Đetinja
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Đetinja ( sr-Cyrl, Ђетиња; ) is a river in western
Serbia , image_flag = Flag of Serbia.svg , national_motto = , image_coat = Coat of arms of Serbia.svg , national_anthem = () , image_map = , map_caption = Location of Serbia (gree ...
, a long natural but shorter headstream of the Zapadna Morava River. The Đetinja river valley serves as a route for the
Belgrade Belgrade is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers and at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin, Pannonian Plain and the Balkan Peninsula. T ...
- Bar railway.


Name

According to the legend which describes how the Đetinja River got its name, the
Ottoman Turks The Ottoman Turks () were a Turkic peoples, Turkic ethnic group in Anatolia. Originally from Central Asia, they migrated to Anatolia in the 13th century and founded the Ottoman Empire, in which they remained socio-politically dominant for the e ...
in the times when they ruled these lands, once punished the local Užican people by taking their children and brutally throwing them into the river. Thus the river was named ''Đetinja rijeka'', which in Užican dialect means ''the children's river''. Later ''rijeka'' (''river'') was just dropped out of the river name, leaving only ''Đetinja'' (meaning ''children's''). However, the name probably originates from the old name Cetina, which meant "Horse river" and even today, one of the streams which form Đetinja is called Konjska reka (Serbian for Horse river).


Zlatibor section

The Đetinja River, as the Matijaševića reka, originates from the southeastern slopes of the Tara mountain, in western Serbia, near the field of Pusto polje. From the source to its mouth, the river flows in the eastern direction. First, it runs through the small Kremna depression, between the Tara and Zlatibor mountains, following the northern border of Mt. Zlatibor. At Kremna, five streams flow into the one river, forming Đetinja: Matijaševića reka, Konjska reka, Bratešina, Užički potok and Tomića potok.


