Podgorica

Coat of arms of Titograd

The first settlement on the site of modern Podgorica was founded back in the Stone Age . BC Illyrian tribes lived here, and then the Romans conquered these lands. They founded a city called Birziminium .

At a distance of about 3 km from Podgorica are the ruins of another Roman city - Diokleia . It is believed that the Roman emperor Diocletian was a native of these places (presumably, his name means "Diocletian"). Later, already under the Slavs, the name of Diokles turned into Duklja . So began to be called the whole region.

Since its founding, the city has been the crossroads of important trade routes (the Zeta , Moraca , Ribnitsa and Sitnitsa rivers) and has been located in a fertile valley with a favorable climate, relatively close to Skadar Lake and the Adriatic coast .

In the V century , Slavic tribes came and settled here. They founded their state, constantly fought with Byzantium and built a new city, which was named along the river, on the banks of which stood - Ribnitsa . For the first time this name is mentioned during the reign of the Serbian royal dynasty of Nemanichi . The importance of the city was determined by its location on the trade route to the Adriatic Sea and further to the countries of the West. The name Podgorica was first mentioned in 1326 in the court documents of the Kotor Archive. The city was rich, because through it trade was conducted between Dubrovnik and Serbia , in those days very busy.

The Ottoman occupation of Podgorica in 1474 halted the development of the city. The Turks built a large fortress here - the main fortification from which wars were waged with the Montenegrin clans. A fortified city with towers, walls and gates allowed the Turks to withstand the constant attacks of the Montenegrins. In 1864, Podgorica became the administrative center of Ishkodra vilayet called Bogurtlen (in Turkish this word means "blueberry"). The city was also known under the Albanian name Burgurice .

In 1878, the decision of the Berlin Congress recognized the independence of Montenegro as a sovereign princedom, and Podgorica became part of the new country. It was the end of four centuries of Turkish rule and the beginning of a new era in the history of the city and the whole of Montenegro.

XX century

Podgorica quickly developed. In 1901, the first Montenegrin bank was established here. Roads were built to nearby cities, and in 1902 the first significant commercial enterprise was founded - the tobacco plantation. Between World Wars, the population reached 13,000 inhabitants.

During World War II, Podgorica was shelled more than 70 times and was destroyed to the ground. Killed more than 4100 inhabitants. December 19, 1944 the city ​​was liberated. On July 13, 1946, under the new name Titograd (in honor of Marshal Tito ), the city became the capital of the Socialist Republic of Montenegro. After that, the city was completely transformed. Modern roads and an airport were built. April 2, 1992 the city ​​was returned the historical name of Podgorica .

Podgorica has a Mediterranean climate with hot, dry summers and moderately cold winters. Snow is common, but only for a few days in winter. The annual rainfall is 1544 mm, the average annual temperature is 16.4 ° C. Every year there are approximately 135 days with temperatures above 25 ° C. In July and August, thermometer bars often rise above 40 ° C. On August 16, 2007, a record high temperature of 44.8 ° C was recorded. ^[five]

Podgorica is the largest city in Montenegro: about a quarter of the country's population lives here.

According to the 2003 census , 169,132 residents lived in the Podgorica municipality . The population of Podgorica itself is 136,473 inhabitants.

According to the latest census, almost 57% of the inhabitants of the municipality consider themselves Montenegrins , more than 26% - Serbs , about 11% - Albanians .

Podgorica is the business capital of Montenegro. Most of the country's industrial, financial and commercial enterprises are located here.

Before the First World War, the urban economy specialized in trade and small manufactories - such an economic model was inherited from the Ottoman Empire .

After World War II, the emphasis of development shifted towards rapid urbanization and industrialization. Large enterprises of aluminum, tobacco, textile and other industries appeared around the city.

The wars of the collapse of Yugoslavia passed Montenegro, but left the plants of Podgorica without suppliers and markets, which caused a complete decline in production, which lasted until the end of the 90s. Many enterprises were closed, others fell into decay.

Business life began to recover only at the beginning of the new millennium. The surviving factories were privatized and, by now, have already adapted to the new conditions. The largest enterprise not only in Podgorica, but also in the whole country, is the Podgorica Aluminum Plant ( Kombinat aluminijuma Podgorica - KAP ), owned by the Russian company RUSAL .

The city's economy has become more focused on the financial sector and the services sector, which are growing rapidly. There are two exchanges in Podgorica ( Montenegrin and NEX ). Now the focus of business development in the city is shifting from heavy industry to telecommunications , construction and the banking sector. Many representative offices of foreign companies have opened.

