Gornji Milanovac (, ) is a town and municipality located in the Moravica District of central Serbia. The population of the town is 23,109, while the population of the municipality is 38,985 (2022 census data).
The town was founded in 1853 as Despotovica (), after the river passing by the town. In 1859 the name was changed to Gornji Milanovac at the request of Prince Miloš Obrenović. Its name means Upper Milanovac (there is a Lower Milanovac as well, while Milanovac was named so in honour of revolutionary Milan Obrenović).
The microregion of Rudnik–Takovo (), or simply Takovo (), in the broader sense roughly corresponds to the modern municipality of Gornji Milanovac. It includes the southern foothills of the Rudnik mountain, and northern foothills of Suvobor and Maljen. Some villages in the municipality are part of the Kačer region.
History Prehistory
The area of Gornji Milanovac was inhabited by Paleo-Balkan peoples and smaller groups of Celts and Goths in antiquity. There were later Roman settlements in the area. On the mountain Rudnik, besides older miners grove there are remains of a Roman temple dedicated to the Terra Mater ("Mother Earth").http://www.gornjimilanovac.rs/istorija-rtk.html|Prehistory of Gornji Milanovac, December 2014 Neolithic sites exist in Gojna Gora and Rudnik.
Middle Ages There are ruins and sites of Byzantine, Serbian and Ottoman origin on mountain Rudnik, in villages Brusnica, mountain Treska, Jablanica, and Gornji Milanovac parts of the mountain Vujan.
19th century The Rudnik nahiya had included two knežina (Christian self-governing village groups) prior to 1804, the Crna Gora–Podgora (which included what is later known as the Takovo area), and the Rudnička Morava (area from Vujan to Western Morava); with the First Serbian Uprising (1804–13), the Kačer knežina was organized, including the northern and western foothills of Rudnik to the eastern part of the Jasenica river, and the Lazić's knežina (), headed by Jovan Lazić-Kozeljac, which included twelve villages in the Takovo area. From 1823, Lazić's knežina was known as Brusnica () after its seat at Brusnica. It was later organized as a srez of the Principality of Serbia, part of the Rudnik okrug.
The Rudnik nahiya was liberated at the start of the uprising. The villages of what later became Brusnica/Takovo involved in the uprising were Brusnica, Teočin, Lunjevica, Beršići, Brezna, Svračkovci, Lozanj, Ozrem, Srezojevci, Majdan, Takovo, Leušići, Klatičevo, Ljutovnica, Velereč, Koštunići, Grabovica, Gornji Branetići, Ločevci, Nakučani, Sinoševići, Brajići, Ručići, Šarani, Nevade, Ljevaja, Polom, Pranjani. Among the most notable participants in the Serbian Revolution that hailed from Brusnica/Takovo were the Obrenović family (Milan, Jovan, Miloš) from Brusnica; Milić Drinčić from Teočin; Nikola Lunjevica; Vasa Popović from Beršići; Jovan Lazić from Svračkovci; Jovan Vukomanović from Srezojevci.
At the Takovo Meeting on 23 April 1815, the Serbian rebels decided to rise up once again. They chose vojvoda Miloš Obrenović to lead them against the Ottoman Empire.
Initially, the settlement that was to become Gornji Milanovac (before 1853) was situated in the area of today's village Brusnica. There was some discussion about the suitability of the site for a settlement. In 1852 Despotovica becomes the first town in Serbia with a completed map of the city and with the streets at an angle of 90°. The new municipality was to be called Despotovac after the river Despotovica which passes through this municipality (the river name originates from the Serbian despot, Đurađ Branković). On 22 April 1852, Despotovac (later Gornji Milanovac) was then relocated to a place called Divlje Polje. This decision was taken by Mladen Žujović, Trivun Novaković, Stevan Knićanin, and Gaja Riznić. Notable buildings and roads (for example: "Zgrada starog suda – Old Court building") are the work of German engineer Indižir Schultz from Pančevo. In 1853 the municipality of Despotovica was established. Today's name Gornji Milanovac was formalized by the warrant of Miloš Obrenović I, Prince of Serbia, in 1859, after his brother Milan Obrenović. The town primary school and library were established in 1857, while the high school was established in 1879. A printing company was opened in 1890. A county hospital was opened in 1892.
Contemporary In the World War I occupation, the population in Gornji Milanovac was subjected to war terror and crimes by the forces of Austria-Hungary, German Empire and Bulgaria, while during World War II the infrastructure was destroyed and the population of this town suffered as before. At the time of sanctions and breakup of Yugoslavia, the industry of municipality exported their products to the Western and Eastern markets through offshore companies. In the 1999 NATO bombing of Yugoslavia, Gornji Milanovac was bombed once (only television repeater was damaged). People from nearby towns and municipalities in-joke said, that when NATO planned which town to bomb, they put a cup of coffee at the Gornji Milanovac location on the map.
1912– commencement of construction of narrow-gauge railway; 1914– during the First World War in this town was settled headquarters of Živojin Mišić; 1921– finished electrification and construction of low voltage network; 1922– started with work of the narrow gauge railway and establishment of the first conditory company "Rudnik"; 1923– first coal power plant; 1927– first X-ray machine; 1928– started with work of the first cinema in a municipality; 1933– HRH King Alexander I of Yugoslavia opens first mixed primary school; 1937– The establishment of the second factory of conditory products "Sumadija"; 1941– Yugoslav Partisans and Yugoslav army in homeland (known as Chetniks) in joint action release Gornji Milanovac from the Nazi- German occupation. Gornji Milanovac was merged with the other released towns in occupied Kingdom of Yugoslavia and formed short-lived Republic of Užice. At the head of that joint action was Zvonimir Vučković. During that battle two German tanks were trapped and now one of those is a monument on the exit from the town in village Nevade, while the other is a monument in Užice (Hotchkiss H35); 1945– Gornji Milanovac was released from Nazi-German occupation and began industrialization 1965– two municipalities Pranjani and Rudnik merged to Gornji Milanovac.
