developed agricultural area in Republika Srpska. The focus of the production is on wheat and corns, vegetables, cabbage, paprika, tomato and water-melon. Also, cattle-breeding (fattening of cows and pigs) and growing fruits.

Sign at Raca after crossing the border from Serbia (Sava river)

Pavlović Bridge (River Drina)

[edit] Tourism

Bijeljina holds many events. Bijeljina holds an international Folklore Festival known as Semberija folk fest, Rhythm of Europe. The aim of the Festival is to cherish and promote the folklore tradition of the people from all over the world. Banja Dvorovi is also a popular tourist destination. It has swimming pools and restaurants. Also located in Banja Dvorovi is the hotel Sveti Stefan (Saint Stefan). Ethno village Stanišić is a well known tourist location in the country. Ethno village Stanišici takes people back in time making people closer to nature and ancestors, and making people admire the simplicity of rural life of the past. Ethno village Stanišić contains the Serbian Orthodox Monastery Sveti Nikola (St Nicolas), Hotel Pirg, and ethno restaurant.

SKUD Semberija at the Semberija folk fest in Bijeljina 2006

Ethno village Stanišić

[edit] History

Petar Karadjordjevic I monument. He was the King of Serbia from 1903-1918.

Serbia in 1809, during the First Serbian Uprising against Ottoman Empire. Bijeljina is located in top left corner

Although the name Bijeljina was first mentioned in 1446, this name was in use only after 1918. During Austro-Hungarian period, the town had the name Bjelina and, before that, Belina or Bilina.

In 1838 the first osnovna škola konfesionalna tipa was opened. A modern school building was built in 1902. In this school worked Jovan Dučić between 1893-1895.^[1] Jovan Dučić was a famous Hercegovinian Serb poet, writer and diplomat. Today a street in central Bijeljina is named after him.

In front of the city hall is a statue of King Petar Karadjordjevic. The monument is of the Serbian king from 1903-1918. During the Second World War the Ustaše removed it. After World War Two the communist government refused to return the monument. The first non-communist local government returned the monument in the early 1990s.

[edit] Monastery Tavna

The Tavna Monastery is located in the southern part of the Bijeljina municipality. The date of foundation is hidden somewhere in the shadows of the far past. The cronichles of monasteries Tronosha and Pech say it was built by Dragutin's sons Vladislav i Urosic. Stefan Dragutin was the King of Serbia from 1276 to 1282 and king of Srem from 1282 to 1316. The present church of monastery Tavna, is built in the same place as the original one. The Tavna Monastery is older than the other monasteries in the region such as Ozrena, Liplja, Vozuce and Gostovica. Tavna was damaged in the first years of Turkish rule, but was restored by the people. This was not the only time the monastery was damaged. It was damaged many times during the Turkish period and also during World War Two. Between 1941 and 1945 Tavna was bombed by the Ustase. On one of the gravestones it says "Zdravko Jovacnovic Killed 1943 by the Ustasa Blue Division protecting and defending the monastery". After World War Two Tavna was rebuilt. ^[2]

Monastery Tavna.

Inside Monastery Tavna.

[edit] Bosnian War

In 1991-1992 Bijeljina was the center of the local Serb Autonomous Region, organized by the local Serb authorities - SAO Semberija i Majevica.

During the War in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bijeljina saw a significant demographic change. Before the war, the town contained Serbs and Bosniaks, while its vicinity consisted of mostly Serbian villages, except for the large village of Janja. Bijeljina was one of the first places to be dragged into the war, being located at a key strategic location. In the first days of April 1992, the town was attacked by Serb paramilitary groups led by Arkan. According to contemporary news reports, up to 100 civilians were killed, and the non-Serb population was driven out. This was one of the first instances of ethnic cleansing in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is surmised that Bijeljina was attacked first because of its strategic location in the north-eastern corner of Bosnia near the Serbian border.^[3]

During the war, Bijeljina saw a large influx of Bosnian Serbs expelled by Bosniaks and Bosnian Croats from other regions of Bosnia-Herzegovina.

