Blokovi

Blokovi (Serbian Cyrillic: Блокови, English: "Blocks") is the semi-formal plural name for a group of urban neighborhoods in Belgrade's municipality of Novi Beograd.

The neighborhood is located in the southeastern urbanized section of the Novi Beograd municipality, on the left bank of the Sava river, across the islands of Ada Međica and Ada Ciganlija. It is bounded by the neighborhoods of Bežanija and Bežanijska Kosa from the north, Block 58 from the southeast (neighborhood of Savski Nasip) and the neighborhood of Dr Ivan Ribar from the west.

When construction of Novi Beograd began in 1948, the area designed for the future urban expansion was divided in 72 blocks (with several sub-blocks, like 8-a, 9-a, 9-b, 70-a, etc, and some numbers are missing). Not having any specific name like most other parts of the newly built Novi Beograd, over time, this area became colloquially known simply as "Blokovi".

The population of the local communities which mainly form the neighborhood was 89,561, including the neighborhood of Dr Ivan Ribar. But the boundaries of the Blokovi neighborhood are very informal and roughly can be divided into two sections separated by the "Jurija Gagarina street": the north part or, so called Bežanijski blokovi (Bežanija blocks) with a population of 44,505 and the south part or Savski blokovi (Sava (river) blocks) with a population of 45,056 in 2002.

Savski Blokovi

Characteristics

The neighborhood is notorious for its rows of over hundred of the same, grey, visually unattractive residential buildings, especially blocks 45 and 70 with two sets of 21 (total 42) identical skyscrapers close to river, and two sets of over 40 (total 80) identical buildings close to the "Jurija Gagarina street". The area close to the river is continuous embankment on the bank of the Sava river, stretching throughout the whole neighborhood, known as the Sava Quay (Serbian: "Savski kej").

The rows of two-story and 4-story buildings in Block 70 and Block 45 are also know as "Naselje Sunca" (or, in English, "The Sunny Community." The name was used as a marketing catch by the construction firm that constructed the Block in 1974. Its inhabitants had a large number of artists and intellectuals, though structure of population has changed a bit since the 70s.

The "Omladinskih brigada street" divides Block 70-a from Block 70, "Gandijeva street" Block 70 from Block 44 and "Nehruova street" Block 44 from Block 45. Through the middle of the whole neighborhood curves the "Lazaro Kardenas promenade". At the end of the Gandijeva street, on the Sava Quay, a moumental bust of Indian leader Mahatma Gandhi (after whom the street was named) was erected in 2007, as a pre-celebration of October 2, Gandhi's birthday (Gandhi Jayanti) and the UN proclaimed International Day of Non-Violence [Politika daily, September 18, 2007, p.23]

Economy and transportation

The neighborhood is entirely residential, without any industrial facilities. Commercial sector began to develop alongside the "Jurija Gagarina street" in the 1990s and especially expanded in 2000s.

Major commercial or social facilities (almost all of them on the "Jurija Gagarina street") comprise:

* Block 70-a: Delta-auto car dealership, large Honda car dealership, Hellenic Petroleum gas station and the Omega-beton gravel selling facility on the Sava bank;

* Block 70: several shopping malls including a Chinese market, OMV gas station and large postal facilities (including two separate post offices); it also has a primary school "20. oktobar", kindergarten and its own "local community" (Serbian: mesna zajednica) of Savski kej.

* Block 44: green market, several shopping malls including one of the first modern super-malls in Belgrade, the "Piramida" (Serbian for "pyramid", because of its shape) and a McDonalds restaurant; it also has two medical clinics.

* Block 45: four shopping malls, including "Enjub"; it also has a primary school "Branko Radičević", once the biggest elementary school in the Balkans, which had elite quality education - winning many federal level prizes at competitions in subjects such as mathematics, literature etc - as many children of intellectuals were its pupils, kindergarten, nursery, FK Sava's soccer field and its own "local community" of Sava.

Routes of the public transportation lines pass through all of the streets in the neighborhood: bus lines 45, 68, 73, 76, 81, 82, 89, 94, 95 and 610 and tramway lines 7, 9 and 11.