Užice section


Đetinja Gorge

Đetinja carved a gorge, long and deep. At the village of Vrutci, the river is dammed in 1986, creating an artificial Lake Vrutci. The reservoir was supposed to solve the chronic water problems of the fast-growing town of
Užice Užice ( sr-cyr, Ужице, ) is a List of cities in Serbia, city and the administrative centre of the Zlatibor District in western Serbia. It is located on the banks of the river Đetinja. According to the 2022 census, the city proper has a popu ...
and its industry (in 1961–91, the city population grew by 266%, from 20,060 to 53,310). From the south, Đetinja receives the right tributary of Sušica, coming from the central parts of Zlatibor, and enters the Užice valley. The gorge is known for numerous caves,
sinkhole A sinkhole is a depression or hole in the ground caused by some form of collapse of the surface layer. The term is sometimes used to refer to doline, enclosed depressions that are also known as shakeholes, and to openings where surface water ...
s and cliffs. There are two large caves in this section. One, Megara, is situated in the gorge and the other is Potpećka cave, downstream from Užice. Several hot springs are also located in the gorge, which is also known for its wildlife, including some of the rare and
endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...
plant species. Also, it is one of the areas in Serbia with the most abundant number of different butterfly species. Out of 192 recorded butterfly species in Serbia, 110 can be found in the Đetinja Gorge. The river itself is inhabited by the various fish species ( European chub, common barbel, gudgeon, common nase), but also by the
Eurasian otter The Eurasian otter (''Lutra lutra''), also known as the European otter, Eurasian river otter, European river otter, common otter, and Old World otter, is a semiaquatic mammal native to Eurasia and the Maghreb. The most widely distributed member o ...
. Birds include
peregrine falcon The peregrine falcon (''Falco peregrinus''), also known simply as the peregrine, is a Cosmopolitan distribution, cosmopolitan bird of prey (raptor) in the family (biology), family Falconidae renowned for its speed. A large, Corvus (genus), cro ...
, northern goshawk,
Eurasian sparrowhawk The Eurasian sparrowhawk (''Accipiter nisus''), also known as the northern sparrowhawk or simply the sparrowhawk, is a small bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. Adult male Eurasian sparrowhawks have bluish grey upperparts and orange-barred ...
, short-toed snake eagle and numerous
passerine A passerine () is any bird of the order Passeriformes (; from Latin 'sparrow' and '-shaped') which includes more than half of all bird species. Sometimes known as perching birds, passerines generally have an anisodactyl arrangement of their ...
birds. Among the mammals present in the gorge there are
wild boar The wild boar (''Sus scrofa''), also known as the wild swine, common wild pig, Eurasian wild pig, or simply wild pig, is a Suidae, suid native to much of Eurasia and North Africa, and has been introduced to the Americas and Oceania. The speci ...
, roe deer and fox. Concerning plants, 24 species found in the area are internationally listed as "important", while 6 are rarities. Wildlife blossomed since the 1970s, when the railway tracks were dismantled. Remains of the several settlements dating from the periods of the earliest development of the civilization are found in the gorge and around it. There are two major finds. The ''Staparska Gradina'', near the Stapari village, is away from Užice. It was thoroughly explored in the late 1950s when the three levels of human habitation were discovered. The lowest and oldest is dated into the
Neolithic The Neolithic or New Stone Age (from Ancient Greek, Greek 'new' and 'stone') is an archaeological period, the final division of the Stone Age in Mesopotamia, Asia, Europe and Africa (c. 10,000 BCE to c. 2,000 BCE). It saw the Neolithic Revo ...
. The middle level corresponds to the
Vinča Vinča ( sr-cyr, Винча, ) is a List of Belgrade neighborhoods, suburban settlement of Belgrade, Serbia. It is part of the municipality of Grocka. Vinča-Belo Brdo, an important archaeological site that gives its name to the Neolithic Vinča c ...
- Pločnik culture and the third one belongs to the
Bronze Age The Bronze Age () was a historical period characterised principally by the use of bronze tools and the development of complex urban societies, as well as the adoption of writing in some areas. The Bronze Age is the middle principal period of ...
. The dugouts were discovered in the oldest levels, but also the above-ground dwelling objects from the later periods. The artifacts are exhibited in the National Museum in Užice. The other find is the ''Rimsko groblje'' (" Roman cemetery"). It hasn't been explored as much as the ''Staparska Gradina'' was, but the remnants of the large, above-ground and regularly shaped stone plates. In 2015 locals build a public drinking fountain at the site. In January 2019 plans were announced for the construction of the replica of the Neolithic settlement at Staparska Gradina. The settlement will include dug outs,
stilt house Stilt houses (also called pile dwellings or lake dwellings) are houses raised on Stilts (architecture), stilts (or piles) over the surface of the soil or a body of water. Stilt houses are built primarily as a protection against flooding; they als ...
s, artisan workshops, etc., and should be finished by the end of 2019. Deadline was then moved to May 2020. Archaeological park "Stapark" was opened on 30 July 2022. Undeveloped Staparska Banja ("Stapari Spa") with several thermal springs is also located in the gorge. In 2017 a pedestrian and bicycle path was built which reached the spa. Though two pools were constructed and there are swimmers, the spa is basically a
mudflat Mudflats or mud flats, also known as tidal flats or, in Ireland, slob or slobs, are coastal wetlands that form in intertidal areas where sediments have been deposited by tides or rivers. A global analysis published in 2019 suggested that tidal ...
. Thermal waters, with the temperature of help with the
rheumatism Rheumatism or rheumatic disorders are conditions causing chronic, often intermittent pain affecting the joints or connective tissue. Rheumatism does not designate any specific disorder, but covers at least 200 different conditions, including a ...
and skin diseases. Along the new path, which follows the route of the former railroad, there are additional, old pathways, dating from the Ottoman period. In July 2017 volunteers organized and cleaned those old paths, removed the overgrowth and made of old paths accessible for the pedestrians. The path now starts at the Užice city beach and curves through the natural environment for to Staparska Banja. In September 2017, as the first greenway in Serbia, it received the 2nd prize at the 8th European Greenways Awards. A ridable miniature railway was organized in 2018. It goes through the gorge, using the revitalized path. The route is long and connects Užice and Staparska Banja. The thermal springs were used in Roman times. A project on revitalizing the spa and its surroundings was drafted in 2018. Since the summer of 2020, the kayaking on the river is allowed. It is organized in the section from the gorge's exit to the dam before Užice.


