Velika ( sr-Cyrl, Велика) is a village in the

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality' ...

of Plav,

Montenegro , image_flag = Flag of Montenegro.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Montenegro.svg , coa_size = 80 , national_motto = , national_anthem = () , image_map = Europe-Mont ...

, close to the village of Murino.

History

In 1479, the Ottomans annexed Gornje Polimlje and Velika. Subsequently, these villages were organized into the

Sanjak of Scutari The Sanjak of Scutari or Sanjak of Shkodra (; ; or ''İşkodra Sancağı'') was one of the sanjaks of the Ottoman Empire. It was established after the Ottoman Empire acquired Shkodra after the siege of Shkodra in 1478–9. It was part of th ...

. It was the site of several conflicts during the battles for Plav and Gusinje, between the Albanians under the

League of Prizren The League of Prizren (), officially the League for the Defense of the Rights of the Albanian Nation (), was an Albanian political organization that was officially founded on June 10, 1878 in the old town of Prizren in the Kosovo Vilayet of th ...

and Montenegrin forces in 1879–80. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, on July 28, 1944, when the region was occupied by Germany, 428 Serbs and Montenegrins from the village, mostly women and children, were killed by the 21st Waffen Mountain Division of the SS Skanderbeg, which was composed predominantly of ethnic

Albanians The Albanians are an ethnic group native to the Balkan Peninsula who share a common Albanian ancestry, Albanian culture, culture, Albanian history, history and Albanian language, language. They are the main ethnic group of Albania and Kosovo, ...

Demographics

According to the 2011 census, its population was 308.

References

External links

Populated places in Plav Municipality Serb communities in Montenegro {{Montenegro-geo-stub