S m e d e r e v o

1
S m e d e r e v o

• SMEDEREVO is one of the oldest settlements in
  Serbian part of Danube basin. It is situated just
  in front of the mouth of Velika Morava and Danube
  on the E 10 highway corridor, on the most
  attractive part of Danube in Serbia and one of
  the most significant infrastructure directions
  because there are three traffic arteries of
  European significance the Danube river,
  Budapest Belgrade Nis Thessalonica Athens
  highway, as well as the railroad passing the same
  route.

2
History

• The settlement on the spot of present Smederevo
  had firstly been mentioned in the charter of
  Byzantine emperor Vasilije II (1019) as for
  domestic sources, it had been described in
  Ravanica charter of Duke Lazar in 1381.
• However the real historical life of Smederevo
  started with the decision of Despot Djuradj
  Brankovic, the last famous ruler of the medieval
  Serbia, to establish the new Serbian capital.
  This happened in the first half of the 15th
  century when, due to the Turkish invasion from
  the south, Small Town was firstly built in only
  two years (from 1428 to 1430) and a few years
  later he decided to build Big Fortified Town on
  the right bank of the Danube, with total area of
  10 hectares with 24 towers. Since 1430 until the
  Final fall of Serbia in 1459, Smederevo was
  political and religious as well as economic and
  cultural center of the Serbian state.
• After Serbian people had released themselves of
  Turkish control in 1806, Smederevo became the
  very first town that had primary school and in
  1871 it got its bank- third in Serbia.
• SMEDEREVO is one of Serbian cities that suffered
  numerous damages during World Wars I and II.

3
Nowadays

• Nowadays, Smederevo has about 140,000 inhabitants
  and great preconditions for further development
  of economy especially agriculture, ferrous
  metallurgy and tourism. Thanks to its geographic
  and strategic position on the Danube, the whole
  surrounding region has excellent opportunities
  for the future. Its port lies in the very north
  of all Danube ports and is capable to deal with
  both river and maritime vessels of high
  capacities up to 8,000 tons, which is especially
  important for the flow of goods from the Black
  Sea, where most of raw materials come from.
  Further, the bridge near Smederevo is the very
  last connection with the left bank of Danube on
  its flow through Serbia.
• Smederevo Fortress, the biggest plain fortress in
  Europe from 15th century is only one of numerous
  cultural parks that are supposed to recover
  cultural heritage of this area.

4
Nato aggression

• Consequences of NATO aggression in Serbia are
  very complex. Immeasurable and incomparable are
  all those related to loss of human lives, but
  there are also economic, social, cultural
  consequences, as well as those related to health
  of the whole nation in general.
• During 78 days of bombing, 19 direct attacks on
  Smederevo in which 51 missiles were fired, 14
  people were killed and 19 were badly wounded.
  Thousands square meters of different objects and
  households were destroyed, including local
  facilities for oil storage and the bridge that
  connected Smederevo and Vojvodina. Politically
  correct language is not familiar with terms such
  as dead children, destroyed factories,
  ruined bridges. This language marks all
  above-mentioned as collateral damage. During
  NATO aggression at least 3,000,000 citizens of
  Serbia were collaterally damaged.
• On April 19 1999, when oil refinery in Pancevo
  was bombed, releasing of poison substances caused
  air pollution that was on the very edge of
  ecologic disaster. Those days rain dissolved car
  paint, and lettuce in local gardens was
  completely black and looked greasy. Enormous
  quantities of oil flew into the Danube, which
  also infected areas of other surrounding
  countries downstream Serbia.

5

• Every day medical advisors warn about long
  lasting consequences that become obvious few
  years after bombing. Consequences on mental
  health will be mostly present among 1.3 million
  of schoolchildren in Serbia. Total number of
  people having mental disorders was increased for
  more than 12 in the first two years after
  bombing, and post trauma stress was found at more
  than one of eight examined persons. Such a mental
  map of Serbia for which foundation was laid by
  American research workers tells us that social
  environment of whole nation was completely
  changed nation itself has entered transition
  stress which still lasts. More than 90 of
  refugees who were forced to live their households
  in most suffered areas are in state of
  depression. 20,000 exiled people move to
  Smederevo those days.
• Since the aggression started, number of
  spontaneous miscarriages, premature births and
  newborn mortality has been significantly
  increased. Having been asked why non-born babies
  dies, medical specialists do not know precise
  answers. During aggression in Kragujevac Clinic
  number of cesarean sections was doubled, as well
  as number of newborns with breathing problems.
  Many people brought those in connection with
  bombing of ZASTAVA when extreme quantities of
  polychloral bifenile flew into the Lepenica
  River. International Agency for Ecology named
  Focus calculated that the amount of this poison
  material that flew into the river was a thousand
  times bigger than the one for which any European
  country would announce general alarm.

6
Health

• Doctors from the Clinic for Gynecology and
  Obstetrics of General Clinic Center of Serbia
  noticed epidemic of ovaries cancer during 2000
  and Gastro-enterologists noticed increased number
  of illnesses regarding pancreas, digestive tract
  and stomach. From 1999 to 2000 number of
  spontaneous miscarriages has been immeasurable
  and they were mostly caused by genetic changes.
  Deterrent information is that 80 of mentally
  disabled children were born by completely healthy
  young women.
• According to Smederevo Health Center, number of
  people with malignant disease is three times
  bigger than in 1999 and 200, i.e. it used to be
  103 and now it is 401 on yearly level. Tumors on
  respiratory organs are on the very first place.
  15 such persons were registered on the territory
  of Smederevo in 1999, 131 in 2001 this is nine
  times more. Skin tumor is on the second place
  six such cases in 1999 and 45 ones in 2004, then
  tumor of digestive organs 21 case in 1999 an
  three years later there were 69 ones. In 1999 24
  women got breast cancer, and this number was
  doubled in 2004.

7
European Union

• Development of the culture regarding peace is
  good for recovery of the whole population that
  faced killing of soul syndrome. Treating of
  this stress, which hits not only human integrity,
  but also its identity, was firstly recognized at
  war veterans. For this process we need help from
  the outside. Beside psychological aspects, our
  rehabilitation is also endangered by economic
  ones regarding our membership in the EU.
• Our long trip to Europe can be made difficult by
  numerous social tensions that have lasted for 15
  years and that, from time to time try to endanger
  reforms in Serbia. At the same time we have been
  struggling for our rights, division of power and
  development of democracy these all represent
  major criteria that European Union pays attention
  to.

8

• As a doctor, I can freely say that we all are
  like statesmen and this is not completely a joke.
  We both can make mistakes that can be fatal. We
  have faced a lot of ugly things during last
  decade, and you try to imagine all consequences
  of beating our students during street meetings,
  our poverty, and lack of money. We all have also
  faced our personal internal fights, so please do
  not expect all of us are able to fight with it
  with the same strength. Torture as one of most
  effective means of repression has been the most
  powerful weapon for years for struggle against
  democracy in Serbia. Add Vietnam syndrome to
  this and you will get the psychological state of
  any ordinary Serbian person.
• We have to wait for a while for consequences of
  all above-mentioned tortures and continuously
  struggle to change at least things that are up to
  us themselves. It is not easy sometimes it is
  not even possible, but this is the only way to
  find a place for us among you, so we would be
  very grateful if you could help us.
• Thank you for listening. Thank you for your
  understanding it means me a lot.
• Thank you.