Zvornik ( sr-cyrl, Зворник, ) is a city in

Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and H ...

. It is located in

Republika Srpska Republika Srpska ( sr-Cyrl, Република Српска, lit=Serb Republic, also known as Republic of Srpska, ) is one of the two Political divisions of Bosnia and Herzegovina, entities of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the other being the Feder ...

, on the left bank of the

Drina The Drina ( sr-Cyrl, Дрина, ) is a long Balkans river, which forms a large portion of the border between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia. It is the longest tributary of the Sava River and the longest karst river in the Dinaric Alps whic ...

river. In 2013, it had a population of 58,856 inhabitants. The town of

Mali Zvornik Mali Zvornik ( sr-cyr, Мали Зворник, ) is a town and municipality located in the Mačva District of western Serbia. In 2011, the population of the town is 4,132, while the population of the municipality is 11,987. It lays opposite of th ...

("Little Zvornik") lies directly across the river in

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 ...

. Kula Grad, a village that is part of Zvornik municipality, has a Middle Age fort, Zvornik fortress, built in the 12th century.

History

Zvornik is first mentioned in 1410, although it was known as ''Zvonik'' ("bell tower") at that time. The town's geographic location has made it an important trade link between Bosnia and the east. For instance, the main road connecting

Sarajevo Sarajevo ( ; cyrl, Сарајево, ; ''see Names of European cities in different languages (Q–T)#S, names in other languages'') is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a population of 275,524 in its a ...

and

Belgrade Belgrade ( , ;, ; Names of European cities in different languages: B, names in other languages) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city in Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers a ...

runs through the city. The medieval fort known as Kula grad was built in the early 7th century and still stands on the Mlađevac mountainous range overlooking the Drina Valley.

Ottoman rule

During the Ottoman period, Zvornik was the capital of the

Sanjak of Zvornik The Sanjak of Zvornik ( tr, İzvornik Sancağı, sh, Zvornički sandžak) was one of the sanjaks in the Ottoman Empire with Zvornik (in modern-day Bosnia and Herzegovina) as its administrative centre. It was divided into 4 different districts: Že ...

(an administrative region) within the

Eyalet of Bosnia The Eyalet of Bosnia ( ota, ایالت بوسنه ,Eyālet-i Bōsnâ; By Gábor Ágoston, Bruce Alan Masters ; sh, Bosanski pašaluk), was an eyalet (administrative division, also known as a ''beylerbeylik'') of the Ottoman Empire, mostly based ...

. This was primarily the case because of the city's crucial role in the economy and the strategic importance of the city's location. The Sanjak of Zvornik was one of six Ottoman sanjaks with most developed

shipbuilding Shipbuilding is the construction of ships and other floating vessels. It normally takes place in a specialized facility known as a shipyard. Shipbuilders, also called shipwrights, follow a specialized occupation that traces its roots to befor ...

(besides the sanjaks of

Vidin Vidin ( bg, Видин, ; Old Romanian: Diiu) is a port city on the southern bank of the Danube in north-western Bulgaria. It is close to the borders with Romania and Serbia, and is also the administrative centre of Vidin Province, as well as o ...

Nicopolis Nicopolis ( grc-gre, Νικόπολις, Nikópolis, City of Victory) or Actia Nicopolis was the capital city of the Roman province of Epirus Vetus. It was located in the western part of the modern state of Greece. The city was founded in 29 ...

, Požega,

Smederevo Smederevo ( sr-Cyrl, Смедерево, ) is a city and the administrative center of the Podunavlje District in eastern Serbia. It is situated on the right bank of the Danube, about downstream of the Serbian capital, Belgrade. According to ...

and Mohač). In 1806, Zvornik was home to Mehmed-beg Kulenović.

World War II

Ustasha troops of the fascist

Independent State of Croatia The Independent State of Croatia ( sh, Nezavisna Država Hrvatska, NDH; german: Unabhängiger Staat Kroatien; it, Stato indipendente di Croazia) was a World War II-era puppet state of Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy (1922–1943), Fascist It ...

occupied Zvornik, along with most of Bosnia, in April 1941. The town was liberated in July 1943 by the

1st Proletarian Brigade The 1st Proletarian Brigade, later the 1st Proletarian Division, was the first brigade-size formation raised by the Yugoslav Partisans during World War II. The unit was one of the elite formations of the National Liberation Army of Yugoslavia. Its ...

during the

Battle of Zvornik The Battle of Zvornik ( bs, Bitka u Zvorniku) was the 1943 capture by the 1st Proletarian Brigade of the occupied Bosnian town Zvornik from the Wehrmacht and the Ustasha troops of the occupying Independent State of Croatia. Operation Preparati ...

