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1. Yugoslavia was renamed the Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia in 1946, when a communist government was established. It acquired the territories of Istria, Rijeka, and Zadar from Italy. Partisan leader Josip Broz Tito ruled the country as president until his death in 1980.
2. Ivana Milicevic, Actress: Just Like Heaven. Ivana Milicevic (pronounced Ee-vah-nah Mee-lee-cheh-veech) was born on April 26, 1974, in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina (part of Yugoslavia at the time), into a Croat family. She is the daughter of Tonka and Damir Milicevic, and has a younger brother, Tomo. The family emigrated to the United States, and young Ivana was raised in Michigan.

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Joe Pesci says Yugoslavia. Montenegro was part of Yugoslavia between December 1918 and February 2003, and Serbia-Montenegro until June 2006. The country makes its first official Bond appearance in the 2006 James Bond film, Casino Royale.

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Yugoslavia, former federated country that was situated in the west-central part of the Balkan Peninsula.

This article briefly examines the history of Yugoslavia from 1929 until 2003, when it became the federated union of Serbia and Montenegro (which further separated into its component parts in 2006). For more detail, see the articles Serbia, Montenegro, and Balkans.

Three federations have borne the name Yugoslavia (“Land of the South Slavs”). The Kingdom of Yugoslavia (Kraljevina Jugoslavija), officially proclaimed in 1929 and lasting until World War II, covered 95,576 square miles (247,542 square km). The postwar Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Socijalistička Federativna Republika Jugoslavija) covered 98,766 square miles (255,804 square km) and had a population of about 24 million by 1991. In addition to Serbia and Montenegro, it included four other republics now recognized as independent states: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, North Macedonia, and Slovenia. The “third Yugoslavia,” inaugurated on April 27, 1992, had roughly 45 percent of the population and 40 percent of the area of its predecessor and consisted of only two republics, Serbia and Montenegro, which agreed to abandon the name Yugoslavia in 2003 and rename the country Serbia and Montenegro. In 2006 the union was disbanded, and two independent countries were formed.

The first Yugoslavia

After the Balkan Wars of 1912–13 ended Ottoman rule in the Balkan Peninsula and Austria-Hungary was defeated in World War I, the Paris Peace Conference underwrote a new pattern of state boundaries in the Balkans. The major beneficiary there was a newly created Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes, which comprised the former kingdoms of Serbia and Montenegro (including Serbian-held Macedonia), as well as Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Austrian territory in Dalmatia and Slovenia, and Hungarian land north of the Danube River. Great difficulty was experienced in crafting this multinational state. Croats favoured a federal structure that would respect the diversity of traditions, while Serbs favoured a unitary state that would unite their scattered population in one country. The unitarist solution prevailed. The 1921 constitution established a highly centralized state, under the Serbian Karadjordjević dynasty, in which legislative power was exercised jointly by the monarchy and the Skupština (assembly). The king appointed a Council of Ministers and retained significant foreign policyprerogatives. The assembly only considered legislation that had already been drafted, and local government acted in effect as the transmission belt for decisions made in Belgrade.

After a decade of acrimonious party struggle, King Alexander I in 1929 prorogued the assembly, declared a royal dictatorship, and changed the name of the state to Yugoslavia. The historical regions were replaced by nine prefectures (banovine), all drafted deliberately to cut across the lines of traditional regions. None of these efforts reconciled conflicting views about the nature of the state, until in 1939 Croat and Serb leaders negotiated the formation of a new prefecture uniting Croat areas under a single authority with a measure of autonomy. Whether this would have laid the basis for a durable settlement is unclear, as the first Yugoslavia was brought to an end by World War II and the Axis Powers’ invasion in April 1941.

The economic problems of the new South Slav state had been to some extent a reflection of its diverse origins. Particularly in the north, communications systems had been built primarily to serve Austria-Hungary, and rail links across the Balkans had been controlled by the European great powers. As a result, local needs had never been met. Under the new monarchy, some industrial development took place, significantly financed by foreign capital. In addition, the centralized government had its own economic influence, as seen in heavy military expenditure, the creation of an inflated civil service, and direct intervention in productive industries and in the marketing of agricultural goods. Modernization of the economy was largely confined to the north, creating deep regional disparities in productivity and standards of living. By the outbreak of war in 1941, Yugoslavia was still a poor and predominantly rural state, with more than three-fourths of economically active people engaged in agriculture. Birth rates were among the highest in Europe, and illiteracy rates exceeded 60 percent in most rural areas.

