Leskovac (Serbian Cyrillic:Лесковац,pronounced[lěskoʋats]) is acity and the administrative center of theJablanica District insouthern Serbia. According to the 2022 census, the city itself has a population of 58,338 while the city administrative area has 123,950 inhabitants.
Leskovac was historically calledGlubočica, later evolving intoDubočica. These interchangeable variants derived from theSerbian word's, "glib", meaning mud and "duboko", meaning deep. Untamed rivers would often flood the area leaving swamps that once dried would spouthazelnut trees, or "leska" in Serbian, whilst "-ovac" is a commonSlavic suffix, henceLeskovac. DuringOttoman rule the town was referred to inTurkish asLeskovçe orHisar (Turkish translation;fortress).[4][5]
Archeological findings onHisar Hill, located at the rim of Leskovac valley between theJablanica andVeternica rivers, have established continual habitation between theBronze Age until the 19th century. Hisar served as a fortification for many centuries and its surrounding plateau are abundant inIron Age pottery largely associated with theBrnjica culture.[6] Other archeological findings associated with theIllyrians,Thracians,Dacians,Greeks,Romans andCelts lay within Leskovac's surrounds.[7][8][9] TheRoman Empire conquered the area in the 1st century BC and would remain the dominant power untilSlavic invasion and settlement in the late 6th and early 7th centuries, with theSerbs solidifying their presence.
The Battle of Dubočica took place on 24 September 1454, between theSerbian Despotate and the invadingOttoman Empire, and ended in a Serbian victory. Branković's Serbia was a vassal state of the Ottoman Empire during the first half of the 15th century and was repeatedly invaded, eventually becoming part of the Ottoman state.
Leskovac was annexed by the Ottomans in 1454 and allotted to theRumelia Eyalet. TheNahija of Dubocica (later Leskovac) became part ofKruševac Sanjak with Leskovac possessing one of sixkadiluks. During Ottoman rule, Leskovac was known inTurkish asLeskovçe, or more commonlyHisar (Turkish translation; fortress). The conquest in time brought Ottoman culture to Leskovac, influencing architecture, cuisine, customs, dress and language.Endowments by the ruling Ottoman aristocracy which financed the construction ofmosques,tekije,madrasa,meter andTurkish baths marked the area. During this period, Leskovac was regarded for its qualityhorse tack,tanning,smithing andweaving. The townsfolk worked as craftsman, merchants andperi-urban farmers, residing in separateSerbian Orthodox andMuslimmahallahs whilst affluent Muslim families held prominent real estate and owned farmland. This cosmopolitan milieu was supplemented by officials, clergy, sipahi, and soldiers interlaced withJewish,Greek,Vlach,Albanian andRagusan traders. Leskovac was known in the wider region for its annual 15-day long fair.[16][17][18]
Depiction of Serbian urban life in the Ottoman Empire.
Leskovac was severely damaged by fire in 1595 and again in 1690. In theOttoman-Austrian War the towns Serbs overwhelmingly sided withHabsburg forces on arrival in 1689. Following the failed uprising manySerbs migrated north after the Ottomans recaptured Leskovac, razing the Serbian quarters as reprisals for collaboration.[4] In 1790Sultan Selim III administrative reforms granted Leskovac the seat of its own Eyalet governed by Şehsuvar Abdi Pasha, who was succeeded by his son Ismail Pasha in 1830, until the Leskovac Eyalet was annexed to theNiš Eyalet in 1839. The Serbian population of Leskovac (along with other south Serbian towns and villages) took part in the failedrebellion of 1841.