Bosnian war

During the

Bosnian War The Bosnian War ( sh, Rat u Bosni i Hercegovini / Рат у Босни и Херцеговини) was an international armed conflict that took place in Bosnia and Herzegovina between 1992 and 1995. The war is commonly seen as having started ...

(1992–1995) Zvornik's

Bosniak The Bosniaks ( bs, Bošnjaci, Cyrillic: Бошњаци, ; , ) are a South Slavic ethnic group native to the Southeast European historical region of Bosnia, which is today part of Bosnia and Herzegovina, who share a common Bosnian ancestry, cu ...

population was expelled. The military attack of paramilitary groups that came from Serbia on Zvornik Bosniaks commenced on 8 April 1992.UN report on Zvornik
During April 1992, many European news stations daily reported Serb armed attacks and

mass killing Mass killing is a concept which has been proposed by genocide scholars who wish to define incidents of non-combat killing which are perpetrated by a government or a state. A mass killing is commonly defined as the killing of group members withou ...

s of the Bosniak population of Zvornik and the surrounding villages. On 19 May 1992, combined JNA,

Serb paramilitary This is a list of Serbian paramilitary units and formations throughout history. It includes Serbian volunteer militias loyal to the Habsburg Monarchy prior to Serbian independence, and organizations loyal to Serbia since. Note that many of the org ...

and

Arkan Željko Ražnatović (, ; 17 April 1952 – 15 January 2000), better known as Arkan (), was a Serbian mobster, politician, sports administrator, paramilitary commander and head of the Serb paramilitary force called the Serb Volunteer Guard duri ...

Tigers The tiger (''Panthera tigris'') is the largest living cat species and a member of the genus ''Panthera''. It is most recognisable for its dark vertical stripes on orange fur with a white underside. An apex predator, it primarily preys on un ...

took control of Zvornik and

. The suburbs of Karakaj and Čelopek were places of prisons where hundreds of local Bosniaks were killed. The remaining Bosniaks and non-Serbs were relegated to

concentration camp Internment is the imprisonment of people, commonly in large groups, without charges or intent to file charges. The term is especially used for the confinement "of enemy citizens in wartime or of terrorism suspects". Thus, while it can simply ...

s and detention facilities throughout the area. During the war Serb forces destroyed mosques in and around the city. File:Kula grad Zvornik 210 (63).jpg, Zvornik Fortress File:Stećci Zvornik.jpg, Photograph of Stećci in Zvornik File:Durch Bosnien und die Herzegovina kreuz und quer; Wanderungen (1897) (14779343384).jpg, Zvornik in 1897 File:DD-SD-00-00561.JPEG, Local policemen and US military personnel on their way to check a post-Dayton resettlement effort

Settlements

Aside from the city proper area of Zvornik, the municipality comprises the following settlements: * Androvići *

Baljkovica Baljkovica is a village in the municipalities of Zvornik (Republika Srpska) and Sapna Sapna is a town and municipality located in Tuzla Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. History People have ...

* Baljkovica Donja * Boškovići * Buložani * Čelopek * Cer *

Divič Divič is a village by the city of Zvornik, Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is located on the Drina River, by an artificial lake created to form a reservoir for the HPP Zvornik hydro-electric power plant. The Drina River and the lake are a natural a ...

* Donja Pilica * Donji Lokanj *

Drinjača Drinjača (Serbian Cyrillic: Дрињача) is a left tributary of the Drina in eastern Bosnia and Herzegovina. It rises on the mountain of Konjuh (1,326 m) 15 km northeast of Kladanj at an elevation of about 1,000 m and ends after 87.5 ...

* Dugi Dio * Đevanje * Đulići * Glodi * Glumina *

Goduš Goduš is a village in the municipality of Sapna, Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the cross ...

