Kijevo

Kijevo extends across both sides of the Kijevački Potok, over two ridges. A 200-meter stretch of the stream is called Slatina; in the Slatina area, salty water emerges when the ground is dug with a hoe. At Drvnik, there are remains from the Iron Age and a medieval necropolis. The Church of the Holy Trinity was built and consecrated in 1939 and renovated in 2007.

The village’s location can be described through two landscape features: the Kijevački Potok and the ridges across which Kijevo extends. The village is not situated on just one side of the stream, but on both. One stretch of the Kijevački Potok also has its own name: Slatina refers to 200 meters of the stream. In the Slatina area, salty water emerges where the ground is dug with a hoe. Thus, the landscape description takes in both the broader setting between the stream and the ridges and a specifically named stretch of the watercourse.

Two different periods are represented at the Drvnik archaeological site: it contains remains from the Iron Age, as well as a medieval necropolis. A necropolis is a burial ground. The term helps distinguish this medieval find from the Iron Age remains.

The Church of the Holy Trinity adds a precisely dated history of construction to Kijevo’s local landscape. It was built and consecrated on May 6, 1939, and renovated in 2007. The remains of heroes who fell in the war were interred in its crypt. Thus, the specific date of construction and consecration, a later renovation, and the crypt’s commemorative significance represent different aspects of the church’s history.

Other places of remembrance also form part of Kijevo’s historical connections. The 2010 spatial plan of the Municipality of Batočina lists the old house of the Minić family in Kijevo as immovable cultural property under provisional protection. A monument to the victims of the National Liberation Struggle (NOB) is also associated with Kijevo.

A historical entry in the Turkish village census of 1739/1741 lists Kijevo as an abandoned settlement under the name Gornje Kijevo. This records an earlier settlement status and historical place name. Rafailo Hilandarac is a notable figure associated with the village: born with the name Radosav Stefanović, he was born on September 28, 1886, in the village of Kijevo near Batočina.

Events in Serbian history are also linked to the area around Kijevo. A victory by Karađorđe over Ottoman troops at the Kijevački Potok, between Kijevo and Dobrovodica, is recorded as part of the First Serbian Uprising. The final attack of the Battle of Batočina is also located in the area between Kijevo and Dobrovodica. The two accounts refer to different historical events; the location given for the attack in the Battle of Batočina remains limited to this area.

Mladenci is Kijevo’s village Zavetina. A procession on the second day of Pentecost is also recorded for Kijevo. The two references concern different forms of local religious history: a village Zavetina and a procession associated with a specific day in the church year.

Discover more destinations: Kragujevac, Dragolj, Topola, Bare, Mladenovac, Bukorovac, Knić, Aranđelovac.

What does the Drvnik archaeological site include?

Drvnik near Kijevo has remains from the Iron Age. The site also includes a medieval necropolis.

What does Slatina refer to?

Slatina is the name of a 200-meter stretch of the Kijevački Potok. In the Slatina area, salty water emerges when the ground is dug with a hoe.

What dates are associated with the Church of the Holy Trinity?

The church was built and consecrated on May 6, 1939, and renovated in 2007. The remains of heroes who fell in the war were interred in its crypt.

For the broader travel overview: Šumadija District.