Čubura (), ) is an urban neighborhood of Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. Located in Belgrade's municipality of Vračar, it is a synonym of the city's bohemian life.

Location

Čubura stretches along the crossroad of the streets of Makenzijeva-Cara Nikolaja II and Maksima Gorkog. It borders the neighborhoods of Vračar and Gradić Pejton (sub-neighborhood of Čubura) on the west, Kalenić on the north, Crveni Krst on the east, Neimar on the southwest and Pašino Brdo on the south.

History

Čubura originated as a village around the pond and the banks of the stream of Čuburski potok. The village began to transform into the suburb in the 1880s. It was a period when a Romani colony was resettled from the neighborhood of Zerek (Dorćol area, around the Kralja Petra Street), so they moved to Čubura. The trough apparently didn't collect the water from the stream itself, but from one or two additional springs with fresh water in the valley.

There was a monument to the Romani people who died in World War I fighting in Serbian army. The monument is mentioned in 1924 work Spomenici na okrajini Beograda ("Monuments on the edges of Belgrade") by Milan Vukićević. The stone monument was located right above the stream and had inscription "Serbian Gypsy Youth to its heroes killed 1912-1918". The rapid urbanization of Čubura ensued after the war ended and by 1939 when "Vreme" magazine wrote in detail about the neighborhood, the monument wasn't mentioned anymore. Based on the writings, it was located somewhere close to the modern park.

According to the city government's plans published in early 2007, a residential section along the even side of the Maksima Gorkog street is designated for demolition for the future expansion of the street.

In September 2022, construction of the large sports center was announced. It will be located in the block bordered by the streets of Južni Bulevar, Šumatovačka and Vardardska, where the elementary school King Peter II Karađorđević and modern residential complex Marmilend are situated. The center will replace the middle section of the block, which was occupied by various outdoors sports fields. Sports complex "Vračar" will include a building with multipurpose sports hall, several smaller halls and galleries, and outdoor swimming pools, including Olympic one.

Characteristics

Bohemian quarter

The population of Čubura was 13,498 in 2002. The neighborhood is characterized by narrow streets and thanks to many kafanas in the area, it became known as one of the centers of the city bohemians. Unlike Skadarlija which is considered to be a fancy and fashionable place, Čubura used to be a gathering place of common people. Decades old neglect of the neighborhood by the city governments also added to this feel. It is recorded that in 1941, on the short distance from Slavija along the Makenzijeva street, there were 30 kafanas. After 1945, the Vltava kafana, for example, became known as the gathering place of Belgrade's lawyers, Mala Vltava of the former political prisoners from the Goli Otok while the more affluent citizens gathered in Trandafilović. The entire area surrounding the modern park was described as "one vast kafana, open all hours".

However, with changes in recent years, kafanas are being closed one by one and the 'spirit of Čubura' is slowly disappearing. One of the last kafanas, Kolubara, was transformed into the betting facility while Čuburska lipa ("Ćubura's linden tree"), was demolished in early 2018. It was named after the linden tree, planted in 1924, brought from Lipik spa. The tree was also cut. With the new buildings being constructed, many white and mimicking the Interbellum architecture in the kitsch style, architects described Čubura as being filled with "sugar-coated cake-houses".

Čuburski Park

right|thumb|250px|Monument to Petar Kočić in Čuburski Park

Small park (Čuburski park) is located in the neighborhood, bounded by the streets of Maksima Gorkog, Cara Nikolaja II, Čuburska and Orlovića Pavla. It covers an area of and is mostly occupied by the children playgrounds (three of them) and seasonal amusement park. In November 2007 a major reconstruction of the park began which includes replacement of the complete humus layer and all of the old and sick trees, placing a sewage system beneath the park to prevent creation of ponds in the park during rains so as the re-arrangement of the pathways bordering the park. Reconstruction was finished in April 2008.

On 12 May 2009 a monument to the Serbian writer Petar Kočić was dedicated in the park. In the period when he lived in Belgrade, Kočić lived in the vicinity of the park. The duplicate of the monument, work of Dragoljub Davidović, was erected in front of Kočić's birth house in the village of Stričići, near Banja Luka in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

On 16 June 2019, another monument was placed in the park, at the corner of the Maksima Gorkog and Cara Nikolaja II streets. It is dedicated to the famed self-taught builders from Crna Trava. Residents of Crna Trava are regionally famous as the best builders, which are colloquially described as the builders who "built half of Yugoslavia: University of Belgrade Faculty of Philosophy, University of Belgrade Faculty of Law, Stari dvor, Novi dvor, Government of Serbia, Princess Ljubica's Residence, Kafana Dva Jelena in Skadarlija, Hotel Moskva, Hotel Bristol, factory chimneys over tall, and countless other. The monument represents nameless "Crna Trava builder" (Crnotravac neimar) and was sculptured by Zoran Kuzmanović. The park was chosen as it was the location of the Kikevac kafana, which was the central gathering point of the Crna Trava migrants in Belgrade. A duplicate of the tall sculpture on the stone pedestal was erected in Crna Trava itself, on 29 October 2019.

References

  • Beogradske price - Kako je Čubura dobila ime
  • Beograd - plan grada; M@gic M@p, 2006;