Rakovica Раковица (Serbian) | |
|---|---|
 Coat of arms | |
 Location within the city of Belgrade | |
 Interactive map of Rakovica | |
| Coordinates:44°44′45.10″N20°26′42.23″E / 44.7458611°N 20.4450639°E /44.7458611; 20.4450639 | |
| Country |  Serbia |
| City |  Belgrade |
| Status | Municipality |
| Settlements | 1 |
| First mentioned | 1560 |
| Municipality status | 1952 1974 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Municipality of Belgrade |
| • Mun. president | Miloš Simić (SNS) |
| Area | |
• Total | 30.05 km2 (11.60 sq mi) |
| Population (2022) | |
• Total | 104,456 |
| • Density | 3,476/km2 (9,003/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
| Postal code | 11090 |
| Area code | +381(0)11 |
| Car plates | BG |
Rakovica (Serbian Cyrillic:Раковица,pronounced[râːkɔʋitsa]) is amunicipality of the city ofBelgrade. According to the 2022 census results, the municipality has 104,456 inhabitants.
The municipality of Rakovica is located south of downtown Belgrade. It is bordered by the municipalities ofSavski Venac on the north,Voždovac on the east andČukarica on the west and south. Its neighborhood ofResnik marks the southernmost point of the Belgrade City Proper (uža teritorija grada).
The first settlement on the territory of present-day Rakovica was mentioned in theOttoman 1560 population census as a village calledVlaha. Tradition has it that the place got its name after thecrayfish[2] (Serbian:rak,rakovica), which allegedly inhabited the Rakovički potok which streamed through the village. The first mention ofthe monastery, under the name ofRacauicense monasterium, was byFeliks Petančić in 1502.[3] The village gradually turned into a suburb and then the neighborhood of Belgrade, one of the most heavily industrialized areas of Belgrade. According to the 1981 census, the neighborhood (local community,mesna zajednica) of Rakovica had a population of 17,871, about one fifth of the municipal population. However, the local community was later split into several smaller ones, and those strictly comprising the area of the neighborhood of Rakovica had a population of 9,901 in 2002.
From June 1945 to December 1946, Rakovica was one of 5 administrative neighborhoods within Belgrade’sRaion VII.[4] Municipality of Rakovica was created in 1952, after the previous division of Belgrade into raions, from 1945 to 1952, ended. In 1960 the municipality was annexed to the neighboring Čukarica, but split again in 1974. The Day of the Municipality is October 14, the patron day of the Shroud of the Most Holy Virgin.
In the 2020s the crime rate in the neighborhood rose, especially the criminal showdowns.[5]
During theNATO bombing of the former Yugoslavia, Rakovica was the only municipality in Belgrade to be targeted almost every night, and eventually every day.[6] The most heavy attacks were suffered by the Straževica hill (under which was theYugoslavian underground base), as well as the Monastery forest, most probably because anti-aircraft weapons were located there.[7] Although not all of Rakovica was under direct attack, the largest part of the municipality sufferedcollateral damage.
Rakovica is located in the valley of theTopčiderka river, where the brook ofRakovički potok flows into the riverSava, 9-10 kilometers (~6 mi) fromTerazije, downtown Belgrade. The neighborhood developed between two large woods,Košutnjak on the north andManastirska šuma, on the south, north of theRakovica monastery. It is bordered by the neighborhoods ofKanarevo Brdo on the north-east,Miljakovac on the east,Kneževac on the south andVidikovac andSkojevsko Naselje on the west. As in many cases, the boundaries between the neighborhoods are not firmly set, so in some parts Rakovica overlaps with Kneževac or Miljakovac, for example. The neighborhood ofSelo Rakovica (Village Rakovica) is some 6-7 kilometers (~4 mi) further to the east, belongs to the municipality of Voždovac and is generally not associated with the term Rakovica.
Rakovica covers an area of 31.8 square kilometers (12.3 sq mi). It is located in a hilly area, with numerous hillocks out of which many got urbanized and developed into Belgrade neighborhoods:Miljakovac (193m/633ft),Petlovo Brdo (205m/673ft; the top of the hill is in the municipality of Čukarica),Kanarevo Brdo,Labudovo Brdo,Straževica, Košutnjak, Vidikovac, etc.
