Lajkovac
Lajkovac
Лајковац (Serbian) | |
|---|---|
Town and municipality | |
 Town center promenade | |
|
UTC+2 (CEST) | |
| Postal code | 14224 |
| Area code | +381(0)14 |
| Car plates | VA |
| Website | www |
Lajkovac (Serbian Cyrillic: Лајковац) is a town and municipality located in the Kolubara District of western Serbia. As of 2011, it has population of 3,249 inhabitants, while the municipality has 15,475 inhabitants.
It is located in the valley of river
History
In the surrounding villages of Jabučje, Skobalj, Nepričava and Bogovađa there are remains from the
The town was heavily flooded by the Kolubara river. In July 1926 the water destroyed the entire agricultural output, also flooding the railway. The area was also damaged during the catastrophic 2014 Southeast Europe floods.[3]
Settlements
Aside from the town of Lajkovac, the following settlements are comprised in the municipality of Lajkovac:
- Jabučje
- Lajkovac (village)
- Bogovađa
- Nepričava
- Vračević
- Donji Lajkovac
- Rubribreza
- Markova Crkva
- Ratkovac
- Pridvorica
- Mali Borak
- Skobalj
- Pepeljevac
- Slovac
- Stepanje
- Strmovo
- Bajevac
- Ćelije
Demographics
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 1948 | 17,587 | — |
| 1953 | 18,411 | +0.92% |
| 1961 | 18,985 | +0.38% |
| 1971 | 18,270 | −0.38% |
| 1981 | 17,950 | −0.18% |
| 1991 | 17,716 | −0.13% |
| 2002 | 17,062 | −0.34% |
| 2011 | 15,475 | −1.08% |
| Source: [4] | ||
According to the 2011 census results, the municipality of Lajkovac has 15,475 inhabitants.
Ethnic groups
The ethnic composition of the municipality:[5]
| Ethnic group | Population | % |
|---|---|---|
| Serbs | 14,381 | 92.93% |
| Roma | 775 | 5.01% |
| Montenegrins | 22 | 0.14% |
| Yugoslavs | 16 | 0.10% |
| Macedonians | 13 | 0.08% |
| Croats | 11 | 0.07% |
| Others | 257 | 1.66% |
| Total | 15,475 |
Economy and infrastructure
Unlike the past, when the railway was the leading employer in the area, most of Lajkovac inhabitants today work at
Thanks to the surface mining, Lajkovac is usually among the municipalities with the highest
Tourist spots in the town and its vicinity include the Bogovađa Monastery and the memorial Saint George's Church in the village of Ćelije.[3]
Lajkovac was well known for its watermills (Serbian: vodenica). There are several still operational in 2018 though they are mostly a tourist attractions today. The most popular are Jolića vodenica, Kumova vodenica, Ilića vodenica and Sretenovića vodenica. Jolića vodenica is location of an annual folk festival Hajdučki rastanak.[3]
The following table gives a preview of total number of employed people per their core activity (as of 2017):[6]
| Activity | Total |
|---|---|
| Agriculture, forestry and fishing | 29 |
| Mining | 1,313 |
| Processing industry | 543 |
| Distribution of power, gas and water | - |
| Distribution of water and water waste management | 84 |
| Construction | 164 |
| Wholesale and retail, repair | 293 |
| Traffic, storage and communication | 112 |
| Hotels and restaurants | 65 |
| Media and telecommunications | 15 |
| Finance and insurance | 18 |
| Property stock and charter | 4 |
| Professional, scientific, innovative and technical activities | 50 |
| Administrative and other services | 20 |
| Administration and social assurance | 144 |
| Education | 285 |
| Healthcare and social work | 112 |
| Art, leisure and recreation | 54 |
| Other services | 39 |
| Total | 3,344 |
Railway significance
The first railway line to pass through Lajkovac was a 760-millimeter (
The lots around the railway were quickly urbanized and mostly turned into the
Much of the narrow-gauge infrastructure remains in the town today, such as a water tower (nicknamed Buzometar), turntable, roundhouse and many rolling stock sheds.[3] All that infrastructure except for the water tower still serves standard-gauge locomotive stock. There are plans to convert these facilities into a railway museum.
Trivia
The traditional song Ide Mile Lajkovačkom prugom (Mile walks down the Lajkovac railway) is about the town; it is a staple of Serbian folk repertoire, with versions recorded by Tozovac, Lepa Lukić, Šaban Šaulić, Braća Bajić and many others.
Gallery
-
Orthodox Church in Lajkovac -
Monastery Bogovađa -
Lajkovac Railway Station building -
Lajkovac Railway Station in 1965 -
Lajkovac Bus Station -
Lajkovac Sports Hall
References
- ^ "Municipalities of Serbia, 2006". Statistical Office of Serbia. Retrieved 2010-11-28.
- ISBN 978-86-6161-109-4. Retrieved 2014-06-27.
- ^ a b c d e f g Miroslav Stefanović (25 March 2018). "Železničari simbol varoši" [Railwaymen, symbol of a small town]. Politika-Magazin, No. 1069 (in Serbian). pp. 19–21.
- ^ "2011 Census of Population, Households and Dwellings in the Republic of Serbia" (PDF). stat.gov.rs. Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia. Retrieved 18 August 2017.
- ^ "Population by ethnicity and sex, by municipalities and cities" (PDF). stat.gov.rs. Statistical Office of Serbia. Retrieved 18 August 2017.
- ^ "ОПШТИНЕ И РЕГИОНИ У РЕПУБЛИЦИ СРБИЈИ, 2018" (PDF). stat.gov.rs (in Serbian). Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
- ^ V.Đuđrević (8 July 1968). "У Лајковац стигао први воз нормалног колосека" [First train reached Lajkovac via a standard gauge]. Politika (in Serbian).
External links