* Gornja Pilica * Gornji Lokanj * Grbavci Donji * Grbavci Gornji * Gušteri * Jardan * Jasenica * Jusići *

Kamenica Donja Kamenica (Cyrillic script, Cyrillic: Каменица, also spelled as ''Kamenitsa'', from the word ''kamen'' – "stone" and the suffix ''-ica'') is a Slavic peoples, Slavic toponym that may refer to: Albania * Kamenica Tumulus (''Tuma e Kamen ...

Kamenica Gornja Kamenica (Cyrillic: Каменица, also spelled as ''Kamenitsa'', from the word ''kamen'' – "stone" and the suffix ''-ica'') is a Slavic toponym that may refer to: Albania * Kamenica Tumulus (''Tuma e Kamenicës''), a neolithic tumulus c ...

Kiseljak Kiseljak (Кисељак) is a town and municipality located in Central Bosnia Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It lies in the valley of the Fojnica River, the Lepenica and the Kreševka ...

* Kitovnice * Klisa * Kostijerevo *

Kozluk Kozluk ( ku, Hezzo) is a district of Batman Province, Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolian Peninsula in ...

* Kraljevići * Križevići * Kučić Kula * Kula Grad * Liješanj * Liplje * Malešići * Marčići * Međeđa * Mehmedići *

Nezuk Nezuk is a village in the municipality of Sapna, Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossr ...

* Novo Selo * Pađine * Paljevići * Petkovci * Potočani *

Rastošnica Rastošnica is a village in the municipality of Sapna, Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the ...

* Roćević * Rožanj *

Sapna Sapna is a town and municipality located in Tuzla Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. History People have lived in the Sapna region since the earliest days. In the Middle Ages, Sapna was an i ...

* Skočić *

Snagovo Snagovo ( sr-cyrl, Снагово) is a mountain village in the municipality of Zvornik, Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is divided into Gornje Snagovo (''Upper Snagovo'') and Donje Snagovo (''Lower Snagovo''). Bosnian War Snagovo was among the hardest ...

Snagovo Donje Snagovo ( sr-cyrl, Снагово) is a mountain village in the municipality of Zvornik, Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is divided into Gornje Snagovo (''Upper Snagovo'') and Donje Snagovo (''Lower Snagovo''). Bosnian War Snagovo was among the hardest ...

* Snagovo Gornje * Sopotnik * Šepak Donji * Šepak Gornji * Šetići * Tabanci * Trnovica *

Tršić Tršić (Serbian Cyrillic: Тршић, ) is a village in the municipality of Loznica, located in the Mačva region of Serbia. It is the birthplace of Serbian linguist and language reformer, Vuk Stefanović Karadžić. Most houses in the area are ...

* Ugljari * Vitinica * Vrela * Zaseok * Zelinje Zvornikbypopulation

Demographics

Population

Ethnic composition

Economy

The table shows the number of registered people employed in legal entities by their core activity in 2018:

Culture

The Cultural Summer of Zvornik (Zvorničko kulturno ljeto) is an annual event held in the first week of August, usually for six days. Its main objective is to become a traditional cultural event which will open the doors of Zvornik for recognized cultural values. The festival was first held in August 2001 as a local event and has grown to be one of to biggest festivals in the

Balkans The Balkans ( ), also known as the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throughout the who ...

. In 2007, famous singers such as

Neda Ukraden Neda Ukraden ( sr-Cyrl, Неда Украден; born 16 August 1950) is a Serbs of Croatia, Serbian-Croatian singer. Her professional career stretches back to 1967. Personal life Ukraden was born in Glavina Donja, a village near the small Socia ...

and

Sandi Cenov Sandokan "Sandi" Cenov (born 17 July 1968), also known simply as Sandi, is Croatian pop singer who was popular in the 1990s. His first album was released in 1992. In the 2005 elections for Zagreb City Assembly he was one of the candidates on t ...

participated, but in 2008 theis festival featured some of the most notable stars from former

Yugoslavia Yugoslavia (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Jugoslavija, Југославија ; sl, Jugoslavija ; mk, Југославија ;; rup, Iugoslavia; hu, Jugoszlávia; rue, label=Pannonian Rusyn, Югославия, translit=Juhoslavija ...

, like

Željko Joksimović Željko Joksimović ( sr-Cyrl, Жељко Јоксимовић, ; born 20 April 1972) is a Serbian vocalist, composer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer. He plays 12 different musical instruments including accordion, piano, guitar ...