Užice Fortress

In Užice, Đetinja runs near the remnants of an early mediaeval fortress of Užički Grad located on a steep hill surrounded by deep river canyon-like gorge. The fort originates from the 14th century. The ruins were partially revitalized in the mid-1980s and the next reconstruction, basically a continuation of the 1980s works, ensued in August 2017. For now, the reconstruction of the upper town, middle town and water tower is planned. Part will be conserved and part will be repaired. A possible modernization of the feature, which would include the bridge which would connect the fortress with the Zlatibor road, cable car, museum, hotel, etc., was also considered by the city administration. When Ottoman traveler
Evliya Çelebi Dervish Mehmed Zillî (25 March 1611 – 1682), known as Evliya Çelebi (), was an Ottoman Empire, Ottoman explorer who travelled through his home country during its cultural zenith as well as neighboring lands. He travelled for over 40 years, rec ...
visited the area in 1664, he described the fortress "being on the high cliff, like the town of Tokat", adding that "you can't approach it with a military charge as it is under the peak of the abysmal hill on one side, while on the three sides it is surrounded by the river Đetinja, wavy and loud." He also noted that at the time there were over 100 watermills on the river, and six bridges in the Užice area, three wooden and three made of stone. In May 2019 it was confirmed that the pedestrian bridge across the Đetinja to the fortress will be built. The fortress itself will be reconstructed and partially rebuilt based on the detailed Austrian plans from 1737. The tower, citadel at the top and the
casemate A casemate is a fortified gun emplacement or armoured structure from which guns are fired, in a fortification, warship, or armoured fighting vehicle.Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary When referring to antiquity, the term "casemate wall" ...
will be completely rebuilt. In 1628, the Kasapčić Bridge was built in to connect Užice's neighborhood of Megdan with the leather tanning facilities on the right side of the river. It was built by Mehmed-beg Kasapčić, hence the name. With five arches, the long and wide bridge made of dressed
tufa Tufa is a variety of limestone formed when carbonate minerals precipitation (chemistry), precipitate out of water in ambient temperature, unheated rivers or lakes. hot spring, Geothermally heated hot springs sometimes produce similar (but less ...
, it resembled the famed Mehmed Paša Sokolović Bridge across the
Drina The Drina ( sr-Cyrl, Дрина, ) is a long river in the Balkans, 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 Al ...
, built half a century before. Poet Cari Çelebi wrote a poem dedicate to Mehmed-beg Kasapčić, and the rhymes were engraved on the table which was placed on the bridge. The bridge was mined and demolished by the retreating occupational German army in 1944. At 2017 and 2021 meetings of the Turkish diplomats in Serbia with the Užice administration, the reconstruction of the bridge was announced. City administration stated that the conceptual design for the bridge, little bit shorter than the demolished one, already exists.


Dams

There is also a small hydroelectrical power plant on the Đetinja in Užice, the oldest one in Serbia and Balkan, second oldest in Europe and third oldest in world after Niagara in
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
, built in 1899 and still being in use, but the large hydroelectrical potential of the river is not being used enough.


City beach

Near the Užice city centre, Đetinja is dammed to create a public swimming area, called City Beach (''Gradska plaža''). Local administration accepted the proposition of the local Friends of the Children Society in April 1959, and the beach was opened by the mayor Rajko Ječmenica on 7 August 1960. Engineers Miladin Pećinar and Vojimir Bojović designed and constructed the dam, respectively. The lake covers and flooded or replaced old swimming locations along the river: Lekin Vir, Kod Debele Vrbe, Kod Četvrte Stene, Plavi Jadran, Pod Bukom, Žuljin Vir, Jaz, Dragova and Fikarova Plaža. Popular for decades, by the 2020s the number of visitors dwindled almost completely. In the upstream Užice's neighborhood of Turica wastewater was poured directly into the river, polluting the water, so occasionally the swimming is forbidden. Due to the changed technologies in the upstream hydroelectric power plants, they massively dump cold water into the Đetinja, so the water on the beach remains too cold for swimming. Also, several swimming pools, both indoor and outdoor, were opened in the city. The Đetinja continues through the highly industrialized Užice's suburb of Sevojno and the villages of Gorjani and Potpeće.


Požega section

The river continues on the northern slopes of the Blagaja mountain and the villages of Uzići, Rupeljevo and Rasna and enters the low Tašti field, located between the Blagaja, Krstac and Crnokosa mountains, west of the town of Požega. In the field, the Đetinja receives from the left its main tributary, the Skrapež River, but less than a kilometer after the confluence, it meets the Golijska Moravica River from the south, creating the Zapadna Morava. Since the proximity of the confluences of Đetinja, Skrapež and Golijska Moravica, some sources consider all three rivers to be direct headstreams of the Zapadna Morava. Following the direction of the course, the Đetinja is a natural headstream of the Zapadna Morava, but since Golijska Moravica is 23 kilometres longer, the latter is usually considered as the main headstream. The Đetinja's drainage area covers , it belongs to the
Black Sea The Black Sea is a marginal sea, marginal Mediterranean sea (oceanography), mediterranean sea lying between Europe and Asia, east of the Balkans, south of the East European Plain, west of the Caucasus, and north of Anatolia. It is bound ...
drainage basin A drainage basin is an area of land in which all flowing surface water converges to a single point, such as a river mouth, or flows into another body of water, such as a lake or ocean. A basin is separated from adjacent basins by a perimeter, ...
. The river is not navigable.


