Lešnica
Encyclopedia
Lešnica is a village
in western Serbia
. It is located in the municipality of Loznica, in the Mačva District
. Lešnica's current population is 4,731 (2002 census).
, with records dating back to the 10th century AD. It is one of a few old settlements there which was not based on a Roman
dwelling, but was started by Serbs
.
River and between the towns of Šabac
and Loznica. The Jadar River also runs through Lešnica. The rivers provide ample fishing
opportunities, being rich with carp
, barbel, stuka, and zelenjara. The opposite end of the village is bordered by the Vidojevica Mountain, which is relatively low (approx. 190 m (623 ft) above sea level
), but its oak
and beech
forests provide picturesque
beauty. Pheasant
hunting is popular, and the hunters' club of the same name maintains the animal populations diligently.
center to the surrounding village
s, and the main street is part of the route from Belgrade
to Sarajevo
. On Saturday mornings there is a market
behind the fire house, where everything can be bought, from farm
cheese
, eggs
, and livestock
, to clothing
, tool
s, electronics
and Nike
shoes. This is not the only opportunity to shop in Lešnica. There are butcher
ies, grocery shops, fishmongers, bakeries, and many other shops. The bakeries of the village (of which there are many) have a reputation for their excellent pastries, probably a result of the competition between them.
wooded park
, and many shops, of which the barber shop in the main street is the oldest. In fact, it is the oldest in the country, where the same family of barbers have worked for generations. Across the road from the park and diagonally from the school is the beautiful 19th century church of St. Peter and Paul. The church was partially destroyed by the Nazis
during their occupation, but was rebuilt to provide a spiritual home for the villagers and a magnificent floodlit vista at night. The other side of the park is the location of a late 19th century manor
built by the Pejić family, who were the landlord
s of the settlement. It belongs to the descendants of the family, but sadly, it lies almost in ruin, as it has not been in use since the 1950s, when it was used as school after being confiscated by Communist rulers. There has been recent interest in reviving this once grand building.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
in western 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...
. It is located in the municipality of Loznica, in the Mačva District
Macva District
Mačva District is a district of Serbia. The District expands in the western parts of Serbia, in the geographical regions of Mačva, Podrinje, Posavina, and Pocerina. It has a population of 297,778 people...
. Lešnica's current population is 4,731 (2002 census).
History
The village is one of the oldest in SerbiaSerbia
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...
, with records dating back to the 10th century AD. It is one of a few old settlements there which was not based on a Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
dwelling, but was started by Serbs
Serbs
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...
.
Geography and features
Lešnica is located on the DrinaDrina
The Drina is a 346 kilometer long river, which forms most 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 which belongs to the Danube river watershed...
River and between the towns of Šabac
Šabac
Šabac is a city and municipality in western Serbia, along the Sava river, in the historic region of Mačva. It is the administrative center of the Mačva District. The city has a population of 52,822 , while population of the municipality is 115,347...
and Loznica. The Jadar River also runs through Lešnica. The rivers provide ample fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
opportunities, being rich with carp
Carp
Carp are various species of oily freshwater fish of the family Cyprinidae, a very large group of fish native to Europe and Asia. The cypriniformes are traditionally grouped with the Characiformes, Siluriformes and Gymnotiformes to create the superorder Ostariophysi, since these groups have certain...
, barbel, stuka, and zelenjara. The opposite end of the village is bordered by the Vidojevica Mountain, which is relatively low (approx. 190 m (623 ft) above sea level
Above mean sea level
The term above mean sea level refers to the elevation or altitude of any object, relative to the average sea level datum. AMSL is used extensively in radio by engineers to determine the coverage area a station will be able to reach...
), but its oak
Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
and beech
Beech
Beech is a genus of ten species of deciduous trees in the family Fagaceae, native to temperate Europe, Asia and North America.-Habit:...
forests provide picturesque
Picturesque
Picturesque is an aesthetic ideal introduced into English cultural debate in 1782 by William Gilpin in Observations on the River Wye, and Several Parts of South Wales, etc. Relative Chiefly to Picturesque Beauty; made in the Summer of the Year 1770, a practical book which instructed England's...
beauty. Pheasant
Pheasant
Pheasants refer to some members of the Phasianinae subfamily of Phasianidae in the order Galliformes.Pheasants are characterised by strong sexual dimorphism, males being highly ornate with bright colours and adornments such as wattles and long tails. Males are usually larger than females and have...
hunting is popular, and the hunters' club of the same name maintains the animal populations diligently.
