Blokovi
Encyclopedia
Blokovi is the semi-formal plural name for a group of urban neighborhoods in Belgrade's municipality of Novi Beograd
Novi Beograd
Novi Beograd or New Belgrade is the most populous municipality that constitutes the City of Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. It is a planned city, built in 1947 on the left bank of the Sava river which was previously an uninhabited area, opposite of the old Belgrade...

.

The neighborhood is located in the southeastern urbanized section of the Novi Beograd municipality, on the left bank of the Sava river, across the islands of Ada Međica and Ada Ciganlija
Ada Ciganlija
Ada Ciganlija , colloquially shortened to Ada, is a river island that has artificially been turned into a peninsula, located in the Sava River's course through central Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. The name can also refer to the adjoining artificial Sava Lake and its beach...

. It is bounded by the neighborhoods of Bežanija
Bežanija
Bežanija is an urban neighborhood of Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. It is located in Belgrade's municipality of Novi Beograd.- Location :...

 and Bežanijska Kosa from the north, Block 58 from the southeast (neighborhood of Savski Nasip
Savski Nasip
Savski Nasip is an urban neighborhood of Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. It is located in Belgrade's municipality of Novi Beograd....

) and the neighborhood of Dr Ivan Ribar
Dr Ivan Ribar
Dr Ivan Ribar is an urban neighborhood of Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. It is located in Belgrade's municipality of Novi Beograd.- Location :...

 from the west.

When construction of Novi Beograd began in 1948, the area designed for the future urban expansion was divided in 72 blocks (with several sub-blocks, like 8-a, 9-a, 9-b, 70-a, etc, and some numbers are missing). Not having any specific name like most other parts of the newly built Novi Beograd, over time, this area became colloquially known simply as Blokovi ( The Blocks ).

The population of the local communities which mainly form the neighborhood was 89,561, including the neighborhood of Dr Ivan Ribar. But the boundaries of the Blokovi neighborhood are very informal and roughly can be divided into two sections separated by the Yuri Gagarin Street
Yuri Gagarin Street, Belgrade
Yuri Gagarin Street is a major street in New Belgrade, named after Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, the first man in space.The Jurija Gagarina serves as an informal boundary of the north and south Blokovi neighbourhoods of New Belgrade.-Notable places:...

: the north part or, so called Bežanijski blokovi (Bežanija blocks) with a population of 44,505 and the south part or Savski blokovi (Sava (river) blocks) with a population of 45,056 in 2002.

Characteristics

The neighborhood is known for its two rows of over one hundred residential buildings, especially blocks 45 and 70 with original setup of two sets of 21 (totalling 42) identical four and two story buildings close to the river, with large playgrounds in between, and two sets of over 40 (totalling 80) similar red brick skyscrapers close to the Jurija Gagarina street. The area close to the river is a continuous embankment on the Sava river, stretching throughout the whole neighborhood, known as the Sava Quay (Serbian: Savski kej).

The rows of two-story and 4-story buildings in Block 70 and especially Block 45 are also known as "Naselje Sunca" (or, in English, "The Sunny Community"), because of the peaceful environment ideal for kids and optimism and positive energy that prevailed in 1970s Belgrade. Also, the Block 45 was inhabited by a large number of artists and intellectuals, though the structure of the population has changed a bit since the 1970s.

Omladinskih brigada street divides Block 70-a from Block 70, Gandijeva street Block 70 from Block 44 and Nehruova
Jawaharlal Nehru
Jawaharlal Nehru , often referred to with the epithet of Panditji, was an Indian statesman who became the first Prime Minister of independent India and became noted for his “neutralist” policies in foreign affairs. He was also one of the principal leaders of India’s independence movement in the...

 street
Block 44 from Block 45. Through the middle of the whole neighborhood curves the Lazaro Kardenas
Lázaro Cárdenas
Lázaro Cárdenas del Río was President of Mexico from 1934 to 1940.-Early life:Lázaro Cárdenas was born on May 21, 1895 in a lower-middle class family in the village of Jiquilpan, Michoacán. He supported his family from age 16 after the death of his father...

 promenade
. At the end of the Gandijeva street, on the Sava Quay, a monumental bust
Bust (sculpture)
A bust is a sculpted or cast representation of the upper part of the human figure, depicting a person's head and neck, as well as a variable portion of the chest and shoulders. The piece is normally supported by a plinth. These forms recreate the likeness of an individual...

 of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

n leader Mahatma Gandhi
Mahatma Gandhi
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi , pronounced . 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948) was the pre-eminent political and ideological leader of India during the Indian independence movement...

 (after whom the street was named) was erected in 2007, as a pre-celebration of October 2, Gandhi's birthday (Gandhi Jayanti
Gandhi Jayanti
Gandhi Jayanti is a National Holiday celebrated in India to mark the occasion of the birthday of Mohandas Gandhi, the "Father of the Nation." He was born on October 2, 1869. Hence Gandhi Jayanti is celebrated every year on the 2nd of October. It is one of the three official declared National...

