Blace, Serbia, 2026, part 3 (Kruševac)
After visiting Lazarica Church in Kruševac, surrounded by the remains of the medieval fortress that served as the capital of Moravian Serbia from 1371 to 1403, I walked down to the centre of the contemporary city.
Before turning to its cultural landmarks, however, let me first say a few words about the general history of Kruševac.
Following the fall of the Serbian Despotate to the Ottoman Empire in 1459, Kruševac became part of the Ottoman state. The Turks renamed the town Alaca Hisar, meaning "Colourful Fortress." During four centuries of Ottoman rule, Kruševac retained its importance as an administrative and commercial centre, although its political influence was far smaller than it had been during the period of the medieval Serbian state.
Kruševac was finally liberated from Ottoman rule in 1833 and became part of the restored Principality of Serbia. Throughout the 19th century and the early 20th century, the town experienced rapid development, with schools, government institutions, roads and industrial facilities being built.
Today, Kruševac holds a special place in Serbia's national history as the capital of Prince Lazar and as a symbol of an era during which many of the events that permanently shaped the Serbian state, culture, and national memory took place. Its historical, cultural and spiritual heritage makes it one of Serbia's most valuable historic cities.
Since I have already mentioned the government institutions built at the turn of the 20th century, I should also mention the District Prefecture Building, a cultural monument of great significance, which was the first landmark I reached during my walk through the centre of Kruševac. Today, the building houses the City Administration of the City of Kruševac.
The construction of this building began in 1900 and was completed four years later. It has a symmetrical ground plan and a prominent, richly decorated central avant-corps crowned by a dome with a rectangular plan and a viewing platform at the top enclosed by a wrought-iron railing. The corner avant-corps are also topped with domes, although these have square plans.
The building also features a very interesting interior, with a number of noteworthy artistic details. However, I did not go inside, so I cannot describe it from personal experience. Instead, I simply took another photograph of its front façade.
Further along the same street as the District Prefecture Building is a beautiful square with a fountain, where another protected cultural monument stands – the Monument to the Kosovo Heroes.
The foundation stone for this monument was laid in 1889 in order to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the Battle of Kosovo.
As a reminder, the Battle of Kosovo took place on 28 June, 1389, on the Kosovo Plain between the army of the Serbian Prince Lazar Hrebeljanović and his allies, and the Ottoman army led by Sultan Murad I. Both Prince Lazar and Sultan Murad were killed in the battle. Historians generally regard its immediate outcome as inconclusive, since both sides suffered heavy losses. In the long term, however, the battle favoured the Ottomans, who established their dominance over the Serbian lands during the following decades. This ultimately led to Serbian territories remaining under Ottoman rule until the 19th century, with the gradual liberation of the country beginning in the early years of that century.
Moreover, in Serbia it is commonly said that "we were under Turkish rule for 500 years." As the example of Kruševac shows, the Ottomans formally ruled the town for about 400 years. The commonly cited figure of 500 years is obtained by counting the period from 1389, the year of the Battle of Kosovo, when the gradual loss of Serbian statehood began, to 1878, when, under the Treaty of Berlin, Serbia finally gained full independence from the Ottoman Empire.
As for the Battle of Kosovo itself, it is remembered in the Serbian collective consciousness and folk tradition as a military defeat, but also as a moral and spiritual victory because of the willingness of Prince Lazar and his army to make the ultimate sacrifice. During the centuries of Ottoman rule, the memory of the battle was preserved through Serbian epic poetry, oral tradition, the Orthodox Church, and literature.
In this way, the Battle of Kosovo became one of the defining events of Serbian history and a powerful symbol of national identity, sacrifice, the defence of the state, and the Christian faith. As such, it remains deeply rooted in the Serbian national consciousness.
As for the Monument to the Kosovo Heroes, it was created by the sculptor Đorđe Jovanović, who received a gold medal for this work at the 1900 Paris Exposition, a world's fair held in the French capital. The monument was officially unveiled in 1904.
On the northwestern side of the pedestal is a sculpted figure of the blind guslar Filip Višnjić. Guslars (traditional folk singers and bards in the Balkans who play the gusle, a single-stringed bowed musical instrument) like him were among those who, through epic poetry, preserved the memory of the Battle of Kosovo over the centuries, not only as a defining historical event but also as a means of keeping alive the story of the Serbian state and the many events that took place both before and after the battle. Above him, the year 1389 is inscribed in gold.
On the northeastern side is a relief depicting Prince Lazar's army receiving Holy Communion before the Battle of Kosovo. Above it is the inscription: "To the Kosovo Heroes from the Serbian Nation."
On the southeastern side of the pedestal stands the figure of a young woman, a personification of Serbia, crowned with a laurel wreath symbolising victory. Above her is the year 1882, when the Principality of Serbia was proclaimed the Kingdom of Serbia, further strengthening the country's statehood and international standing.
On the southwestern side of the pedestal is a relief depicting the slaying of Sultan Murad I by Miloš. This, of course, refers to Miloš Obilić, the renowned Serbian medieval knight who is the hero of numerous Serbian epic poems. He achieved his legendary status in Serbian tradition largely because he is said to have reached Sultan Murad I during the Battle of Kosovo and killed him.
