Lion, Belgrade

Lion is located along the old Belgrade's longest street, Bulevar kralja Aleksandra, 3 kilometers south-east of downtown Belgrade (Terazije). It borders the neighborhoods of Bulbuder on the north-east, Đeram on the west, Lipov Lad on the south-west, Denkova Bašta on the south, and Cvetkova Pijaca on the east.

Before World War II, Lion was a commercial centar on the boulevard, with many tobacco and grocery stores, bookshops and craftsman shops. The neighborhood got its name after the kafana "Lion", opened during the Interbellum at the corner of Bulevar Kralja Aleksandra and Miloša Zečevića, which was named after the French town of Lyon.Politika, April 26, 2008, p.30{{cite web | title = Општина Звездара - Буелвар краља Александра: Лион | trans-title = Zvezdara Municipality - Bulevar Kralja Aleksandra: Lion | publisher = City Municipality Zvezdara | language = Serbian | date = 2020 | url = https://zvezdara.rs/o-zvezdari/znamenitosti/bulevar-kralja-aleksandra/}}{{cite web | title = Lion - raskrsnica trgovine i kulture nadomak centra grada | trans-title = Lion - crossroad of trade and culture close to downtown | publisher = Cityexpert | language = Serbian | date = 15 June 2016 | url = https://cityexpert.rs/blog/sta-pruza-beograd/lion-raskrsnica-trgovine-i-kulture-nadomak-centra-grada}} Kafana was a favorite place for pre-war state employees, clerks, military officers, teachers and writers, and was known for pool, chess and domino tournaments, so as for the Sunday's dances for the youth.{{cite web | title = Звездара - Кафана Лион | trans-title = Zvezdara - Kafana Lion | publisher = GoBelgrade | language = Serbian | date = 2023 | url = https://www.tob.rs/rs/zvezdara-kat}} After World War II it became a "typical socialist kafana", popular with the families for Sunday lunch, but also visited by the municipal clerks.{{cite web | author = Miloš Lazić | title = Posle sastanka pravac kafana do duboko u noć | trans-title = After meeting, straight to kafana deep into the night | publisher = Politika | language = Serbian | date = 10 May 2021 | url = https://www.politika.rs/sr/clanak/478615/%D0%91%D0%B5%D0%BE%D0%B3%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%B4/%D0%9F%D0%BE%D1%81%D0%BB%D0%B5-%D1%81%D0%B0%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%BA%D0%B0-%D0%BF%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%B2%D0%B0%D1%86-%D0%BA%D0%B0%D1%84%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%B0-%D0%B4%D0%BE-%D0%B4%D1%83%D0%B1%D0%BE%D0%BA%D0%BE-%D1%83-%D0%BD%D0%BE%D1%9B}} In the 1990s it was turned into the restaurant, and then brewery, before it was closed by the end of the decade. The venue was later turned into the grocery store.{{cite web | author = Katarina Vidaković | title = Beogradske kafane kojih više nema | trans-title = Belgrade kafana which are no more | publisher = Dan u Beoigradu | language = Serbian | date = 1 December 2015 | url = https://www.danubeogradu.rs/2015/12/beogradske-kafane-kojih-vise-nema/}}

Though mainly residential area today, Lion still has a developed commercial section along the boulevard so as several schools. Stadium of FK Hajduk and theater of "Zvezdara Teatar" are also located in the neighborhood. The population of Lion was 5,509 by the 2002 census.

The Sixth Belgrade Gymnasium is located in the neighborhood, in the Milana Rakića Street. It was founded by the King Alexander I of Yugoslavia royal decree in 1933, and moved few times before settling in the present building in Lion, built from 1939 to 1942. It holds present name since 1958.{{cite news | author1 = Radovan Zdravković | author2 = Vladislav Jovanović | author3 = Aleksander Blažek | title = Jubilej Šeste beogradske gimnazije | trans-title = Jubilee of the Sixth Belgrade Gymnasium | newspaper = Politika | page = 22 | language = sr | date = 23 February 2023 | url = https://www.politika.rs/sr/clanak/539297/Jubilej-Seste-beogradske-gimnazije}} Next to the gymnasium there is a park of the same name, sometimes also called Slavujev Potok Park. It covers {{convert|1.18|ha}}.{{cite book | script-title=sr: Пројекат "Зелена регулатива Београда" - IV фаѕа: План генералне регулације система зелених површина Београда (концепт плана) | trans-title = Project "Green regulations of Belgrade" - IV phase: Plan of the general regulation of the green area system in Belgrade (concept of the plan) | date = 2010 | page = 46 | author1 = Anica Teofilović | author2 = Vesna Isajlović | author3 = Milica Grozdanić | publisher = Urbanistički zavod Beograda | url = http://mapa.urbel.com/publish/PGR-SZP-Bgd_za_JU/003_Dokumentacija_plana_Knjiga_3/009_koncept_plana_sa_Izvestajem_o_izvrsenoj_strucnoj_kontroli/Koncept_PGR_sistema_zel_povrsina_KORIGOVAN.pdf}}

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{{Neighbourhoods of Zvezdara}}

Category:Neighborhoods of Belgrade

Category:Zvezdara

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