Culture and tourism
Cultural monuments
Cultural Monuments of Great Importance in Gornji Milanovac are: Church of the Holy Trinity. Church of St. Nicholas in the village of Brusnica and the family tomb of Obrenović dynasty. District Building ("The Old Court building"). Monuments in the center of the municipality. "Hill of Peace" (Brdo mira) Memorial Park. Tank as a monument of liberation in Nevade from the Second World War (Sherman Firefly). Orthodox Christian monasteries of Vraćevšnica, Šilopaj and Vujan. Takovo complex devoted to the heroes from Second Serbian Uprising. Ruins of Orthodox monasteries "Ješevac", Catholic church "Misa" (later mosque) on Rudnik. Ruins of Irene Kantakouzene on Treska Hill. Family house of Miloš Obrenović in Gornja Crnuća. Family house of national hero Dragan Jeftić-Škepo. Family house of the Lunjevica family (Revolutionary Nikola, politician Panta and Queen consort Draga Obrenović). Family house of Djordjevic built in old Serbian architectural style. Family house and inheritance of Archibald Reiss's son- "Dobro polje II". Monument on city cemetery of fallen soldiers of Austro-Hungary and Serbian Army in World War I. Monument for the participants in Operation Halyard and the other monuments in the rest of municipality.
Culture institutions
The first library in Gornji Milanovac was established in 1857 and is called "Braća Nastasijević" (English: "Brothers Nastasijević").http://www.bibliotekagm.com/BN/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=52&Itemid=34|Library "Brothers Nastasijević", October, 2014 Headquarters is in the building of Old District Administration. It has separate classes in Rudnik (the oldest), Pranjani, Brdjani, and Vraćešnica. Librarian fond has over 100,000 books. Also "Braća Nastasijević" library is engaged in the publishing business.
The main theater in this municipality is "Milanovačko amatersko pozorište (Milanovac amateur theater)". Milanovac amateur theater, GM cinema, art gallery and administrative center of all settlements cultural clubs has headquarters in the center of municipality witch satisfy modern standards for one cultural institution. In the area of photography and cinema, Gornji Milanovac is represented with a big number of art members of the Photo-cinema club Gornji Milanovac.
The Museum of Rudnik and Takovo area is a subsidiary of the culture center of Gornji Milanovac. It has established the Gallerie of Arts in 2008, and a modern gallery in the building of old district administration.
Music and folklore In this municipality there are two folklore groups: "Tipoplastika"-Folklore ensemble and Culture-Arts Community "Šumadija". There are also rock bends that were established in this town, like: "Bjesovi", "An Fas", ″Pastir Pan″, "GM Undergrounders",https://www.youtube.com/user/GMUndergrounders GM Undergrounders official Youtube page "Skarlet" and "Čudna Šuma". As for punk-rock bands in '90s and 80's there are: "Trula koalicija", In '00s there were established new rock and reggae music bands and groups: "Plišani mališan", "Morbid Cow", "Parnasus", "Strah od Džeki ČenaWinner of Demo Fest 2014 |Demo Fest Live 2014: Pobednici – Strah od Džeki Čena", IMT 666 (Featuring Bjesovi band's singers child, Stevan Marinkovic), etc.
Tourism, ecology and events
Whilst part of Yugoslavia, Gornji Milanovac was known as the "economic miracle" and "Beli Labud" (English: "White Swan") as the ecologically cleanest city. There is great potential for further rural and spa (Svračkovci, Brđani, Mlakovac and Savinac) tourism progress in future times. Today's Gornji Milanovac on its territory has a lot of small, categorized rural hotels, one hostel and motels. Close to Gornji Milanovac is a spa and resort "Atomska Banja" Donja Trepča. Major Hotels in this town are newly opened hotel "IG Hotel" (4 stars) and "MD Neda" (3 stars) in the settlement Rudnik. In the past, there was one of the biggest hotels "Šumadija" (3 stars) bankrupted in 2004.
Gornji Milanovac was a pioneer in the application of sorting waste, recycling and water purification in Serbia and previously in Yugoslavia. Also, Gornji Milanovac is a great antagonist of GM food why it has adopted declaration and municipality statute about prohibition of this type of food.Gornji Milanovac and 72 municipalities in Serbia are great antagonist of GM food and they adopted prohibition |http://www.studiob.rs/info/tema.php?id=459|Retrieved: February, 2015
Tourists from around the world visit this municipality for its clean air, small and quiet places, inner and family vacations. Gornji Milanovac every other year is the host of International Biennial of miniature Art, founded in 1989. In village Takovo is the host of the World Music Festival, every May, June or July. Known trip places are: Takovo, Grabovica (peak of Ždreban), Savinac and Rudnik. These places are popular during the celebration of 1 May (International Workers' Day) as a collegial picnic in union organization. Other significant cultural and tourism events on its territory are World Testicle Cooking Championship, the "Milanovac bowl tournament" (Fish soup cooking) and the Goulash tournament ("Gulašijada"). In some settlements are held various art colonies. Also, there are held and village gymnastic competition in some disciplines during the celebration of some patron day of that village.