Berane

In the Middle Ages, the area surrounding Berane was known as Budimlja. It was of great holistic, political, and economic importance in Medieval Serbia. Saint Sava, the first Serbian archbishop, founded one of the first Serbian eparchies here in 1219. The Monastery Đurđevi stupovi was built by the end of the 12th century by Prvoslav, the son of Nemanja's brother Tihomir. Many monasteries and churches tell the story on the rich holistic life of Serbs in this area. There were seven bishops and nine metropolitans.{{when|date=May 2013}} Literary and painting schools existed in this Monastery. Apart from Đurđevi stupovi, the second most important monastery in this area was Šudikovo, which was destroyed and burned by the Turks in 1738. Archbishop's throne was vacant for more than 350 years. However, the Budimlja episcopate, known as the Budimlja-Nikšić eparchy has been restored in 2002 upon the appointment of bishop Joanikije. The area of Berane municipality and its wider neighbourhood, was part of the Medieval Serbian state until 1455, when Turks took the city of Bihor and Budimlja.

During the First Serbian Uprising (1804) and Karađorđe's march to Novi Pazar, the people of this area revolted and met the Serbian dukes Anto Bogićević and Hadži-Prodan Gligorijević. Then, Mojsije Zečević, prior of Đurđevi stupovi, had the leading role among the Orthodox people of Budimlja. He was one of the closest allies of Petar I Petrović-Njegoš and Petar II Petrović-Njegoš, the archbishops and political leaders of Montenegro. Since the First Serbian Uprising until its final liberation, fights against Turks were constant, especially during the second part of the 19th century. Famous battles occurred from 1825, until 1862, but the most important one was Rudes battle on 7 April 1862, in which the Serbian and Montenegrin rebels won. Berane was finally liberated from Turks in 1912 and it was incorporated in Montenegro.

During World War II, there was a civil war in the region between Partisans (communists) and Chetniks (royalists and nationalists). During the communists' reprisals in 1944 and 1945 thousands of people were killed. From July 1949 to March 1992, Berane was known as Ivangrad as a tribute to Ivan Milutinović, and developed as one of the most important industrial centers in Montenegro. However, the city was severely affected by the economic collapse of the Yugoslav state in the late 1980s.{{cite book |last=Morrison |first=Kenneth |title=Montenegro: A Modern History |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xKMtAQAAIAAJ |date=2009 |publisher=I.B. Tauris |isbn=978-1-4416-2897-8 |location=London |pages=158–159}} Although its original name was restored in 1992, the town's economy didn't recover due to the sanctions imposed on Yugoslavia in the 1990s.

{{Unreferenced section|date=January 2023}}

The main impact for the development of culture of this area historically, and up to recent times, came from the Serbian Orthodox Church, or it monasteries in the area: Šudikova, Đurdjevi stupovi and other, as the cornerstones of spirituality of the Serb population. That part is later to a certain extent taken over by schools, and, more and more institutions dealing with culture.

A special role in that process was that of the Berane Gymnasium, founded in 1913. Its classrooms were a home to many prominent artists and scientists in various disciplines such as: Mihailo Lalić, Dušan Kostić, Radovan Zogović, Jovan Zonjić, Mišo Popović, Aleksandar Rafajlović, Luka Radojević and the others. The institutions in Berane that are still working in culture, there are: Cultural Centre (with the library), and Polimski Museum, with a very rich collection of valuable artefacts; and the House of the Duke Gavro Vuković, the first jurist with a university degree, a long term Minister of Foreign Affairs in the Principality of Montenegro, and the writer of famous “Memoirs” has been reconstructed, planned to be used for cultural events. Berane also has a school for primary musical education, and there are also few amateur clubs and societies in various disciplines of artistic creation.

There are 13 elementary schools, four secondary schools and one school for elementary musical education in municipality of Berane. Berane has four institutions of higher education: Faculty of management in transport and communications, Faculty of Teacher-training, Higher Medical School and Applied Computer engineering (study program of Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Podgorica). Berane, as is usually the case with small communities, does not have a specialised scientific institution, but in spite of that fact, many prominent scientists from various scientific disciplines come from here. A remarkable contribution to science was given by, among others, chemist Vukić Mićović, bacteriologist Milutin Đurišić, geographer Milisav Lutovac, and historian Miomir Dašić.