The second Yugoslavia

Socialist Yugoslavia was formed in 1946 after Josip Broz Tito and his communist-led Partisans had helped liberate the country from German rule in 1944–45. This second Yugoslavia covered much the same territory as its predecessor, with the addition of land acquired from Italy in Istria and Dalmatia. The kingdom was replaced by a federation of six nominally equal republics: Croatia, Montenegro, Serbia, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Macedonia. In Serbia the two provinces of Kosovo and Vojvodina were given autonomous status in order to acknowledge the specific interests of Albanians and Magyars, respectively.

Despite this federal form, the new state was at first highly centralized both politically and economically, with power held firmly by Tito’s Communist Party of Yugoslavia and a constitution closely modeled on that of the Soviet Union. In 1953, 1963, and 1974, however, a succession of new constitutions created an ever more loosely coordinated union, the locus of power being steadily shifted downward from the federal level to economic enterprises, municipalities, and republic-level apparatuses of the Communist Party (renamed the League of Communists of Yugoslavia). Throughout this complex evolution, the Yugoslav system consisted of three levels of government: the communes (opštine), the republics, and the federation. The 500 communes were direct agents for the collection of most government revenue, and they also provided social services.

Under the constitution of 1974, the assemblies of the communes, republics, and autonomous provinces consisted of three chambers. The Chamber of Associated Labour was formed from delegations representing self-managing work organizations; the Chamber of Local Communities consisted of citizens drawn from territorial constituencies; and the Sociopolitical Chamber was elected from members of the Socialist Alliance of the Working People of Yugoslavia, the League of Communists, the trade unions, and organizations of war veterans, women, and youth. The federal assembly (Skupština) had only two chambers: the Federal Chamber, consisting of 220 delegates from work organizations, communes, and sociopolitical bodies; and the Chamber of Republics and Provinces, containing 88 delegates from republican and provincial assemblies.

The executive functions of government were carried out by the Federal Executive Council, which consisted of a president, members representing the republics and provinces, and officials representing various administrative agencies. In 1974 the presidency of the federation was vested for life in Tito; following his death in 1980, it was transferred to an unwieldy rotating collective presidency of regional representatives.

After 1945 the communist government nationalized large landholdings, industrial enterprises, public utilities, and other resources and launched a strenuous process of industrialization. After a split with the Soviet Union in 1948, Yugoslavia had by the 1960s come to place greater reliance on market mechanisms. A distinctive feature of this new “Yugoslav system” was “workers’ self-management,” which reached its fullest form in the 1976 Law on Associated Labour. Under this law, individuals participated in Yugoslav enterprise management through the work organizations into which they were divided. Work organizations might be either “Basic Organizations of Associated Labour” (the subdivisions of a single enterprise) or “Complex Organizations of Associated Labour” uniting different segments of an overall activity (e.g., manufacture and distribution). Each work organization was governed by a workers’ council, which elected a board of management to run the enterprise. Managers were nominally the servants of the workers’ councils, although in practice their training and access to information and other resources gave them a significant advantage over ordinary workers.

Under the new system, remarkable growth was achieved between 1953 and 1965, but development subsequently slowed. In the absence of real stimulus to efficiency, workers’ councils often raised wage levels above the true earning capacities of their organizations, usually with the connivance of local banks and political officials. Inflation and unemployment emerged as serious problems, particularly during the 1980s, and productivity remained low. Such defects in the system were patched over by massive and uncoordinated foreign borrowing, but after 1983 the International Monetary Fund demanded extensive economic restructuring as a precondition for further support. The conflict over how to meet this demand resurrected old animosities between the wealthier northern and western regions, which were required to contribute funds to federally administered development programs, and the poorer southern and eastern regions, where these funds were frequently invested in relatively inefficient enterprises or in unproductive prestige projects. Such differences contributed directly to the disintegration of the second Yugoslavia.

