Вождовац: География, история и современность муниципалитета Белграда

Voždovac (, ) is a municipality of the city of Belgrade. According to the 2022 census results, the municipality has a population of 174,864 inhabitants. The municipality is located in the south central part of the urban area of Belgrade and in the central section of the wider Belgrade City area. It stretches meridionally (north to south) for almost , spreading to the south more than any other
municipality of Belgrade. Due to its shape, it borders more municipalities than any other: Vračar on the north, Zvezdara on the north east, Grocka on the east, Sopot on the south, Barajevo on the south west, Čukarica and Rakovica on the west and Savski Venac on the north west.

The municipality of Voždovac originates from 1904. In 1945 Belgrade was divided into districts (rejon) and Voždovac became part of District VI. In 1952 the districts were abolished and the municipalities re established. Municipality of Pašino Brdo was annexed to Voždovac on September 1, 1955 and today makes its northernmost part. The municipality was territorially shaped in the early 1960s when the municipality of Ripanj was added to Voždovac (the village of Veliki Mokri Lug was later detached and annexed to the municipality of Zvezdara). However, shaped this way, the elongated municipality causes problem to the inhabitants of its southern part as they have to travel over to the municipal assembly. There is an idea of separating suburban settlements (Beli Potok, Pinosava, Zuce, Ripanj) and creating new sub Avalan municipality (Avalski Venac), with the village of Vrčin in the municipality of Grocka but no official move has been done so far in that direction.

The municipality is located in the northern section of the Šumadija region ("Low Šumadija"). The southern part covers the northern section of the woods of Lipovička šuma and roughly corresponds to the valley of the Topčiderka river which flows between the Pinosava and Ripanj plateaux. The central area is occupied by one of two "Belgrade" mountains, the high Avala (the other one being Kosmaj). In the northern, urban section, Voždovac covers several of the 32 hills on which Belgrade is built, including Torlak and Pašino Brdo. Apart from Topčiderka, numerous smaller rivers and intermittent creeks flow in the northern part of the municipality: Zavojnička reka, Vranovac, Milošev potok, Bubanj Potok, Kamena voda, Lipica, Drenjak, Kumodraški potok and parts of Rakovički potok, Bolečica and Jelezovac. The spring and the valley of the former Mokroluški Potok (now mostly conducted underground) is also located in the municipality. Despite having large wooded areas in the non urban section (slopes of Avala, northern part of Lipovička šuma, Stepin Lug/Gaj), the urban area has only one real park, Šumice.

The massive population growth was halted in the late 1980s, despite still growing settlements on the southern and south eastern outskirts of Belgrade. Still, with , Voždovac is still densely populated, especially concerning large unurbanized areas in the south. Population of Voždovac according to the official census of population (since 1991 a new methodology is used):

The neighborhood of Voždovac is located south of downtown Belgrade, on a hill in the northern part of the municipality. Three long, more or less parallel streets shape the neighborhood into an elongated form in the north west to south east direction: western border is marked by Bulevar Oslobođenja (Boulevard of Liberation), which also makes the border to the municipality of Savski Venac, eastern by Kumodraška Street, while Vojvode Stepe Street stretches in between. Due to its shape, Voždovac borders many other neighborhoods: Autokomanda to the north, Diplomatska Kolonija on the north west, Banjica (and Banjica Forest) on the west, Trošarina and Banjica II on the south west, Kumodraž (its sub neighborhoods of Kumodraž II and Torlak) on the south, Braće Jerković II and Mitrovo Brdo on the south east, Braće Jerković on the east and Dušanovac on the north east.

Name Voždovac is derived from the word vožd meaning leader (literally, a "duke", "supreme vojvoda"), one of the titles used by the Karađorđe Petrović, the leader of the First Serbian Uprising. He also commanded the liberation of Belgrade from the Turks in 1806, and on the very spot from where he started that operation today stands a Church of the Saint Emperor Constantine and Helena, popularly called the Voždovac Church (Voždovačka crkva). The spot he has chosen was outside of the "Laudan's trench", too distant for the Turks inside the trench to notice the Serbian fighters gathering but close enough to take the chargeon the trench. Unofficial name, Voždovo predgrađe, Vožd's Suburb, was recorded after 1903, after the Karađorđević dynasty was restored on Serbian throne. After the liberation in World War I in 1918, Voždovac was placed under the Belgrade's administrative rule. A string of new neighborhoods encircled eastern outskirts of Belgrade, with names usually containing "suburb" and some member of the royal family. These original names either never became popular or were suppressed after World War II and replaced. The inspiration for the design of the neighborhoods came from the 1912 complex built along the Rue Daviel#Bâtiments remarquables et lieux de mémoire in Paris. It consisted of 40 one floor houses with gardens, indented from the main street. Settlement that subsequently developed was known as Činovnička Kolonija (Clerk's colony). Still operational elementary school "Branislav Nušić" was built in 1935 and the neighborhood was officially named "Predgrađe Kraljice Marije" or Queen Maria's Suburb, after the dowager queen Maria of Yugoslavia. Later, inhabitants colloquially began to use name Voždovac which spread and was adopted as the official name.

Originally a residential area, as the neighborhood was growing and stretching to the south, it developed different features. The south western extension to Torlak, along the Vojvode Stepe street, developed almost rural look, while the southern extension into the Kumodraž II is turned into one of the most heavily industrialized areas in the "Old Belgrade". The western area, along the Boulevard of Liberation became somewhat of an elite neighborhood. Three faculties of the University of Belgrade are located in the neighborhood: Management (FON), Political sciences (FPN) and Transportation. Population of the neighborhood was 22,516 in 2002 and 23,153 in 2011. The Црква Светог цара Константина и царице Јелене у Београду, colloquially called the Voždovac Church, is one of the neighborhood's landmarks. It was damaged during World War I, but was reconstructed by 1926. Reconstruction design was drafted by architect sr, who also designed a new, larger church, which replaced the old one. The new church was opened on 1 December 1970. Icons were painted by Milić od Mačve, in the atypical manner, ignoring any schematism or traditional style. Clergy house was consecrated in 2011. Interior painting was done by Vojislav Luković.

FK Voždovac are the neighbourhood team with significant local support. They play at the Voždovac Stadium. Rad are biggest club from Voždovac municipality of Belgrade, with biggest tradition off all local clubs, and played in European UEFA Competitions. Rad played in Yugoslav top league in the 1980s.