Old Serbia ( Serbian Stara Srbiјa ) is a historical term widespread in Serbian, pre-revolutionary Russian and European historiography. For the first time, it was most likely formulated by Vuk Art. Karadzic in the 1810-1820s
This term is used to denote the territory of the medieval Serbian state of the period of the Nemanjic dynasty (end of the XII-XIV century), which was not included in the autonomous Serbian principality when it was created in 1812–33.
In the Serbian cultural tradition, the term “Old Serbia” has a vivid political tint, since throughout the 19th century, with its help, it delineated the territory that Serbia should sooner or later free from the Ottoman Empire .
Following the results of the Berlin Peace of 1878, Serbia received the northern regions of Old Serbia, but most of its territory, including Kosovo, Metohija, Sandzak, and Vardar Macedonia, remained under the rule of Porta until the First Balkan War of 1912. At the same time, the south-western and partially in 1912, the central regions of Old Serbia (for example, Pec and Decani) were ceded to the union Montenegro .
Subsequently, within the framework of the Kingdom of the Syria ( Yugoslavia ) and the SFR of Yugoslavia, the internal borders of the region changed several times, and as a result, the territory of Old Serbia was divided between the republics of Serbia and Macedonia. At the same time, one of the key areas of Old Serbia, from the point of view of the historical and cultural significance, was merged into the autonomous province of Kosovo and Metohija with the composition of the Republic of Serbia.
After the collapse of the SFRY , which created the independent Macedonian state in 1992, and also after the actual separation in February 2008 of Kosovo and Metohija , 2/3 of the territory of Old Serbia again found itself outside the borders of the modern Serbian state.
It should also be noted that some areas of Old Serbia could not be joined to Serbia even during the period of its greatest territorial expansion in 1918–1991. This applies, in particular, to Shkodra , which, by decision of the London Conference of Great Powers, in 1913 was transferred to Albania, as well as to most of historical Macedonia , which in 1913 was assigned to Greece .