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Hotel Jugoslavija (Serbian Cyrillic: Хотел Југославија) in Belgrade is one of the oldest luxurious Serbian hotels. It is located in the Zemun municipality. The hotel was opened in 1969 as 'one of the most comfortable and most luxurious' hotels in Yugoslavia, and 'among top 5 largest and most beautiful hotels in Europe.'^[1] It was closed for visitors in 2006,^[2] but one half of the hotel was reopened in 2013 in the form of three-star hotel garni.^[3]

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History[edit]

Zemun railway station[edit]

The Zemun railway station was located next to were the modern hotel is. It was built in 1883 during the rule of Austria-Hungary, when the railway, which connected Zemun to Novi Sad, was finished. In 1884 the railway was extended across the Sava into the Kingdom of Serbia as the first railway in the country.^[4] The very first train from Serbia, with the passengers including King Milan, Queen Natalija and Crown Prince Alexander, stopped at this station on its way to Vienna.^[5]

The station was operational until 1970. To commemorate it, architect Milun Stambolić designed a memorial complex which consists of 5 pillars, which used to hold the station's overhang, and several meters of railroad tracks. The complex is placed on the plateau next to the hotel, on the small elevation above the promenade along the Danube.^[4] The memorial complex was set in the 1980s.^[6]

Hotel[edit]

According to the original concept, the hotel was to be named 'Belgrade'. Famous architects Mladen Kauzlarić, Lavoslav Horvat and Kazimir Ostrogović, followers of the Zagreb school of modernism won the first prize at the original tender in 1947. The hotel was built according to the modified project of the architect Lavoslav Horvat. Distinguished creators and builders, architects Milorad Pantović, Vladeta Maksimović, Miroslav Janković and academic Ivan Antić took part in designing of the hotel and the interior.^[1]

Planned and built for two decades, it was nicknamed 'Belgrade Babylon'.^[2] The hotel was ceremonially opened on 31 July 1969 by Rudi Kolak, president of the Yugoslav Chamber of Commerce.^[1] It was used as an accommodation for celebrities and high officials visiting Belgrade. Some of the famous people who stayed in the Hotel Jugoslavija include Queen Elizabeth II, Richard Nixon, Jimmy Carter, U Thant, Willy Brandt, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, Tina Turner, Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, and Buzz Aldrin.

Hotel had the biggest chandelier in the world until 2010, designed and made by Swarovski in 1969. It has 40.000 crystals, 5.000 bulbs and weight of 14 tonnes.,^[7][8] Size is 30 x 9 meters (90 x 28 ft) in rectangle shape.

During the 1999 NATO bombings of Yugoslavia, the hotel was hit by two missiles, damaging the west wing.^[2] Part of the hotel was owned by Arkan, and had been used as a barracks for his paramilitary forces^{[citation needed]}. One wing reopened on 9 February 2008 as the Grand Casino Beograd.

Quay[edit]

In the early 1970s, architect Branislav Jovin designed the plateau and the quay in front of the hotel. Generally considered beautiful and elegant, the project allows the cascade descent from the hotel to the Danube's bank. Early 1990s saw the expansion of the splavovi (singular, splav), barge-clubs on the rivers. They originated along the banks of the Sava and expanded in the nearby Ušće neighborhood. After 1996, they spread along the quay in front of the hotel.^[9][10]

The location was favorable as it was one of the rare point at the time, where there was enough parking space and the quay was arranged and concreted, while many other parts of the banks were the barges were located were still muddy and inaccessible. In the 1996–2000 period, the splavovi were swiftly anchored in front of the hotel and in such numbers, that they became so close to each other that guests from one splav were able to talk to the guests from another one. In this period, barges at Hotel Jugoslavija became one of the most popular hangouts, as the barges became the central point of Belgrade's nightlife, but were also connected with criminals and numerous incidents.^[10] The entire section of the bank in front of the hotel has since then been colloquially known as 'Chez Juga' (Kod Juge), after the shortened name of the hotel.