A side effect of the rapid growth was the increase in property prices and land for building, especially in the center. Currently, the city is actively expanding, districts distant from the center are being built up. In 2009, the first major shopping center “Delta City” was opened with the only cinema in the city, where famous European fashion brands are represented. In 2010, another shopping center was opened - “Mall of Montenegro”. ^[6]

Media

The city has the central offices of the state television channel RTCG and a number of commercial television studios ( TV In , NTV Montena , Elmag RTV , RTV Atlas and MBC ).

All Montenegrin daily newspapers ( Vijesti , DAN and Pobjeda ) are published in Podgorica.

Podgorica is a major transport center for road, rail and air services. The Sozina tunnel (4.2 km), recently built to modern European standards, significantly reduces the road to Bar . The main European highways passing through Podgorica:

• Northern direction ( E65 , E80 ) - to Serbia and further to the countries of Central Europe
• Western direction (E762) - to Bosnia and further to Western Europe
• South direction ( E65 , E80 ) - to the coast of the Adriatic
• East direction (E762) - to Albania.

Along the highway Podgorica - Cetinje , the main sites for the sale of used cars are located in Montenegro. In the city on the highway Podgorica - Niksic built auto shows of major European manufacturers. Podgorica - The bar is replete with agricultural merchants from nearby fields (watermelons, grapes, figs ). Along the highway Podgorica - Shkodra vineyards are broken.

Public transport in the city is represented by buses and taxis.

Intercity

Podgorica is the main railway junction of Montenegro. Pass through it:

• Belgrade - Bar railway line (the largest in terms of the number of passengers and the tonnage of goods transported);
• railway line Podgorica - Niksic ;
• Podgorica- Shkodra railway line (the only railway connecting neighboring Albania with the rest of the world has not been used recently).

12 km south of Podgorica is an international airport - the largest in Montenegro (one of two in the country). Today, the airport is modernized, enlarged, and equipped with modern air systems. From here fly regular and charter flights to many cities in Europe, including Moscow . ^[7]

Although there are not as many cultural institutions in Podgorica as in the historical royal capital Cetinje , nevertheless there are many theaters, museums and galleries.

Among them can be mentioned:

• Montenegrin National Theater
• City Theater (including Children's Theater and Puppet Theater).
• City Museum ( 1950 )
• Museum of Natural History
• Archaeological Research Center ( 1961 )
• The Marco Milyanov Museum in Medun is an ethnographic museum showing life in Montenegro in the 19th century .
• The gallery of the Petrovichy-Negoshi Palace - has been operating since 1984 in the palace complex of King Nikola I Petrovich-Negosh , it also includes the “House of Honor Guard”, the palace chapel and the adjacent buildings. Since 1995 , the gallery has been part of the Center for Contemporary Art.
• The Cultural and Information Center Budo Tomovich is a public organization organizing various cultural events, such as the Podgorica Cultural Summer , FIAT - International Alternative Theater Festival , DEUS - December Art Scene and others.

Monuments to A. S. Pushkin and V. Vysotsky have been erected in Podgorica.

The University of Montenegro (its main campus ) is located in Podgorica - the only state university in the country. Recently, some new private higher education institutions have opened in the city.

Also here is the Montenegrin Academy of Sciences and Arts and the Duklian Academy of Sciences and Arts competing with it.

The city has 34 primary and 10 secondary schools, including a gymnasium .

The National Library of Radosav Lumovich is one of the most significant in the country.

In Podgorica you can see a bizarre mix of diverse architectural styles - a legacy of the turbulent history of the city and country. Each board left footprints in stone.

For four hundred years of Ottoman rule ( 1474 - 1878 ), many buildings of Turkish architecture were built in Podgorica. The oldest parts of the city, Stara Varosh and Drach , are built up with houses of this type - here you can see two mosques , a clock tower and narrow winding streets.

When Podgorica entered Montenegro, the city center moved to the other side of the Ribnitsa River, where they began to build wide streets intersecting at right angles, and European-style buildings. During World War II, Podgorica was completely destroyed. After the liberation, reconstruction of the city began in the style of Soviet architecture, with faceless “boxes”. In this vein, most of the buildings were built on the right bank of the Moraca River. Even in the old part of the city, some sites were built up with such houses.

Since about the 1990s , rapid construction has begun in Podgorica, which is rapidly changing the face of the city. Many modern residential buildings and offices are being built. The city was decorated with new squares, parks and monuments. Separately, it is worth mentioning the Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ and the Millennium Bridge . The Podgorica Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ of the Montenegrin-Primorsky Metropolis of the Serbian Orthodox Church is the largest Orthodox church in Montenegro.

•   Moscow , Russia
•   Yerevan , Armenia
•   Belgrade , Serbia
•   Skopje , Northern Macedonia
•   London , UK
•   Stockholm , Sweden

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Sources

• Sights of Podgorica