Sredorek ( mk, Средорек) is a historical and geographical region in northeastern

Republic of Macedonia North Macedonia, ; sq, Maqedonia e Veriut, (Macedonia before February 2019), officially the Republic of North Macedonia,, is a country in Southeast Europe. It gained independence in 1991 as one of the successor states of Yugoslavia. It ...

. It includes settlements in the

Pčinja river Pčinja () may refer to: *Pčinja District, a district of Serbia *Pčinja (river) The Pčinja (Serbian and Macedonian Пчиња ) is a 135 km long river in Serbia and North Macedonia, a left tributary of the Vardar river. Serbia The Pčin ...

valley, parts of the mountainous regions of Kozjak (Kozjačija),

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

and Rujen, which are today located within the

Municipality of Staro Nagoričane A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...

. The region is predominantly inhabited by ethnic Macedonians and ethnic

Serbs The Serbs ( sr-Cyr, Срби, Srbi, ) are the most numerous South Slavic ethnic group native to the Balkans in Southeastern Europe, who share a common Serbian ancestry, culture, history and language. The majority of Serbs live in their na ...

(see Serbs in the Republic of Macedonia), adherents of

Eastern Orthodoxy Eastern Orthodoxy, also known as Eastern Orthodox Christianity, is one of the three main Branches of Christianity, branches of Chalcedonian Christianity, alongside Catholic Church, Catholicism and Protestantism. Like the Pentarchy of the first m ...

. In the Middle Ages, the region was part of the '' župe'' (counties) of

Žegligovo Kumanovo ( mk, Куманово ; also known by other alternative names) is a city in North Macedonia and the seat of Kumanovo Municipality, the largest municipality in the country. Kumanovo lies above sea level and is surrounded by the Kar ...

and

Preševo Preševo ( sr-cyrl, Прешево; sq, Preshevë, ) is a town and municipality located in the Pčinja District of southern Serbia. It is the southernmost town in Central Serbia and largest in the geographical region of Preševo Valley. Preševo ...

. Notable monuments in the region include the Church of St. George,

Geography

The region includes settlements in the

valley, parts of the mountainous regions of Kozjak (Kozjačija),

, Rujen, which are today located within the

; roughly from Pčinja and the lower course of the Kriva Reka. The region borders

Serbia Serbia (, ; Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe, Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Bas ...

to the north, and the historical and geographical regions of Slavište and Stracin.

Settlements

Staro Nagoričane Staro Nagoričane ( mk, ) is a village in North Macedonia and the seat of the Staro Nagoričane municipality. The village is primarily known for its 11th century Church of St. George, first constructed in 1071 during Byzantine Macedonia, and rec ...

, Kozjak region *

Ruǵince Ruǵince or Ruđince ( mk, Руѓинце) is a settlement in northeastern North Macedonia, in the municipality of Staro Nagoričane. It used to be part of the former municipality of Klečevce. Geography To the nearest city, the settlement is 22 ...

, Pčinja valley *

Dejlovce Dejlovce ( mk, Дејловце) is a settlement in northeastern North Macedonia, in the municipality of Staro Nagoričane. According to the 2002 census, it had 44 inhabitants. Geography To the nearest city, the settlement is 25 kilometres east of ...

, German region *

Vračevce Vračevce ( mk, Врачевце) is a small village in the municipality of Staro Nagoričane, North Macedonia. Geography To the nearest city, the settlement is 17 kilometres northeast of Kumanovo. Vračevce is situated in the historical region of ...

, Kozjak region *

Malotino Malotino ( mk, Малотино) is a small village in the municipality of Staro Nagoričane, North Macedonia, at the border with Serbia. Name The name stems from the Albanian word for mountains ''malet'' (as a plural tantum) and the Slavic suffix ...

, Rujen region * Stepance, Kozjak and German region * Strezovce, Pčinja valley *

Strnovac Strnovac ( mk, Стрновац) is a village in northeastern North Macedonia, in the municipality of Staro Nagoričane. According to the 2002 census, it had 93 inhabitants. Geography The village is located in northern North Macedonia. To the nea ...

, Rujen region *

Cvilance Cvilance ( mk, Цвиланце) is a village in the municipality of Staro Nagoričane, North Macedonia North Macedonia, ; sq, Maqedonia e Veriut, (Macedonia before February 2019), officially the Republic of North Macedonia,, is a co ...

, Pčinja valley * Čelopek, Pčinja valley * Ramno, Kozjak and German region * Puzajka, Rujen region *

Pelince Pelince ( mk, Пелинце) is a village in the municipality of Staro Nagoričane, North Macedonia. The village became popular among the citizens of the Republic of Macedonia in 2004 when a new national commemorative of ASNOM was built in the v ...

, Pčinja valley * Osiče, German region *Orah, Pčinja valley * Oblavce, Pčinja valley *

Nikuljane Nikuljane ( mk, Никуљане) is a village in northeastern North Macedonia, in the municipality of Staro Nagoričane. According to the 2002 census, it had 210 inhabitants. Geography The village is located in northernmost North Macedonia, close ...

, mountainous region *

Mlado Nagoričane Mlado Nagoričane ( mk, Младо Нагоричане) is the largest village in the municipality of Staro Nagoričane, North Macedonia. Demographics According to the 2002 census, the village had a total of 1,292 inhabitants. Ethnic groups in th ...