Aqua park Belgrade

Block 44 is currently the construction site of the "Aqua-park Belgrade", second water park in Serbia (first one is in the town of Jagodina). Construction began in August 2005 and it was supposed to be open on May 25, 2006, but as of jun 2008 only 75% of the rough works have been completed and one of the leading investors in the project, basketball player Žarko Paspalj, announced that it has been postponed for 2008. It covers an area of 50,000 square metres and it is suppose to have 11 pools, 24 water slides and attractions like "Aladdin lamp" and "tsunami pool". Investors claimed it will be open for the 2007 season and it would feature the longest "family waterslide" (117 m) and lazy river (405 m) in Europe so as the largest pool in Europe with an area of 1,600 square meters and children's complex (Kids City). Also, in phase two, the surrounding area of 20,000 square metres will be arranged with covered pools, bowling alleys, skating rink and other sport facilities. The construction resumed in January 2008 and the new opening date was set in the late May 2008. [Politika daily, January 25, 2008]

Bežanijski blokovi

Characteristics

Bežanijski blokovi are build on the southernmost uninhabited area of the former Bežanija village, thus the name. However, it is completely urbanized and even though different architecturally from the southern section, it also features a series of residential skyscrapers in two parallel rows, stretching through the blocks 61, 62, 63 and the western section of 64. There are over 50 skyscrapers altogether (22 parallel ones with several additional in between).

Bežanijski blokovi are also known as "Oficirski blokovi" (or, in English, "The Officers' blocks", since a large portion of the apartments in the buildings were owned by the old Yugoslav army, which housed its personnel there. Consequently, a large portion of the inhabitants of the Bežanijski blokovi are the families of the retired army officers who bought out their apartments from the Army.

Southern border marks the "Jurija Gagarina street" while the northern, separating it from Bežanija is the "Vojvođanska street". In between, the "Dušana Vukasovića street" divides Blocks 61 and 62, the "Nehruova street" Blocks 62 and 63 and the "Gandijeva street" divides Blocks 63 and 64.

Economy and transportation

Despite being constructed as a continuation of the highly industrialized central section of Novi Beograd from the east (heavy industry like "IMT", "Minel", "FOB-FOM", etc), the neighborhood is entirely residential with commercial facilities developing only recently. Major commercial and social facilities include:

* Block 61: a kindergarten, a gas station "Sunce" (Serbian for "sun") and a "local community" of Bežanijski blokovi.

* Block 62: an ice skating rink with a gym and a primary school of "Užička Republika",

* Block 63: Maxi Diskont megastore, gas station "EMG", tennis court, it also has a primary school "Jovan Sterija Popović".

* Block 64: Immo Centar shopping mall, a primary school and a "local community" both under the name of "Mladost" (Serbian for "youth").

In addition to other bus lines, additional lines passing through or around the neighborhood are 89, 94, 95 (right through the middle), 45, 71, 72, 82, 601, 602 and 610.

=Neighbourhood culture and public

Blokovi inhabitants represent the cross-section of the Serbian population. Because most people in Blokovi received their apartments through government-funded social programs, the population is very socio-economically mixed: it is not uncommon to have a bus driver living next door to a neurosurgeon in the same apartment block.

The blocks near the Sava river, especially the four and two story buildings, were inhabited by a large number of artists and intellectuals in the 1970s. The neighbourhood is peaceful and ideal for young children, with many playgrounds and a popular boardwalk built along Sava's left bank. This area, peaceful yet full of artists and intellectuals, was ideal for Radovan Karadzic to blend in unnoticed, under pseudonim dr. Dragan David Dabic. He lived unnoticed in Blok 45 Juria Gagarina 267, on third floor, often visiting local pub "Luda kuca" (Madhouse), playing gusle, drinking vine, and sitting facing photos of Karadzic and Mladic presented as Serbian heros.

On the other hand, the officer blocks, and their grayness and drabness have earned Blokovi the reputation of some sort of urban ghetto during the 90s. This image was perpetuated by recent Serbian movies such as "Rane", "Apsolutnih sto", "Jedan na jedan", "Sutra ujutro", and "Sedam i po". Ratko Mladic was known to reside in the officer Blocks, hiding in deep anonimity and playing chess with local military pensioners, with whom he blended in unnoticed. However, he has apparently moved out of the area in 2006.

However, recently the erection of Delta City shopping mall, plans for Aquapark and Tennis courts near Block 45 have doubled the value of real estate in this area, at the time when New Belgrade with numerous development plans becomes one of the more desirable parts of the city.

The well-known Yu-rock band Riblja Čorba has made a song with the title "Neću da živim u bloku 45" (English: I don't want to live in block 45), which can be found on the CD "Buvlja pijaca" released in 1982.

Also, a grunge band from Belgrade's block 19a, named Euforia, has a song called "Blokovi".

References

* "Beograd - plan grada"; M@gic M@p, 2006; ISBN 86-83501-53-1

External links

* [http://blokovi.com blokovi.com]