From a historical perspective, however, it is not known who actually assassinated the Ottoman sultan. Some historians consider Obilić to have been a real historical figure, while others regard him as a purely legendary hero.
Above this relief is the year 1804, marking the First Serbian Uprising, which initiated Serbia's struggle for liberation from Ottoman rule.
At the top of the monument stands a statue of the goddess of Victory (Nike) with outstretched wings, although some interpret the figure as a fairy from Serbian folk tradition. She supports the wounded Boško Jugović, another hero of Serbian epic poetry, while lowering a laurel wreath onto his head.
As a reminder, according to Serbian epic tradition, Boško Jugović was one of the nine Jugović brothers and the standard-bearer of Prince Lazar's army at the Battle of Kosovo. At the top of the Monument to the Kosovo Heroes, he is depicted as gravely wounded, but still firmly holding the Serbian banner. Boško Jugović was chosen as the monument's central figure because, in Serbian folk tradition, he embodies unwavering loyalty, courage and a willingness to sacrifice himself for his fatherland. The raised banner he continues to hold symbolises the continuity of the Serbian people's struggle and survival.
After walking around the monument, I wandered through the streets of Kruševac, partly asking for directions to an important street I wanted to find and partly realising that it was time to take a break. The temperature was quite high and although I was not hungry, I was very thirsty and needed to cool down.
On my way to a restaurant that had been recommended to me, I first stopped for an ice cream as a bit of the "first aid."
Then I found the restaurant-café and immediately ordered a coffee, a refreshing drink and some water. Looking back, I think it would have been a good idea to order everything double right away.
After this break, I returned to the square with the Monument to the Kosovo Heroes and then crossed to the other side of the street, where, on a spacious plateau, I saw the monument to Stanislav Binički.
Stanislav Binički (1872–1942) was one of the most important Serbian composers, conductors and music educators of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He was born in Jasika near Kruševac and received his musical education in Munich, Germany, where he studied composition and solo singing. After returning to Serbia, he made a significant contribution to the development of musical life: he was one of the founders of the Serbian Music School, the founder of the Belgrade Military Orchestra, and the first director of the Opera of the National Theatre in Belgrade.
His most famous work is the "March on the Drina," composed in 1915 after the victories of the Serbian army in the Battles of Kolubara and Cer in WWI, as a tribute to Colonel Milivoje Stojanović Brka (1873–1914), commander of the Iron Regiment. This composition became one of the most recognisable symbols of Serbian musical and historical heritage.
One version of this march can be heard on the following page: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oloF_UnYCW0).
Behind this monument, the beautiful building of the Faculty of Agriculture in Kruševac can also be seen. The building was erected at the beginning of the 20th century as part of the city's development and was previously used as the headquarters of the People's University of Kruševac. More recently, it was ceded to the faculty, which is part of the University of Niš.
I now continued towards the neighbouring Majke Jugovića Street, where a couple of cultural monuments are located. The first one is already visible from the monument to Stanislav Binički.
This is the Simić House, a cultural monument of great importance.
The Simić House is one of the oldest preserved civic residences in Kruševac, believed to have been built at the beginning of the 19th century. It was initially associated with the Frenčević family, Ottoman beys, although this connection is not entirely certain, and later with Stojan Simić, an important political and economic figure of the restored Serbian state. It was here, in 1835, that an agreement related to the Knez-Mileta’s Rebellion was reached (see: https://svudapodji.com/en/blace-1/).
As can be seen in the photograph, the house has a ground floor and an upper floor, with a spacious veranda at the upper level supported by profiled columns. The house has now been whitewashed, so it is no longer possible to see that the ground floor was built of rough stone, while the upper floor was constructed using the half-timber and wattle techniques.
There is also a veranda at the back of the house, but it is positioned on the corner.
The Simić House provides a good illustration of what an oriental čaršija (town market district) looked like in the first half of the 19th century. Today, the building houses the Ethnographic Museum, but I arrived late and the museum was already closed.
Continuing further along Majke Jugovića Street, I also reached the Art Gallery Building, which is another cultural monument.
This building also contains an exhibition space, but it too was closed on Saturday afternoon, so I was only able to examine the building from the outside, as much as possible with the cars and tree canopies blocking the view. I even photographed the neighbouring house, which was built in the same style, although with certain differences.
The gallery is housed in what was once the family home of the Ljotić merchant family, built in the 1920s. The street façade features two large three-part windows, with pilasters topped by Ionic capitals at their outer ends and two mullions in-between.
At the attic level, there is a balustrade decorated with two oculi, which are further embellished with garlands held by figures of boys.
On the street façade there is also a medallion depicting the Greek god Hermes holding in his hand a caduceus, a winged staff entwined by two serpents. Since Hermes was the ancient protector of trade, commerce, finance and profit, I assume that he was placed here as a direct indication that the owner of the building was a wealthy merchant.