[edit] Demographics

[edit] 1971

At the 1971 census, Bijeljina municipality had 86.826 inhabitants, including:^{[citation needed]}

60.595 (69,78%) Serbs
23.343 (26,88%) Muslims by nationality
806 (0,92%) Croats
1.335 (1,56%) others

[edit] 1991

At the 1991 census, Bijeljina municipality had 96,796 inhabitants, including:^[4]

57,541 (59%) Serbs (See: Serbs of Bosnia and Herzegovina)
30,314 (34%) Muslims by nationality
517 Croats (See: Croats of Bosnia and Herzegovina)
4,168 others

[edit] Present

At present, the municipality has about 150,000 to 200,000 inhabitants (estimate)^{[citation needed]}, most of whom are Serbs.

[edit] Bijeljina Coat of Arms

The two red lines on the shield represents the two rivers Sava and Drina. The image of the church represents the Serbian Orthodox Tavna Monastery. The person on the left represents Filip Višnjić (1767–1834) who was a popular poet and guslar (gusle player). The person on the right is Prince Ivo of Semberija, who lost all his property by ransoming slaves from the Ottoman Turks during the Serbian uprising against Ottoman rule. The crown has the image of the city hall. Maize and corn represents the main agricultural products of the region.

[edit] Saint’s Day

Bijeljina municipality's Saint is Saint Panteleimon (Sveti Pantelejmon).

2007

[edit] Municipal subdivisions

Places in Bijeljina municipality: Amajlije, Balatun, Banjica, Batar, Batković, Bijeljina, Bjeloševac, Brijesnica, Brodac Donji, Brodac Gornji, Bukovica Donja, Bukovica Gornja, Crnjelovo Donje, Crnjelovo Gornje, Čađavica Donja, Čađavica Gornja, Čađavica Srednja, Čardačine, Čengić, Ćipirovine, Dazdarevo, Dragaljevac Donji, Dragaljevac Gornji, Dragaljevac Srednji, Dvorovi, Glavičice, Glavičorak, Glogovac, Gojsovac, Golo Brdo, Hase, Janja, Johovac, Kacevac, Kojčinovac, Kovanluk, Kriva Bara, Ljeljenča, Ljeskovac, Magnojević Donji, Magnojević Gornji, Magnojević Srednji, Međaši, Modran, Novo Naselje, Novo Selo, Obrijež, Ostojićevo, Patkovača, Piperci, Popovi, Dijelovi , Pučile, Ruhotina, Suho Polje, Triješnica, Trnjaci, Velika Obarska, Velino Selo, Vršani, Zagoni.

[edit] Sport

Bijeljina has one major football stadium known as Bijeljina Gradski Stadion. That Stadium is home to FK Radnik Bijeljina, which plays in the Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The first football was brought to Bijeljina in 1916. The first football club was FK Podrinje which was formed in 1919. Later came the clubs FK Zora in 1920, FK Građanski in 1923, and FK Semberija in 1935. After World War Two, FK Radnik Bijeljina was formed. There is also BSK Ledinci Bijeljina.

Bijeljina has basketball clubs KK Budućnost Bijeljina, KK Radnik Bijeljina and KK Bijeljina Plus.

[edit] Notable people from Bijeljina

Savo Milošević - Serbian football striker
Branimir Bajić - Footballer
Goran Jelisić - War criminal'
Miloš Bojanić - Serbian Singer
Nevenka Tadić - Serbian psychiatrist
Branislav Ivković - Serbian politician

[edit] Sister cities

Other forms of cooperation and city friendship similar to the twin/sister city programmes:

Kruševac, Serbia

[edit] Gallery

Serbian Orthodox Church "Saint George"	Bijeljina Town Hall	Museum Semberija	Monument dedicated to the Serbian soldiers and civilians
View of Bijeljina	Manastir Vasilija Ostroskog Cudotvorca	Image of Jesus that appeared on a tree	One of many popular places in Bijeljina

[edit] See also

[edit] References

^ Bijeljina na Internetu - skolstvo
^ Tavna monastery / english lang
^ * Noel Malcolm - Bosnia - a short history (Macmillan, 1994)
^ [1] Bosnia and Herzegovina 1991 census. Retrieved on 3 May 2007.

[edit] External links

Political divisions of Bosnia and Herzegovina

v • d • e Entities of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina • Republika Srpska ♦ Brčko District (belongs to both entities, but is self-governing)

v • d • e Cantons of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnian Podrinje (V) • Canton 10 (X) • Central Bosnia (VI) • Herzegovina-Neretva (VII) • Posavina (II) • Sarajevo (IX) • Tuzla (III) • Una Sana (I) • West Herzegovina (VIII) • Zenica-Doboj (IV)