Hydroelectricity

There are two small hydroelectrical power plants on the Đetinja. One is named “Pod Gradom” (“Suburban”) and is the oldest one in Serbia and on the
Balkans The Balkans ( , ), corresponding partially with 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 throug ...
, second oldest in Europe and third oldest in the world after Niagara in
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
and was also designed according to
Nikola Tesla Nikola Tesla (;"Tesla"
. ''Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary''.
; 10 July 1856 – 7 ...
's principles. Built only 4 years after Niagara, it was constructed by physicist , a friend of Tesla, and avid advocate of replacement of the gas light with the electric one. Decision to construct the power plant was adopted on 28 March 1899 by the shareholders of the local Weaving Workshop. The foundation stone was laid in June 1899 by King Alexander I Obrenović. The king used a specially made brass hammer, which is today part of the exhibition. The project was drafted by the engineer Aćim Stevović, while the builder was Josif Granžan, a contractor from
Niš Niš (; sr-Cyrl, Ниш, ; names of European cities in different languages (M–P)#N, names in other languages), less often spelled in English as Nish, is the list of cities in Serbia, third largest city in Serbia and the administrative cente ...
. It became operational on Saint
Elijah Elijah ( ) or Elias was a prophet and miracle worker who lived in the northern kingdom of Israel during the reign of King Ahab (9th century BC), according to the Books of Kings in the Hebrew Bible. In 1 Kings 18, Elijah defended the worsh ...
’s Day, 2 August 1900, and is still occasionally in use, using the original
Siemens Siemens AG ( ) is a German multinational technology conglomerate. It is focused on industrial automation, building automation, rail transport and health technology. Siemens is the largest engineering company in Europe, and holds the positi ...
engines from 1900 which were repaired in 2000. It was an enterprise of a group of Užice's industrialist, which decided to introduce the electricity in order to bust the production and lower the costs. However, the project was quite expensive. Purchase of the equipment, construction of the plant and the city grid cost 215,000 dinars in silver. The equipment was shipped by train from
Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...
to
Kragujevac Kragujevac ( sr-Cyrl, Крагујевац, ) is the List of cities in Serbia, fourth largest city in Serbia and the administrative centre of the Šumadija District. It is the historical centre of the geographical region of Šumadija in central Se ...
, and then by carts through the muddy roads to Užice. The half-automatized plant produces 40 to 60 kW. There was some opposition among the local population, both unfamiliar with and afraid of the electricity. Local stories were saying that the "contraption" is wrongly positioned, that you can't make fire out of the water and how the fire can pass through the wire into the room without setting the house on fire. This changed after the power plant became operational, bringing light to the streets and some of the households, when the inhabitants began to talk about the "light coming out of the river". The hydro plant is turned into the museum of technics and is placed under the state protection. Reconstruction of the facility began in 2017 and is to be finished in 2018. Aggregates, which are considered to be museum exhibits, will be repaired in a way to keep their authenticity. By October 2018 it was evident that the exterior of the building was changed during the reconstruction and there are plans to add another turbine which will "keep the hydro plant constantly in the system of
Elektroprivreda Srbije Elektroprivreda Srbije (abbr. EPS; full legal name: Javno preduzeće ''Elektroprivreda Srbije'' Beograd) is a joint-stock company, joint-stock electric utility power company fully owned by the Government of Serbia, with headquarters in Belgrade, ...
(EPS)". However, the reconstruction turned out to be a controversial from several other reasons than changing the appearance of the building. The EPS had no necessary permits, the museum remained closed for visitors, while the main visual feature of the plant, a small overspill waterfall which symbolically marked the end of the gorge, was extinguished. The ministry of construction ordered the EPS on 7 April 2021 to restore things as they were, but as of April 2023 nothing has been done. The other power plant on Đetinja is “Turica”, operational since 1 January 1929, but the large hydroelectrical potential of the river is not being used enough. It has two turbines obtained from Germany as World War I reparations. It is located upstream from the town's beach and was named after the Užice's neighborhood Turica. It is situated between the
Belgrade–Bar railway The Belgrade–Bar railway ( sr-Cyrl-Latn, Пруга Београд–Бар, Pruga Beograd–Bar) is a long electrified main line connecting the Serbian capital of Belgrade with the town of Bar, Montenegro, Bar, a Port of Bar, major seaport ...
and the surrounding hills. It has two generators of 200 kW each. During the 2017-2018 reconstruction it was updated and revitalized with the new equipment and the process was automatized: outlets, tunnels, pipelines, generators and crane were all revitalized or replaced. Also, the reservoir was cleaned. Altogether, there are three artificial lakes on the Đetinja: Velika brana, Mala brana and Vrutci.