By the way, this part of Majke Jugovića Street has many cafés and I would have gladly sat down in one of them, but it was already time for me to continue on. Along the way, I also photographed the building of the Kruševac Archives, which is another example of the type of houses that were built here in the first half of the 20th century.
However, first I had to find another important cultural monument and there was a bit of confusion involved.
It concerns the spatial cultural-historical property called "Grčki šor" ("Greek Alley"), which my documentation stated was located in "Vuka Karadžića Street." The problem was that I could not find a street with that name on the map. I even asked around, but nobody was able to tell me. Then I did a bit more research and discovered that the area is actually called "Karadžićeva Street." A rose by any other name, as they say.
But let me explain what it is about. Grčki šor is a cultural monument of great importance, referring to a group of residential family houses featuring elements of traditional architecture. These houses were originally built during the second and third quarters of the 19th century, but construction continued into the beginning of the 20th century and even after the First World War.
This spatial cultural-historical property received its name from its founders, the Aromanians (Cincars), a Balkan ethnic community whose members came here mostly from Greece, although for centuries they lived throughout the territories of present-day Greece, Albania, North Macedonia, Bulgaria and Serbia. They were known as successful merchants, craftsmen, bankers and philanthropists. During the 18th and 19th centuries, many Aromanian families settled in Serbia and made a significant contribution to the development of the economy, culture, and state administration. Over time, they were largely assimilated into Serbian society, but they preserved traces of their origins through family traditions, language, and cultural heritage.
Probably the most famous Aromanian and at the same time the greatest Serbian comedy writer who understood human nature perfectly, was Alkibijad Nuša, better known as Branislav Nušić. His father was an Aromanian merchant, while his mother was Serbian. Later, Alkibijad legally changed his name to Branislav and adapted the surname Nuša to the Serbian language by adding the suffix -ić.
But, let me return to the story of "Karadžićeva Street," which acquired the name “Greek Alley” because the Aromanians who owned, and probably also built, the original houses lived there.
The houses were typically built as single-story structures with verandas and doksat (a type of enclosed or projecting upper-floor balcony), four-pitched roofs, and wide eaves.
The doksats are particularly beautiful, while underneath them there are entrances to the cellars. I was delighted to see that some of the houses are in very good condition and that their owners maintain them exceptionally well.
So, I truly enjoyed walking along the street, looking at the various houses and their details.
I particularly liked seeing a metal plaque on one of the houses stating that the building was insured by the "Belgrade Cooperative," which was founded in 1882. That insurance company certainly no longer exists, but the plaque itself represents an interesting historical artifact.
I continued all the way to the end of the street, occasionally looking back while still stopping to admire some of the houses.
Then I headed towards the small square where I had parked my car, while along the way I noticed an interesting road sign that is not something you see very often. I found it to be quite amusing.
In the small park on Despot Stefan Square, there is, quite appropriately, a monument to Princess Milica. Why do I say "appropriately"? Because Despot Stefan Lazarević (b/r. 1377/1389–1427) was the son of Princess Milica and Prince Lazar, whom I have already mentioned in the previous part of these stories about my trip to Blace in June 2026. In addition, Stefan Lazarević was also born in Kruševac. As for his death, more information about it can be found at: (https://www.svudapodji.com/en/south-of-belgrade/).
Then I left Kruševac and took the main road south. Along the way, I passed another cultural monument of great significance, belonging to the category of landmarks. I made a rather poor choice when stopping there because I did not feel like going around to reach the proper parking area and I did not intend to stay for long anyway, so I only took a few photographs from the pedestrian path running parallel to the main road.
This is the Memorial Complex Slobodište. The first thing I came across there was the Monument to the Members of the Army, Police and Reserve Forces Fallen from 1991 to 1999. The monument was erected in 2018 and is dedicated to the 69 residents of Kruševac who lost their lives in the wars in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Kosovo.
As for the memorial complex itself, during the Second World War and the German occupation from 1941 to 1944, there was an execution site on Bagdala Hill where the Germans shot more than 1,600 patriots from Kruševac and the surrounding area. Today, the 77-hectare site contains a memorial park with mass graves.
The author of the memorial park, architect Bogdan Bogdanović, designed this space through the use of symbols, earthen mounds, stone forms, and architectural elements that together create a kind of "path of remembrance."
This is a large area and visitors can certainly take a longer walk here and explore the various parts of the park.
What I saw from the edge of the site was a T-55 tank that took part in the fighting in the area of the Košare border outpost during the Kosovo conflict in 1999 and the NATO bombing campaign.
Demilitarised and restored as an exhibit in the open-air museum, the Košare T-55 Tank was placed here in 2020, but its installation was also the subject of considerable controversy. Some consider it an appropriate addition to the memorial dedicated to soldiers who died in the wars of 1991–1999, while others believe that it does not fit with the original concept of Bogdan Bogdanović, who designed Slobodište as a universal memorial to the victims of fascism, without militaristic symbols.
In any case, I returned to the main road and continued on towards Blace, with the intention of stopping at one more very important place along the way.
I will share more details about that in the next part. For now, here is a map showing all the places I visited and the locations of the important cultural monuments I have mentioned.