Majority of the barges placed in the last part of the 1990s are still operational, even under the same names, but are being replaced with much larger and modernized versions, unlike the other locations where splavovi appeared and disappeared, or changed names.^[10]

The first planned bicycle path in Belgrade was built from Hotel Jugoslavija to Ušće. Designed by Mirko Radovanac, it was finished in 1979.^[11]

Closing[edit]

In 2006 the hotel was privatized and closed. It was purchased by the 'Alpe Adrija hoteli' (renamed 'Danube Riverside' in 2013) for €31.3 million. Croatian businessman from Split who was behind the company, later that year sold 25% of the ownership to the international investment fund 'QS Investments' and 'Danube Riverside' continued as its local offshoot, in charge with obtaining all the permits. They wanted to build two 147 m (482 ft) tall towers and a shopping mall. One tower should be residential and the other one was to be a combination of business area and apartments. However, the permits were denied because of the ownership of the land itself, which remained owned by the state. Though they are not obliged to do so, the investors announced international design competition for the towers, but dropped the idea later. Architect Goran Vojvodić was in charge of the project which was estimated to €130-150 million.^[2]

In 2008 the 'Alpe Adrija hoteli' obtained the location permit, while the 'QS Investments' obtained additional 25% of the ownership. They applied to the city government for the construction permit in 2009, but were rejected in 2010 due to the incomplete documentation. The investor filed a complaint, the court returned the procedure back to the city, but the investor asked for the procedure to be halted until the documentation is ready, so the process was archived. By the end of 2010, city administration headed by the mayor Dragan Đilas adopted a new Belgrade Highrise Study, which was forbidding construction of the objects higher than 100 m (330 ft) on the hotel's location, while the 'QS Investments' becomes the sole owner of the hotel.^[2]

In 2011, city adproved the drafting of the detailed regulatory plans for this location and in 2012 the investor announced the opening of the hotel in 2015. In 2013 parts of the hotel were opened for the first time after 7 years, but not for the guests. Several floors have been leased as the business offices. The summer restaurant patio was also opened.^[2] Also in 2013, 132 rooms were adapted and the hotel was partially reopened as hotel garni.^[3]

Future[edit]

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In February 2014, the 'Danube Riverside' announced new plans regarding 'Jugoslavija'. A five-star Kempinski hotel was planned to be fully reconstructed by 2019. The complex was to be upgraded with two towers with 33 floors, and a total floor area of 190,000 m² (2,000,000 sq ft) on 5 ha (12 acres). New city administration, headed by Siniša Mali abolished the Highrise Study allowing tall buildings all ove the city. In 2015 the detailed regulatory plan which encompassed this project was adopted, despite the fierce opposition from the experts and public to the construction of the skyscrapers on this location. The projected value of the works is €300 million.^[2]

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As of August 2019 nothing has been done regarding the project. Head of the 'Hotel Jugoslavija Project' Iva Petrović said that they will have 'more information' in October 2019.^[2]

Gallery[edit]

References[edit]

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1. ^ ^abcB.Trbojević (1 August 1969). Отворен хотел 'Југославија' ['Hotel Jugoslavija' opened]. Politika (reprint on 1 August 2019) (in Serbian). p. 20.
2. ^ ^abcdefghDaliborka Mučibabić (1 August 2019). Пола века од отварања хотела 'Југославија' – Педест свећица и нови рок за почетак обнове [Half century from the opening of hotel 'Jugoslavija' – Fifty candles and new deadline for reconstruction]. Politika (in Serbian). p. 14.
3. ^ ^ab'Hotel Jugoslavija - About us'. 2020.
4. ^ ^abZoran Nikolić (2 November 2017), 'Beogradske priče: Čudne gradske 'granične linije'' [Belgrade stories: Strange city 'border lines'], Večernje Novosti (in Serbian)
5. ^'Na mestu železničke stanice pre dva veka bila je bara“, 24 SataArchived 2016-10-13 at the Wayback Machine, 5 March 2012.
6. ^Branka Vasiljević (14 September 2019). Железничко благо Београда [Railway treasure of Belgrade]. Politika (in Serbian). p. 15.
7. ^http://www.designed.rs/news/otvoren_renovirani_deo_hotela_jugoslavija
8. ^http://www.telegraf.rs/vesti/beograd/1245312-najveci-luster-na-svetu-nalazi-se-u-beogradu-necete-verovati-kako-izgleda-foto
9. ^Katarina Đorđević (5 November 2017), 'Pola veka beogradskih diskoteka' [Half a century of Belgrade disco clubs], Politika (in Serbian), p. 9
10. ^ ^abcBane Gajić (21 December 2018). 'Kako su splavovi postali važan deo Beograda' [How splavovi became important part of Belgrade]. Vice (in Serbian).
11. ^Goran Vesić (12 July 2019). 'Biciklizam – potreba građana u današnjem svetu' [Bicycling - citizens' need in today's world]. Politika (in Serbian). p. 14.

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