Before theSerbian–Turkish Wars (1876–1878), the county of Leskovac had a significant Muslim population, mostly Turkish and Albanian, which comprised one-third of its overall population. In 1873, the town had 2,500 Serbian houses and 1,000 Muslim houses. The Muslims in the town were Albanian- and Turkish-speaking. Albanians formed almost the entire Muslim population in the villages. Historian Miloš Jagodić has estimated that of ~17,033 Muslims who lived in the Leskovac county before the war, about 16,976 were Albanians who were expelled after the war.[19] These estimates are corroborated in contemporary sources like the records of Austrian diplomatJohann Georg von Hahn.[20] In the war almost the entire Muslim civilian population of Leskovac wasexpelled and the advancingSerbian Army andchetas entered the town on 24 December 1877.[17] There were 2,122 Albanian abandoned household.[19] Of the about 5,000 Muslims who had previously lived in the town, 120 were still living there in 1879 in the first post-war population count. The rest had left as refugees and most settled in cities likeMitrovica,Prizren andKumanovo inKosovo Vilayet.[19]
Veterans gathered inOdžaklija to mark the tenth anniversary of the Liberation of Leskovac from the Turks.
Leskovac became part ofSerbia which received full international recognition following theTreaty of Berlin in 1878.Before the war Leskovac was part of a network of textile industry hubs from the Black Sea to the central Balkans and collaborated closely with Bulgarian textile industry. Products from Leskovac were exported duty-free to Bulgaria which exported machinery to Serbia.[21]Independence initially had a negative impact though trade barriers, tariffs and openhostilities between Serbia andBulgaria necessitated the acquisition and development of technology for rope and industrial hemp processing. By the mid-1880s business development, particularly thetextile sector enabled Leskovac to become the third largest urban area after Belgrade andNiš at the time.[22][23] The establishment of a railway line linking Leskovac with Belgrade,Skopje andThessaloniki in 1886 also significantly contributed to the development of the town. A vocational textile school opened 1890 and in 1903 the second hydroelectric power plant in Serbia was built on the nearby Vučjanka River.[24]
Following theSerbian campaign of 1915 Leskovac fell within theBulgarian occupational zone. This period was marked by harsh repression with attempts atBulgarisation of the local inhabitants. Numerous crimes were committed on the Leskovac citizenry with 2,000-4,000 victims being executed and a great many more massacred in the surrounding region.[27][28][29][30] During the occupation Leskovac was also adversely affected by atyphus epidemic and widespread malnutrition.[31] Bulgaria capitulation to theEntente on 30 September 1918, and Leskovac was liberated on 7 October 1918 in an offensive led by Field MarshalPetar Bojović's 1st Serbian Corps, which repelled the Austro-Hungarian 9th and German 11th Divisions. Cheering crowds gathered to welcome the Serbian Army'sDinarska andDunavska divisions as they entered the city accompanied by French cavalry units.[32][33]
Following the war Leskovac continued its fast economic and social transformation. The townsfolk practised a cultural medley of bothOriental andEuropean habits, whilst the social fabric was dominated by affluent, often competing industrialists families and greater social disparity within the community.[34] Industrial development facilitatedtrade union agitation amongst an emerging urbanworking-class. In August 1920 Leskovac became one of the first municipalities to elect theCommunist Party. Despite its victory the party was quickly suppressed by the authorities.[35][36]
Facade of the former Vlajčić Soap & Cosmetics factory built in 1926
Despite the rise of Leskovac as a regional manufacturing centre the town still lacked basic infrastructure during the interwar period such as a running water supply, sewerage system, paved streets (with only three asphalted in 1938) and a permanent marketplace. Leskovac experienced a significant influx of largely peasant workers leading to poor housing conditions with many affected by squalor, alcoholism, a high mortality rate and labour exploitation.[37][38] From 1929 to 1941, Leskovac was part of theVardar Banovina of the renamedKingdom of Yugoslavia.
During the capitulation of Yugoslavia in theApril War Leskovac wasoccupied by the Germans on 12 April 1941. Despite several attempts at assassination and sabotage the town remained relatively docile throughout theNedić administration, with the exception of theArapova Dolina massacre of 310 mostlyRomani civilians. Pockets ofPartisan insurgency remain limited to the surrounding countryside which began experiencing noteworthy military engagements during the Battle of Serbia with the July–August 1944 Toplica-Jablanica Operation.[39][40][41][42]
Leskovac following the Allied bombing on 6 September 1944.Victory celebrations in Leskovac, October 1944.