Protection


Gorge

In 2016, the process of placing the gorge under the legal protection began. However, the authorities stalled the declaration of the Đetinja Gorge Outstanding Natural Landscape, so the environmentalist groups organized state wide petition in 2021–2022, an announced possible public protests and gatherings if the gorge remains unprotected. In June 2023, the protection was officially declared by the government. The outstanding natural landscape covers . It includes rich forests of
beech Beech (genus ''Fagus'') is a genus of deciduous trees in the family Fagaceae, native to subtropical (accessory forest element) and temperate (as dominant element of Mesophyte, mesophytic forests) Eurasia and North America. There are 14 accepted ...
,
maple ''Acer'' is a genus of trees and shrubs commonly known as maples. The genus is placed in the soapberry family Sapindaceae.Stevens, P. F. (2001 onwards). Angiosperm Phylogeny Website. Version 9, June 2008 nd more or less continuously updated si ...
and European hop-hornbeam. One of the major ecological threats is the non-sanitary landfill Godovik near Požega. By 2023 it covered , stretching along the Đetinja bank. With every stronger rain, the garbage is being washed into the river. Gradual removal of the landfill began in the summer of 2023.


Lake Vrutci

In 2018, the government placed the area surrounding the Lake Vrutci and the adjoining river course under protection. Three zones of protection were established, covering some , with an aim to keep the land in the lake's watershed nonpolluted. The protected area spreads over the territories of the villages Vrutci,
Bioska Bioska (Serbian Cyrillic: Биоска), is a village located in the Užice, Užice municipality of Serbia on the mountainous banks of Đetinja, Đetinja river and Lake Vrutci, between Zlatibor and Tara mountain, Tara mountains, and close to Užice ...
and Kremna, in the Town of Užice, and Tripkova and Šljivovica, in the Čajetina Municipality. As some villages already developed organic husbandry (goats, poultry), the 2021-20218 plan was devised by the local authorities to massively expand organic agriculture in the protected area. In the hilly areas, the emphasis is on fruits: raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and especially the brandy-varieties of plums (''crvena ranka'', various Čačak varieties). Apples are also included, with development of individual driers and mini distilleries. The production of organic honey is planned, as the melliferous plants are already present in the protected area. Lowlands are selected for the vegetables and grains, including reintroduction of some old varieties: buckwheat, spelt, corn ''osmak'', small white beans, potato ''mesečar'', garlic, onion, cabbage ''Serbian melez'', and medicinal herbs. Husbandry will include Alpine goat, Sjenica's ''pramenka'' sheep, pig ''Moravka'' and Naked Neck chicken.


See also

*
Užice Užice ( sr-cyr, Ужице, ) is a List of cities in Serbia, city and the administrative centre of the Zlatibor District in western Serbia. It is located on the banks of the river Đetinja. According to the 2022 census, the city proper has a popu ...
*
Zlatibor Zlatibor ( sr-cyr, Златибoр ) is a List of mountains of Serbia, mountainous region in western Serbia. Among the most popular places in Serbia for tourism, Zlatibor's main attractions include health tourism, skiing, and hiking and the lo ...
* Požega


References


Sources

* ''Mala Prosvetina Enciklopedija'', Third edition (1985); Prosveta; * Jovan Đ. Marković (1990): ''Enciklopedijski geografski leksikon Jugoslavije''; Svjetlost-Sarajevo;


External links


Nikola Tesla's monument in front of the Hydroelectrical power plant Vrutci at the river Đetinja
{{DEFAULTSORT:Detinja Užice Rivers of Serbia