Hari Mata Hari Hari Mata Hari is a Bosnian pop band. Hari Mata Hari is the stage name for the singer Hari Varešanović. The group originated from the city of Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The group has performed over 1,000 concerts and sol ...

, Van Gogh and Marinko Rokvić. There is also a

regatta Boat racing is a sport in which boats, or other types of watercraft, race on water. Boat racing powered by oars is recorded as having occurred in ancient Egypt, and it is likely that people have engaged in races involving boats and other wate ...

on the river

, a fun marathon and many cultural events and competitions during day and night.

International co-operation

Zvornik is twinned with: *

Sremska Mitrovica Sremska Mitrovica (; sr-Cyrl, Сремска Митровица, hu, Szávaszentdemeter, la, Sirmium) is a city and the administrative center of the Srem District in the autonomous province of Vojvodina, Serbia. It is situated on the left bank ...

Other friendships and cooperations, protocols, memorandums: *

Kolchugino Kolchugino (russian: Кольчугино) is the name of several inhabited localities in Russia. Modern localities ;Urban localities *Kolchugino, Vladimir Oblast, a town in Kolchuginsky District of Vladimir Oblast ;Rural localities * Kolchugino ...

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...

Sport

The local

football club A football team is a group of players selected to play together in the various team sports known as football. Such teams could be selected to play in a match against an opposing team, to represent a football club, group, state or nation, an all- ...

FK Drina Zvornik Fudbalski klub Drina Zvornik (Serbian Cyrillic: Фудбалски клуб Дрина Зворник) is a professional association football club from the city of Zvornik that is situated Bosnia and Herzegovina. The club competes in the First L ...

and ŽFK Drina Zvornik, play in the

First League of the Republika Srpska The First League of the Republika Srpska ( sh, Prva liga Republike Srpske / ) is a second level football competition in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The league champion is promoted to the Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Relegated teams, de ...

.First league of RS 2017/18
/ref> Members of the First league of Republika Srpska also are volleyball and handball clubs Zvornik.

Notable people

Seka Aleksić Svetlana Piljikić (; ; born 23 April 1981), better known as Seka Aleksić, is a Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bosnian-born Serbian singer. Born in Zvornik and raised near Šabac, she rose to prominence in 2002 with her debut album ''Idealno tvoja''. ...

, singer *

Ermin Bičakčić Ermin Bičakčić (; born 24 January 1990) is a Bosnian professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Bundesliga club 1899 Hoffenheim and the Bosnia and Herzegovina national team. Bičakčić started his professional career at VfB St ...

, footballer * Rade Đokić, footballer *

Amer Hrustanović Amer Hrustanović (born 11 June 1988) is an amateur Austrian Greco-Roman wrestler, who competes in the men's light heavyweight category. He holds both Austrian and Bosnian citizenship in order to compete internationally in wrestling, including ...

, sports wrestler, European medallist * Said Husejinović, footballer * Goran Ikonić, basketball player *

Zlatko Junuzović Zlatko Junuzović (, ; born 26 September 1987) is an Austrian former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. From 2006 to 2017 he represented the Austria national football team. He was known as a free-kick specialist. Early life Ju ...

, Austrian footballer *

Samir Muratović Samir Muratović (born 25 February 1976) is a Bosnian retired professional footballer. After finishing his playing career, Muratović spent more than two years as head scout of Austrian Bundesliga club Sturm Graz from July 2017 to September 201 ...

, footballer * Nada Obrić, singer * Denis Omerbegović, footballer *

Borisav Pisić Borisav Pisić–Piske (31 January 1949 – 21 April 2015)

, athlete *

Sejad Salihović Sejad Salihović (; born 8 October 1984) is a Bosnian professional footballer who plays for 1899 Hoffenheim II. He spent most of his career playing for 1899 Hoffenheim in the German Bundesliga. He also played for Hertha BSC, Beijing Renhe, St. ...

, footballer

References

* Official results from the book: Ethnic composition of Bosnia-Herzegovina population, by municipalities and settlements, 1991. census, Zavod za statistiku Bosne i Hercegovine - Bilten no.234, Sarajevo 1991.

External links

Official website

Drinariver.com

Zvornik Travel Guide - android aplikacija
{{coord, 44, 23, 3, N, 19, 6, 9, E, region:BA_type:city, display=title Populated places in Zvornik Municipalities of Republika Srpska 1410 establishments in Europe Populated places established in the 1410s