) and the UN
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...

 proclaimed International Day of Non-Violence
International Day of Non-Violence
The International Day of Non-Violence is observed on 2 October, the birthday of Mohandas Gandhi. This day is referred to in India as Gandhi Jayanti....


Economy and transportation

The neighborhood is entirely residential, without any industrial facilities. A commercial sector began to develop alongside the Jurija Gagarina street in the 1990s, and expanded in the 2000s.
Major commercial or social facilities (almost all of them on the Jurija Gagarina street) comprise:
  • Block 70-a: Delta-auto car dealership, large Honda
    Honda
    is a Japanese public multinational corporation primarily known as a manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles.Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, as well as the world's largest manufacturer of internal combustion engines measured by volume, producing more than...

     car dealership, Hellenic Petroleum
    Hellenic Petroleum
    Hellenic Petroleum S.A. is the largest oil refining company in Greece and with its roots dating to 1958 with the establishment of the first oil refinery in Greece ....

     gas station and the Omega-beton gravel selling facility on the Sava bank;

  • Block 70: several shopping malls including a Chinese market, OMV
    OMV
    OMV is Austria's largest oil-producing, refining and gas station operating company with important activities in other Central European countries...

     gas station and large postal facilities (including two separate post offices); it also has a primary school "20. oktobar", kindergarten and its own local community (Serbian: mesna zajednica) of Savski kej.

  • Block 44: green market, several shopping malls including one of the first modern super-malls in Belgrade, the Piramida (Serbian for pyramid
    Pyramid
    A pyramid is a structure whose outer surfaces are triangular and converge at a single point. The base of a pyramid can be trilateral, quadrilateral, or any polygon shape, meaning that a pyramid has at least three triangular surfaces...

    , because of its shape) and a McDonalds restaurant; it also has two medical clinics.

  • Block 45: four shopping malls, including "Enjub"; it also has a primary school Branko Radičević
    Branko Radicevic
    Branko Radičević , an influential Serbian poet, within a short space of time contrived to enhance Serbian literature with several perennially attractive poems.- Biography:...

    , once the biggest elementary school in the Balkans, which had elite quality education - winning many federal level prizes at competitions in subjects such as mathematics, literature etc, kindergarten, nursery, FK Sava's soccer field and its own local community of Sava.


Routes of the public transportation lines pass through all of the streets in the neighborhood: bus lines 45, 68, 73, 76, 81, 82, 89, 94, 95 and 610 and tram
Tram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...

way lines 7, 9 and 11.

Aqua park Belgrade

Block 44 is currently the construction site of the Aqua-park Belgrade, second water park
Water park
A waterpark is an amusement park that features waterplay areas, such as water slides, splash pads, spraygrounds , lazy rivers, or other recreational bathing, swimming, and barefooting environments...

 in Serbia (first one is in the town of Jagodina
Jagodina
Jagodina is a city and municipality located in central Serbia, 136 km south of Belgrade, on the banks of Belica River. Its name stems from the word for strawberry in Serbian. It is the administrative centre of the Pomoravlje District of Serbia...

). Construction began in August 2005 and it was supposed to be open on May 25, 2006, but as of jun 2008 only 75% of the rough works have been completed and one of the leading investors in the project, basketball player Žarko Paspalj
Žarko Paspalj
Žarko Paspalj is a retired Serbian professional basketball player and current sports administrator...

, announced that it has been postponed for 2008. It covers an area of 50,000 square metres and it is supposed to have 11 pools, 24 water slide
Water slide
A water slide is a type of slide designed for warm-weather or indoor recreational use at water parks. Water slides differ in their riding method and therefore size...

s and attractions like "Aladdin lamp" and "tsunami pool". Investors claimed it will be open for the 2007 season and it would feature the longest "family waterslide" (117 m) and lazy river
Lazy river
A lazy river is a water ride found in many amusement parks or water parks. They are also found at some resorts and recreation centers. It usually consists of shallow pool that flows similarly to a river....

 (405 m) in Europe so as the largest pool in Europe with an area of 1,600 square meters and children's complex (Kids City). Also, in phase two, the surrounding area of 20,000 square metres will be arranged with covered pools, bowling alleys, skating rink
Skating rink
A skating rink may refer to:* an ice rink used for ice skating* a roller rink used for roller skating...

 and other sport facilities. The construction resumed in January 2008 and the new opening date was set in the late May 2008.

Characteristics

Bežanijski blokovi are build on the southernmost uninhabited area of the former Bežanija village, thus the name. However, it is completely urbanized and even though different architecturally from the southern section, it also features a series of residential skyscrapers in two parallel rows, stretching through the blocks 61, 62, 63 and the western section of 64. There are over 50 skyscrapers altogether (22 parallel ones with several additional in between).

Bežanijski blokovi are also known as "Oficirski blokovi" (or, in English, "The Officers' blocks", since a large portion of the apartments in the buildings were owned by the old Yugoslav army, which housed its personnel there. Consequently, a large portion of the inhabitants of the Bežanijski blokovi are the families of the retired army officers who bought out their apartments from the Army.