{{Unreferenced section|date=January 2023}}

The municipality of Berane is one of the poorest in Montenegro. The level of industrial production is very low, since a big number of companies have stopped working in the past 15 years due to the known crisis in former Yugoslavia. In the earlier period (1960s and 1970s) many village, agricultural households have moved to the town in the process of “industrialisation”, which decreased agricultural production, and industry later collapsed so most of the population lives in difficult conditions. Many small private companies have been started recently, mostly in the areas of commerce and catering industry. There is a very small number of companies that are creating new value. Workers in those new companies have no insurance or health service, so those companies do not have a bigger positive impact on the community. Total number of employed in the municipality is approximately 3,000. However, industry is starting to come back, a coal mine has started, and new commercial buildings are popping up. More residents are finally appearing.

Berane is connected with rest of Montenegro by two-lane roads. Bijelo Polje is 35 km away, where there lies the major junction (railway and the road) towards Podgorica and the coast, and to Serbia. Serbia can also be reached eastwards via Rožaje (for Novi Pazar). Berane is on the corridor of the future Bar-Boljare motorway. Berane has an airport, which hasn't been used for commercial traffic since the 1980s, although there have been plans for its revitalisation and usage as a regional airport. Podgorica Airport is some {{convert|150|km|mi|abbr=on}} away, and has regular flights to and from major European destinations.

Berane has solid sport infrastructure. The most successful sport collectives are: handball club Berane and table tennis club Budim. There are also football club Berane, basketball club Lim, boxing club Radnički Berane, athletic club, tennis club etc. The Sports Centre consists of many sport objects. City Stadium with capacity of 11,000 people is the second largest stadium in Montenegro. Just next to the stadium, a new modern city hall is under construction.

Berane is administrative centre of Berane Municipality, which in 2023 had a population of 25,162. The town itself had a population of 9,923.{{cite web|title=Preliminary results of the 2023 Census of Population, Households, and Dwellings|url=https://www.monstat.org/eng/page.php?id=1915&pageid=1708|publisher=Monstat|access-date=25 January 2024}}

{{Historical populations

|type =

|footnote =

|1948 | 3,701

|1953 | 4,513

|1961 | 6,969

|1971 | 11,164

|1981 | 12,720

|1991 | 12,267

|2003 | 11,776

|2011 | 11,073

|2023 | 9,923

}}

According to the 2023 census, the municipality of Berane had a population of 24,645,{{cite web |url=https://www.monstat.org/uploads/files/popis%202021/saopstenja/SAOPSTENJE_Popis%20stanovnistva%202023%20II_ENG.pdf |title=Population of Montenegro by National, i.e. Ethnical Affiliation, Religion, Mother Tongue, and Language a Person Usually Speaks |website=monstat.org |date=15 October 2024 |access-date=25 October 2024}} with the following ethnic composition:

{{bar box

| width = 300px

| title = Berane (2023)

| titlebar = #ddd

| bars =

{{bar percent|Serbs|darkblue|59.82}}

{{bar percent|Montenegrins|red|26.57}}

{{bar percent|Bosniaks|green|4.48}}

{{bar percent|Others|gray|9.13}}

}}

{{Weather box

|width = auto

|location = Berane (1961–1990, extremes 1950–present)