, Pčinja valley * Makreš, Pčinja valley * Miglence, Rujen region *

Kokino Kokino ( mk, Кокино) is a Bronze Age archaeological site in the Republic of North Macedonia, approximately 30 km from the town of Kumanovo, and about 6 km from the Serbian border, in the Staro Nagoričane Municipality. It is situa ...

, Kozjak region * Koince, Pčinja valley * Karlovce, Kozjak region * Kanarevo, Pčinja valley * Željuvino, German region * Žegljane, Kozjak region *

Dragomance Dragomance ( mk, Драгоманце) is a village in the municipality of Staro Nagoričane, North Macedonia. Demographics According to the 2002 census, the village had a total of 133 inhabitants. Ethnic groups in the village include:Macedoni ...

, Pčinja valley * Dobrača, Pčinja valley * Vragoturce, Kozjak region * Vojnik, Pčinja valley * Bukovljane, Kozjak region * Breško, German region *

Bajlovce Bajlovce ( mk, Бајловце) is a village in the municipality of Staro Nagoričane, North Macedonia. Demographics According to the 2002 census, the village had a total of 129 inhabitants. Ethnic groups in the village include:Macedonian Census ...

, German region *

Arbanaško Arbanaško ( mk, Арбанашко) is a village in the municipality of Staro Nagoričane, North Macedonia. Name The name is mentioned in the 1330 Serbian document by King Milutin, and is derived from the word ''Arbanas'' meaning "Albanian" with ...

, Kozjak and German region * Aljince, German region *

Algunja Algunja ( mk, Алгуња) is a village in the Municipalities of North Macedonia, municipality of Staro Nagoričane Municipality, Staro Nagoričane, North Macedonia. Demographics As of the 2021 North Macedonia census, 2021 census, Algunja had 300 ...

, mountainous

History

In 1354, when Dejan had finished building the

Arhiljevica Arhiljevica ( sr-cyr, Архиљевица) is the name of a lost medieval village and monastery (dedicated to the "Holy Mother of God") which existed during the Serbian Empire and its aftermath. It was in the possession of the Dejanović noble f ...

Church of the Holy Mother of God, his

endowment Endowment most often refers to: *A term for human penis size It may also refer to: Finance *Financial endowment, pertaining to funds or property donated to institutions or individuals (e.g., college endowment) *Endowment mortgage, a mortgage to b ...

, he asked that some of the villages under his administration be granted to the church (as ''

metochion A ''metochion'' or ''metochi'' ( gr, μετόχιον, metóchion or gr, μετόχι, metóchi; russian: подворье, podvorie) is an ecclesiastical embassy church within Eastern Orthodox tradition. It is usually from one autocephalous or ...

''). According to Stefan Dušan's

charter A charter is the grant of authority or rights, stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified. It is implicit that the granter retains superiority (or sovereignty), and that the rec ...

to Arhiljevica dated 10 August 1354, ''sevastokrator'' Dejan, whom he called his ''brother'' ("брат царства ми севастократор Дејан"), possessed a large province east of

Skopska Crna Gora tr, Karadağ, italics=no , photo = Skopska Crna Gora-MKD.JPG , photo_caption = , photo_size = 250 , highest = Ramno , elevation_m = 1651 , elevation_ref = , prominence_m = , prominence_ref = , listing = , location = North Macedonia ...

. It included the old '' župe'' (counties) of

and

(modern

Kumanovo Kumanovo ( mk, Куманово ; also known by other #Etymology, alternative names) is a city in North Macedonia and the seat of Kumanovo Municipality, the List of municipalities in the Republic of Macedonia by population, largest municipali ...

region with Sredorek, Kozjačija and the larger part of Pčinja). Among the granted villages, still existing today in Sredorek, were:

and

. Serbian geographer and sociologist

Jovan Cvijić Jovan Cvijić ( sr-cyr, Јован Цвијић, ; 1865 – 16 January 1927) was a Serbian geographer and ethnologist, president of the Serbian Royal Academy of Sciences and rector of the University of Belgrade. Cvijić is considered the ...

travelled and studied the lands, and included the region of Sredorek (chapter "Средорек, Страцин и Славиште").

Jovan Hadži-Vasiljević Jovan Hadži-Vasiljević ( sr-cyr, Јован Хаџи-Васиљевић, 18 October 1866 – 29 March 1948) was a Serbian historian, ethnographer, journalist and writer. Biography Hadži-Vasiljević was born in Vranje, at the time part of the ...

also travelled and studied the lands.

References

Bibliography

*{{cite journal, last=Blagojević , first=Miloš , authorlink=Miloš Blagojević , title=Zakon gospodina Konstantina i carice Jevdokije , year=2007 , url=http://www.doiserbia.nb.rs/img/doi/0584-9888/2007/0584-98880744447B.pdf , publisher=Institute for Byzantine Studies of the

Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts The Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts ( la, Academia Scientiarum et Artium Serbica, sr-Cyr, Српска академија наука и уметности, САНУ, Srpska akademija nauka i umetnosti, SANU) is a national academy and the ...

, place=Belgrade , journal=Recueil des travaux de l'Institut d'études byzantines , volume=44 , url-status=dead , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140304121701/http://www.doiserbia.nb.rs/img/doi/0584-9888/2007/0584-98880744447B.pdf , archive-date=2014-03-04 Geography of North Macedonia Staro Nagoričane Municipality