On 6 September 1944, Leskovac was targeted in a catastrophicAllied bombing campaign which left much of the town heavily damaged with approximately 2,500-4,000 casualties and a total of 1,840 demolished or damaged residential buildings and factories. The bombing also caused significant damage to infrastructure and historical landmarks.[43][44][45][46] Leskovac fell to the 47th Serbian Division of the National Liberation Army (Partisans) on 11 October 1944, following a German withdrawal during the Niš Operation. The newCommunist authorities proceeded topurge the town of political and ideological opponents, summarily executing 707 people.[47][48][49]
The city continued to be a major textile center until the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe, but due to the economic isolation of Serbia resulting from ethnic wars, its remote location, and failure to privatize the mills, the industry collapsed resulting in depression of the economy in the area.[50]
On 12 April 1999, during theNATO bombing of Yugoslavia, a bridge near Leskovac wasdestroyed by a NATO aircraft as a passenger train was crossing. The act was highly condemned with the bridge being struck twice (the train itself having been bombed from the first attack).[citation needed]
TheRoštiljijada barbecue and entertainment festival is Leskovac's main tourist attraction.
Contemporary Leskovac has become synonymous withSerbian culinary culture, particularly the national dishes ofpljeskavica andćevapi. The annualRoštiljijada grilled meat barbecue festival held since 1989 is the cities biggest tourist attraction drawing in thousands of visitors from both Serbia and abroad.[51][52][53][54]
The once thriving textile industry of Leskovac has all but collapsed with only a small number of businesses still in operation. The effects ofglobalisation coupled withpolitical sanctions have led to significant economic decline. Local businesses were sluggish in transitioning from a predominantlystate capitalist economy towards greaterderegulation andprivatisation during the 2000s. Despite a modest increase in mostly foreign capital enterprise with some government support, issues of corruption, high unemployment, ageing workforce and community,unreported employment, andpopulation decline still persist.[55][56][57]
Leskovac is situated in the heart of the vast and fertile valley of Leskovac (50 km (31 mi) long and 45 km (28 mi) wide), the smallVeternica river, at the foot ofHisar, in the central part of the Leskovac valley. Leskovac lies at an altitude of 228 meters, in a basin that covers 2,250 km2 (869 sq mi). Around the valley are mountainsRadan andPasjača the west,Kukavica andČemernik in the south andBabička Gora,Seličevica andSuva Planina to the east.
The largest river in the region of Leskovac is the South Morava River, which flows south to north. Tributaries of the South Morava are: theVlasina river, which collects water from Lake Vlasina and flows through Crna Trava and Vlasotince; the Veternica river, which flows through Leskovac; the Jablanica river, which springs from the foot of Goljak and flows through Medveđa and Lebane; the Pusta (Deserted) river, which starts on Radan mountain, fills Lake Brestovačko and flows through Bojnik. The river Vučjanka, which springs from the Kukavica mountain, flows through Vučje and is a tributary of the Veternica river. Also known in the Leskovac region are Kozaračka, Predejanska, Kopašnička and Sušica rivers.
In 2011 the city's population was 95,784, with the majority being Serbs. Other significant ethnic groups include Roma, Macedonians and Yugoslavs. In January 2007, there were an estimated 500 persons of Chinese origin living in Leskovac.[61] Apart from the city proper, there are 143populated places in the city, of which the largest areVučje andGrdelica, classified as "urban" (town) in census, with about 3000 residents each.[2]
Ethnic composition of Leskovac as declared in the census (2011)
The vast majority of the people areOrthodox Christians (96%). There are also 3%Muslims. The rest are atheists or follow other religions.Once the second largest city in Serbia, today Leskovac is blighted by economic problems with many working age people migrating out of the area.[50]
Roštiljijada (Barbecue week) is a grilled meat festival that has been organized in Leskovac for many years and takes place annually at the beginning of September. During the event, the main boulevard is closed for traffic for five days, and food stands are put up along the streets. The event brings visitors from all over Serbia as well as tourists. According to the TOL (Tourism Organization of Leskovac) in 2013, over 700,000 people visited the event.[63] The organisers hold competitions, such as making the biggest burger, thePljeskavica. The festival is the highlight of the season in Leskovac.