|metric first = yes

|single line = yes

|Jan record high C = 18.8

|Feb record high C = 24.1

|Mar record high C = 26.5

|Apr record high C = 31.6

|May record high C = 33.9

|Jun record high C = 35.2

|Jul record high C = 38.4

|Aug record high C = 40.4

|Sep record high C = 36.8

|Oct record high C = 32.3

|Nov record high C = 24.1

|Dec record high C = 20.2

|year record high C = 40.4

|Jan high C = 2.7

|Feb high C = 5.9

|Mar high C = 10.6

|Apr high C = 15.2

|May high C = 20.4

|Jun high C = 23.3

|Jul high C = 25.9

|Aug high C = 26.1

|Sep high C = 22.4

|Oct high C = 17.2

|Nov high C = 10.2

|Dec high C = 3.4

|Jan mean C = -2.0

|Feb mean C = 0.7

|Mar mean C = 4.5

|Apr mean C = 8.7

|May mean C = 13.4

|Jun mean C = 16.4

|Jul mean C = 18.3

|Aug mean C = 17.7

|Sep mean C = 14.0

|Oct mean C = 9.2

|Nov mean C = 4.3

|Dec mean C = -0.5

|Jan low C = -5.9

|Feb low C = -3.9

|Mar low C = -0.9

|Apr low C = 2.7

|May low C = 6.4

|Jun low C = 9.5

|Jul low C = 10.9

|Aug low C = 10.3

|Sep low C = 7.5

|Oct low C = 3.4

|Nov low C = 0.0

|Dec low C = -4.2

|Jan record low C = −28.3

|Feb record low C = −26.0

|Mar record low C = −18.6

|Apr record low C = -9.2

|May record low C = -4.2

|Jun record low C = 0.2

|Jul record low C = 1.2

|Aug record low C = 2.2

|Sep record low C = -6.1

|Oct record low C = -7.7

|Nov record low C = −19.8

|Dec record low C = −22.7

|year record low C = −28.3

|precipitation colour = green

|Jan precipitation mm = 82.7

|Feb precipitation mm = 65.5

|Mar precipitation mm = 63.1

|Apr precipitation mm = 81.9

|May precipitation mm = 70.9

|Jun precipitation mm = 71.6

|Jul precipitation mm = 60.5

|Aug precipitation mm = 60.6

|Sep precipitation mm = 66.3

|Oct precipitation mm = 74.9

|Nov precipitation mm = 114.9

|Dec precipitation mm = 100.4

|unit precipitation days = 0.1 mm

|Jan precipitation days = 12

|Feb precipitation days = 11

|Mar precipitation days = 12

|Apr precipitation days = 13

|May precipitation days = 13

|Jun precipitation days = 13

|Jul precipitation days = 10

|Aug precipitation days = 9

|Sep precipitation days = 9

|Oct precipitation days = 9

|Nov precipitation days = 14

|Dec precipitation days = 14

|Jan humidity = 83

|Feb humidity = 78

|Mar humidity = 73

|Apr humidity = 70

|May humidity = 70

|Jun humidity = 71

|Jul humidity = 69

|Aug humidity = 70

|Sep humidity = 76

|Oct humidity = 78

|Nov humidity = 81

|Dec humidity = 85

|source 1 = Hydrological and Meteorological Service of Montenegro{{cite web

|url = http://www.meteo.co.me/page.php?id=40

|title = Climate: Berane

|publisher = Hydrological and Meteorological Service of Montenegro

|access-date = 7 March 2021

|language = Montenegrin}}{{cite web

|url = http://www.meteo.co.me/page.php?id=41

|title = Dnevni prosjeci i ekstremi

|publisher = Hydrological and Meteorological Service of Montenegro

|access-date = 7 March 2021

|language = Montenegrin}}

|date = May 2018

}}

The local football team is FK Berane, who have spent several seasons in the country's top tier. They share their Berane City Stadium with lower league side FK Napredak. The town's handball team is RK Berane.

{{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in Montenegro}}

Berane is twinned with:{{cite press release |url=http://berane.me/bratimljenje |language=sh |title=Bratimljenje |access-date=2019-09-04}}{{cite web |title=Bratimljenje|url=http://www.uom.co.me/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/bratimljenje-m2-3.pdf|website=database.uom.me|publisher=Zajednica opština Crne Gore|page=29|language=cnr|date=January 2013|access-date=2019-12-29}}

{{div col|colwidth=25em}}

• {{flagicon|SRB}} Belgrade, Serbia
• {{flagicon|TUR}} Çiğli, Turkey
• {{flagicon|SRB}} Čukarica, Belgrade; Serbia
• {{flagicon|LUX}} Dudelange, Luxembourg
• {{flagicon|LUX}} Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg

• {{flagicon|TUR}} Karaisalı, Turkey
• {{flagicon|RUS}} Kostroma, Russia
• {{flagicon|KOS}} Peja, Kosovo
• {{flagicon|MKD}} Staro Nagoričane, North Macedonia
• {{flagicon|SRB}} Subotica, Serbia
• {{flagicon|ITA}} Teramo, Italy
• {{flagicon|SRB}} Vrnjačka Banja, Serbia
• {{flagicon|BIH}} Zavidovići, Bosnia and Herzegovina

{{div col end}}

Despite all the problems, the town remains an important educational, medical, religional and sport centre having produced many successful individuals in those categories:

Artists

{{div col|colwidth=18em}}

• Dejan Čukić, actor
• Boban Rajović, singer
• Ljubomir Bandović, actor
• Zvonko Lepetić,Prominent Croatian and Yugoslavian actor. Starred in Balkan Spy.

{{div col end}}

Athletes

{{div col|colwidth=18em}}

• Dragoslav Jevrić, football goalkeeperMember of Serbia and Montenegro for the 2006 FIFA World Cup.
• Stefan Babović, football player
• Ivan Đurković, handball player
• Sonja Barjaktarović, handball goalkeeperMember of 2012 European Women's Handball Championship winning-Montenegrin national team.
• Milonja Đukić, football player
• Igor Vušurović, volleyball playerMember of winning-2000 Summer Olympics Yugoslavian Men's National Team.
• Mijajlo Marsenić, handball player
• Maja Savić, handball playerBest Left Wing of the World in 2001.
• Zoran Bojović, football player
• Vladan Savić, football player
• Dragan Popović, football coach
• Aleksandar Šćekić, football player
• Nemanja Šćekić, football player
• Siniša Dobrašinović, football player
• Elsad Zverotić, football player

{{div col end}}

Political, educational and historical figures

{{div col|colwidth=18em}}

• Jevstatije I, Serbian ArchbishopThe sixth Serbian Archbishop, holding the office from 1279 to 1286.
• Žarko Obradović, politicianMinister of Education and Science in the Government of Serbia.
• Momčilo Cemović, politician
• Gavro Vuković, senator
• Fahrudin Radončić, politician
• Selmo Cikotić, politicianMinister of Defence of

Bosnia and Herzegovina.

• Šerbo Rastoder, historian
• Miomir Dašić, historianMember of Montenegrin Academy of Sciences and Arts.

{{div col end}}

Others and related people

{{div col|colwidth=18em}}

• Milovan Đilas, politician
• Pavle Đurišić, officer
• Radovan Zogović, poet
• Dragoslav Šekularac, football player
• Jelena Janković, tennis player
• Dragan Nikolić, actor
• Aleksandar Šapić, water polo player
• Miodrag Bulatović, novelist

{{div col end}}

File:Berane 1.jpg|Panorama of Berane

File:hotelberane.jpg|Hotel Berane, one of the town's symbols, renovated in 2017

File:Berane Lim.jpg|Beach at the Lim river

File:Stadion Berane.jpg|City stadium

File:Šiško jezero - panoramio.jpg|Šiš lake near Berane, Bjelasica mountain

File:Berane muicka.jpg|Musical school in Berane

File:Jasikovac.jpg|Jasikovac WWII monument

File:Osnivanje Osme crnogorske brigade.jpg|Forming of the Eight Montenegrin Brigade in 1944..

Footnotes

{{Reflist}}

Notes

{{Reflist|group=lower-alpha|30em}}

{{Commons category|Berane}}

• [http://www.berane.me/ Official website]
• [https://www.facebook.com/OpstinaBerane/ Official Facebook page]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20130502011925/http://visit-montenegro.com/cities-berane.htm Berane at Visit-Montenegro.com]
• [http://www.booking.me/Default.aspx?sifraStranica=792/ Berane at booking.me]

{{MontenegroCities}}

{{Berane Municipality}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Populated places in Berane Municipality

Category:Sandžak

Category:Serb communities in Montenegro