Baljci
Encyclopedia
Baljci is a small village in the Dalmatia
n hinterland, southeast of Knin
in the Šibenik-Knin County
. Baljci lies underneath the Svilaja
mountain and near the source of the river Čikola
.
. But since Operation Storm
the village of Baljci is uninhabited, with its former residents and their descendants scattered all over the world, with significant concentrations in Šid
(Serbia
), Oxford
(United Kingdom
), Hagen
(Germany
), as well as some in the USA and Australia.
Before war broke out, Baljci was a typical village with almost all the residents identifying themselves as Serbs, and as such every summer on the 7th of July the village Slava took place. As according to the Orthodox calendar the 7th of July is Ivanjdan, the day on which Orthodox Serbs celebrate the birth of John the Baptist.
The village was home to a Greek Catholic church of the Eparchy of Križevci
. The church was burnt down by Chetnik forces in 1942.
Dalmatia
Dalmatia is a historical region on the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea. It stretches from the island of Rab in the northwest to the Bay of Kotor in the southeast. The hinterland, the Dalmatian Zagora, ranges from fifty kilometers in width in the north to just a few kilometers in the south....
n hinterland, southeast of Knin
Knin
Knin is a historical town in the Šibenik-Knin county of Croatia, located near the source of the river Krka at , in the Dalmatian hinterland, on the railroad Zagreb–Split. Knin rose to prominence twice in history, as a one-time capital of both the Kingdom of Croatia and briefly of the...
in the Šibenik-Knin County
Šibenik-Knin County
Šibenik-Knin County is a county in Croatia, located in north-central Dalmatia. Its center is Šibenik; other notable towns are Knin, Drniš and Skradin....
. Baljci lies underneath the Svilaja
Svilaja
Svilaja is a mountain range in Croatia, located in inland of Dalmatian Zagora.It belongs to Dinaric Alps, and it stretches from the town of Sinj northwest to the Petrovo field, approximate 30 km in length....
mountain and near the source of the river Čikola
Čikola
Čikola is a river of 47.8 km in length, located in Dalmatia, southern Croatia.Čikola river's springs is near the village Čavoglave, flows through the city of Drniš and then flows near village of Miljevci into the river of Krka which flows into Adriatic Sea.-See also:*Krka*Krka National Park...
.
History
The population of the municipality was 470 in 1991, with 96.38% declaring themselves SerbsSerbs
The Serbs are a South Slavic ethnic group of the Balkans and southern Central Europe. Serbs are located mainly in Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and form a sizable minority in Croatia, the Republic of Macedonia and Slovenia. Likewise, Serbs are an officially recognized minority in...
. But since Operation Storm
Operation Storm
Operation Storm is the code name given to a large-scale military operation carried out by Croatian Armed Forces, in conjunction with the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, to gain back control of parts of Croatia which had been claimed by separatist ethnic Serbs, since early...
the village of Baljci is uninhabited, with its former residents and their descendants scattered all over the world, with significant concentrations in Šid
Šid
Šid is a town and municipality in the Srem District of Vojvodina, Serbia. Šid town has a population of 16,301, and Šid municipality 38,921.-Name:...
(Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
), Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
(United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
), Hagen
Hagen
Hagen is the 39th-largest city in Germany, located in the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It is located on the eastern edge of the Ruhr area, 15 km south of Dortmund, where the rivers Lenne, Volme and Ennepe meet the river Ruhr...
(Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
), as well as some in the USA and Australia.
Before war broke out, Baljci was a typical village with almost all the residents identifying themselves as Serbs, and as such every summer on the 7th of July the village Slava took place. As according to the Orthodox calendar the 7th of July is Ivanjdan, the day on which Orthodox Serbs celebrate the birth of John the Baptist.
The village was home to a Greek Catholic church of the Eparchy of Križevci
Eparchy of Križevci
The Eparchy of Križevci, sometimes referred to as the Croatian Greek Catholic Church or the Croatian Byzantine Catholic Church, is a recognized sui iuris Catholic Church listed in the Annuario Pontificio among the Eastern Catholic Churches of Constantinopolitan or Byzantine tradition as the Church...
. The church was burnt down by Chetnik forces in 1942.