In 2009 Leskovac officially became an International Carnival city, admitted by The Association of European Carnival cities, which has over 50 members from Europe and America. The Leskovac Carnival is held during the Roštiljijada festival. Around 1200 people take part in the carnival, of which one-third came from abroad.The City Government considered separating this event in 2010 as a special tourist event which will be introduced as a special offer of the city.
Theater Marathon takes place every year in November and lasts 9 days. It runs performances of National Theaters from all over Serbia. This event takes place in the National Theater in Leskovac.
The first Leskovac International film festival was held in 2008.The idea of the film in the city is not that new. In 1996, a group of enthusiasts, with chairman Rade Jovic, organized the Festival which were shown films of domestic production.Today, many years later, Leskovac host an International Film Festival.The Festival presents awards in 3 categories:
Economy of Leskovac is diverse, but it is still somewhat stagnating as a city in whole. Overall, industry has a minor growth, but its growth is safe and in the future, industry will certainly face another growth that will increase its status among Serbia's largest cities[citation needed]. Its main industry is light industry such as textile, household commodities and medical industries. Leskovac has mine of lead and zinc called "Leskovac Lece".
The first boom occurred after WW1 and lasted until 1941. It was "succeeded" in the late 1940s. During so called "Yugoslav economic miracle" (1950s – c.1980) Leskovac has developed into not just regional, but textile center in entire Southeast Europe. It became known as "Serbian Manchester". Leskovac Lece was constructed during that era. During the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia, Leskovac was severely damaged like no other city in Europe at the time.
The following table gives a preview of total number of registered people employed in legal entities per their core activity (as of 2022):[64]
Activity
Total
Agriculture, forestry and fishing
279
Mining and quarrying
18
Manufacturing
15,090
Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply
337
Water supply; sewerage, waste management and remediation activities
518
Construction
1,519
Wholesale and retail trade, repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles
5,577
Transportation and storage
1,256
Accommodation and food services
1,067
Information and communication
370
Financial and insurance activities
347
Real estate activities
105
Professional, scientific and technical activities
1,057
Administrative and support service activities
364
Public administration and defense; compulsory social security
Leskovac is a traffic junction. International trains traveling from Europe to Skopje, Thessalonica and Athens pass through this city. Nineteen trains stop in Leskovac every day. The railway came to Leskovac in 1886. Leskovac today has one of the newest and most modern railway stations in Serbia.
Leskovac Main Railway Station
Bus traffic is also very well developed, bearing in mind that Leskovac has been criss-crossed with roads. The most important is theE75 road which connects the borders of Hungary and Macedonia. Regional roads lead from Leskovac to Priština, Pirot and Bosilegrad. The distance from Leskovac to Niš is 45, to Belgrade 280, and to Sofia 155 kilometres (96 miles).
Leskovac has aregional airport, which is commonly used for sporting and agricultural flights. Also in summer the airport is used for air taxi. The nearest international airport isNiš Constantine the Great Airport located 45 km (28 mi) north of the city.
Leskovac was the first city in Serbia to have a sanitarylandfill. Željkovac depot spreads over 80 hectares and is made by all European standards. The landfill contains a center for atmospheric water purification, center for the selection and disposal systems for the detection of all types of pollution. The company Porr Werner & Weber for Serbia, began construction of the center for collecting and recycling waste, and is the first city in the Balkans, where starting this job.
Stojančević, Vladimir (1980). "Leskovčani za vreme Prvog srpskog ustanka".Srbija u vreme Prvog ustanka 1804—1813 [Serbia during the First Uprising 1804–1813] (in Serbian). Leskovac: Narodni muzej. pp. 267–268.
Stojković, Živan; Stojičić, Slobodanka; Rakić, Hranislav (1992).Istorija Leskovca [History of Leskovac] (in Serbian). Belgrade: Institute for Contemporary History.ISBN86-7403-053-X.
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