Economy
The village is an economic and businessBusiness
A business is an organization engaged in the trade of goods, services, or both to consumers. Businesses are predominant in capitalist economies, where most of them are privately owned and administered to earn profit to increase the wealth of their owners. Businesses may also be not-for-profit...
center to the surrounding village
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
s, and the main street is part of the route from Belgrade
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
to Sarajevo
Sarajevo
Sarajevo |Bosnia]], surrounded by the Dinaric Alps and situated along the Miljacka River in the heart of Southeastern Europe and the Balkans....
. On Saturday mornings there is a market
Market
A market is one of many varieties of systems, institutions, procedures, social relations and infrastructures whereby parties engage in exchange. While parties may exchange goods and services by barter, most markets rely on sellers offering their goods or services in exchange for money from buyers...
behind the fire house, where everything can be bought, from farm
Farm
A farm is an area of land, or, for aquaculture, lake, river or sea, including various structures, devoted primarily to the practice of producing and managing food , fibres and, increasingly, fuel. It is the basic production facility in food production. Farms may be owned and operated by a single...
cheese
Cheese
Cheese is a generic term for a diverse group of milk-based food products. Cheese is produced throughout the world in wide-ranging flavors, textures, and forms....
, eggs
Egg (food)
Eggs are laid by females of many different species, including birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish, and have probably been eaten by mankind for millennia. Bird and reptile eggs consist of a protective eggshell, albumen , and vitellus , contained within various thin membranes...
, and livestock
Livestock
Livestock refers to one or more domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to produce commodities such as food, fiber and labor. The term "livestock" as used in this article does not include poultry or farmed fish; however the inclusion of these, especially poultry, within the meaning...
, to clothing
Clothing
Clothing refers to any covering for the human body that is worn. The wearing of clothing is exclusively a human characteristic and is a feature of nearly all human societies...
, tool
Tool
A tool is a device that can be used to produce an item or achieve a task, but that is not consumed in the process. Informally the word is also used to describe a procedure or process with a specific purpose. Tools that are used in particular fields or activities may have different designations such...
s, electronics
Electronics
Electronics is the branch of science, engineering and technology that deals with electrical circuits involving active electrical components such as vacuum tubes, transistors, diodes and integrated circuits, and associated passive interconnection technologies...
and Nike
Nike, Inc.
Nike, Inc. is a major publicly traded sportswear and equipment supplier based in the United States. The company is headquartered near Beaverton, Oregon, which is part of the Portland metropolitan area...
shoes. This is not the only opportunity to shop in Lešnica. There are butcher
Butcher
A butcher is a person who may slaughter animals, dress their flesh, sell their meat or any combination of these three tasks. They may prepare standard cuts of meat, poultry, fish and shellfish for sale in retail or wholesale food establishments...
ies, grocery shops, fishmongers, bakeries, and many other shops. The bakeries of the village (of which there are many) have a reputation for their excellent pastries, probably a result of the competition between them.
Village center
There is an eighth grade primary school (Petar Tasić), a chestnutChestnut
Chestnut , some species called chinkapin or chinquapin, is a genus of eight or nine species of deciduous trees and shrubs in the beech family Fagaceae, native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. The name also refers to the edible nuts they produce.-Species:The chestnut belongs to the...
wooded park
Park
A park is a protected area, in its natural or semi-natural state, or planted, and set aside for human recreation and enjoyment, or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. It may consist of rocks, soil, water, flora and fauna and grass areas. Many parks are legally protected by...
, and many shops, of which the barber shop in the main street is the oldest. In fact, it is the oldest in the country, where the same family of barbers have worked for generations. Across the road from the park and diagonally from the school is the beautiful 19th century church of St. Peter and Paul. The church was partially destroyed by the Nazis
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
during their occupation, but was rebuilt to provide a spiritual home for the villagers and a magnificent floodlit vista at night. The other side of the park is the location of a late 19th century manor
Manor house
A manor house is a country house that historically formed the administrative centre of a manor, the lowest unit of territorial organisation in the feudal system in Europe. The term is applied to country houses that belonged to the gentry and other grand stately homes...
built by the Pejić family, who were the landlord
Landlord
A landlord is the owner of a house, apartment, condominium, or real estate which is rented or leased to an individual or business, who is called a tenant . When a juristic person is in this position, the term landlord is used. Other terms include lessor and owner...
s of the settlement. It belongs to the descendants of the family, but sadly, it lies almost in ruin, as it has not been in use since the 1950s, when it was used as school after being confiscated by Communist rulers. There has been recent interest in reviving this once grand building.