The municipality mostly lies in the valley of the Topčiderka river. There are numerous other streams in the area, most of which flow into the Topčiderka: Rakovički potok,Jelezovac, Zmajevac,Pariguz, Kijevski potok, etc.
Central and northern sections of the municipalities are wooded areas. Entire northern section actually covers the southern part of the large park-wood Košutnjak, while the woods of Miljakovac and Manastir (Miljakovačka šuma andManastirska šuma) are located in the central parts, on the slopes of the hills of Miljakovac and Straževica, respectively.
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 1948 | 14,082 | — |
| 1953 | 15,966 | +2.54% |
| 1961 | 28,613 | +7.56% |
| 1971 | 50,798 | +5.91% |
| 1981 | 87,067 | +5.54% |
| 1991 | 97,752 | +1.16% |
| 2002 | 99,000 | +0.12% |
| 2011 | 108,641 | +1.04% |
| Source:[8] | ||
According to the 2011 census population of municipality was 108,641 inhabitants. Previously one of the urban Belgrade's municipalities with highest population growth, since the 1990s the growth slowed. However, Rakovica remains one of the most densely populated municipalities of Belgrade with 3,504 inhabitants per square kilometer (9,080/sq mi).
The ethnic composition of the municipality:
| Ethnic group | Population 2011 |
|---|---|
| Serbs | 100,937 |
| Montenegrins | 783 |
| Romani | 600 |
| Macedonians | 536 |
| Croats | 434 |
| Yugoslavs | 400 |
| Gorani | 331 |
| Muslims | 194 |
| Bosniaks | 114 |
| Albanians | 105 |
| Hungarians | 103 |
| Total | 108,641 |
Recent presidents of the municipality:
Rakovica is one of the most industrialized parts of Belgrade. Some of the factories in the area include:Industrija Motora Rakovica (engine factory),Rekord (tire factory),21 Maj (tractors and other agricultural vehicles factory),Frigostroj (coolers and air conditioners factory),IMP (foundry),Tehnogas MESSER (oxygen andacetylene factory), etc. Most of these factories suffered badly in the transition process. Another industrialized area of the municipality is the neighborhood of Kijevo with thequarry which supplies the entire Belgrade's building industry with stone and slates. The remaining industry is also mostly into construction and building (building companies and cement plantsKomgrap,Graditelj, etc.).
Rakovica is located on important traffic routes. The valley of Rakovički potok is a route to theKružni put, suburban road of Belgrade and the future part of the projectedBelgrade beltway, and a Belgrade-Požarevac railway, while the valley of Topčiderka is a route to the Belgrade-Niš railway. The other important roads in the municipality arePatrijarha Dimitrija street which goes through the middle of the urbanized area andIbarska magistrala on the western edge of the municipality.
MOC, Machines educational center and the Institute for the engines are located in Rakovica.
On 19 October 2017, a large shopping mallKapitol park ("Capitol Park") was open in Rakovica, on the location of the formerRekord tire factory. A €30 million investment, it has a total floor area of 25,000 m2 (270,000 sq ft). After a delay from June 2016, the construction began in March 2017.[9] It is the largestretail park in Belgrade.[10]
The following table gives a preview of total number of registered people employed in legal entities per their core activity (as of 2018):[11]
| Activity | Total |
|---|---|
| Agriculture, forestry and fishing | 115 |
| Mining and quarrying | 28 |
| Manufacturing | 2,482 |
| Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply | 169 |
| Water supply; sewerage, waste management and remediation activities | 183 |
| Construction | 852 |
| Wholesale and retail trade, repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles | 5,490 |
| Transportation and storage | 1,178 |
| Accommodation and food services | 669 |
| Information and communication | 632 |
| Financial and insurance activities | 197 |
| Real estate activities | 51 |
| Professional, scientific and technical activities | 1,526 |
| Administrative and support service activities | 1,283 |
| Public administration and defense; compulsory social security | 697 |
| Education | 1,192 |
| Human health and social work activities | 1,300 |
| Arts, entertainment and recreation | 369 |
| Other service activities | 476 |
| Individual agricultural workers | 10 |
| Total | 18,897 |