Southern border marks the Jurija Gagarina street while the northern, separating it from Bežanija is the Vojvođanska
Vojvodina
Vojvodina, officially called Autonomous Province of Vojvodina is an autonomous province of Serbia. Its capital and largest city is Novi Sad...

 street
. In between, the Dušana Vukasovića street divides Blocks 61 and 62, the Nehruova street Blocks 62 and 63 and the Gandijeva street divides Blocks 63 and 64.

Economy and transportation

Despite being constructed as a continuation of the highly industrialized central section of Novi Beograd from the east (heavy industry like IMT, Minel, FOB-FOM, etc), the neighborhood is entirely residential with commercial facilities developing only recently. Major commercial and social facilities include:
  • Block 61: a kindergarten, a gas station Sunce (Serbian for sun) and a local community of Bežanijski blokovi...

  • Block 62: an ice skating rink with a gym and a primary school of Užička Republika, IDEA superstore, Technomarket consumer electronics store, Univerexport superstore and DM drogerie...

  • Block 63: Maxi superstore, gas station "Lav Petrol", tennis court, a primary school Jovan Sterija Popović
    Jovan Sterija Popovic
    Jovan Sterija Popović was a Serbian playwright, poet and pedagogue who taught at the Belgrade Higher School. Sterija was recognized by his contemporaries as the one of the leading Serbian intellectuals...

    , Orion Telekom headquarters...

  • Block 64: ImmoOutlet trade center, a primary school and a local community both under the name of Mladost (Serbian for youth)...


In addition to other bus lines, additional lines passing through or around the neighborhood are 89, 94, 95 (right through the middle), 45, 71, 72, 82, 601, 602 and 610.

Neighbourhood culture and public image

Blokovi inhabitants represent the cross-section of the Serbian population. Because most people in Blokovi received their apartments through government-funded social programs, the population is very socio-economically mixed: it is not uncommon to have a bus driver living next door to a neurosurgeon in the same apartment block.

The blocks near the Sava river, especially the four and two story buildings, were inhabited by a large number of artists and intellectuals in the 1970s.
The neighbourhood is ideal for young children, with many playgrounds and a popular boardwalk built along Sava's left bank. It is also considered as a healthy and a quiet place to live in as it has a lot of green areas, sports terrains and also a bicycle trail alongside the river. This area, peaceful yet full of artists and intellectuals, was ideal for Radovan Karadzic
Radovan Karadžic
Radovan Karadžić is a former Bosnian Serb politician. He is detained in the United Nations Detention Unit of Scheveningen, accused of war crimes committed against Bosnian Muslims and Bosnian Croats during the Siege of Sarajevo, as well as ordering the Srebrenica massacre.Educated as a...

 to blend in unnoticed, under pseudonym dr. Dragan David Dabic. He lived unnoticed in Blok 45 Juria Gagarina 267, on third floor, often visiting local pub Luda kuca (Madhouse), playing gusle
Gusle
The Gusle is a single-stringed musical instrument traditionally used in the Dinarides region of the Balkans ....

, drinking vine, and sitting facing photos of Karadzic and Mladic presented as Serbian heroes.

On the other hand, the officer blocks, and their grayness and drabness have earned Blokovi the reputation of some sort of urban ghetto during the 90s. This image was perpetuated by recent Serbian movies such as Rane, Apsolutnih sto, Jedan na jedan, Sutra ujutro, and Sedam i po. Ratko Mladic was known to reside in the officer Blocks, hiding in deep anonymity and playing chess with local military pensioners, with whom he blended in unnoticed. However, he has apparently moved out of the area in 2006.

However, recently the erection of Delta City
Delta City
Delta City is a brand of shopping malls, with malls in Belgrade, Serbia and Podgorica, Montenegro. It is a subsidiary of Delta M, itself a division of Serbian Delta Holding.-Delta City Belgrade:...

 shopping mall
Shopping mall
A shopping mall, shopping centre, shopping arcade, shopping precinct or simply mall is one or more buildings forming a complex of shops representing merchandisers, with interconnecting walkways enabling visitors to easily walk from unit to unit, along with a parking area — a modern, indoor version...

, plans for Aquapark and Tennis courts near Block 45 have doubled the value of real estate in this area, at the time when New Belgrade with numerous development plans becomes one of the more desirable parts of the city.

The well-known Yu-rock band Riblja Čorba
Riblja Corba
Riblja Čorba is a Serbian and former Yugoslav rock band. Their presence on the scene has lasted from 1978 to today. They reached their peak of popularity in the 1980s, but it has declined in the 1990s, partly due to controversial political attitudes of the band's leader Bora Đorđević...

has made a song with the title "Neću da živim u bloku 65" (English: I don't want to live in block 65), which can be found on the CD "Buvlja pijaca" released in 1982.

Also, a grunge band from Belgrade's block 19a, named Euforia, has a song called "Blokovi".
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