Čubura

Čubura (Serbian: Чубура), Serbo-Croatian pronunciation: [t͡ʃǔbura]) is an urban neighborhood of Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. Located in Belgrade's municipality of Vračar, it is a synonym of the city's bohemian life.

Čubura is about one kilometer away from Terazije, downtown Belgrade. It stretches along the crossroad of the streets of Makenzijeva-Cara Nikolaja II and Maksima Gorkog. It borders the neighborhoods of Vračar and Gradić Pejton on the west, Kalenić on the north, Crveni Krst on the east and Neimar on the south.

Čubura originated as a village around the pond and the banks of the stream of Čuburski potok. The stream is non-existing today as it has been completely conducted underground and runs through the Belgrade's sewage system (which is a case with many streams and creeks in the urban parts of Belgrade). Its valley was used for construction of the Južni Bulevar (South Boulevard) street, which today marks the southern border of the modern neighborhood of Čubura.

Spring of the stream was also in this area and, after a short flow, the water was collected in a small cylindrical (Serbian: stublina, Turkish: çubura) and this is how the village and the future neighborhood got its name. The romanticized version claims that the name comes from čubar, Serbian name for the purple summer savory flower which allegedly was abundant around the former stream.

The population of Čubura was 13,498 in 2002. The neighborhood is characterized by narrow streets and thanks to many kafanas in the area, it became known as one of the centers of the city bohemians. Unlike Skadarlija which is considered to be a fancy and fashionable place, Čubura used to be a gathering place of common people. Decades old neglect of the neighborhood by the city governments also added to this feel. It is recorded that in 1941, on the short distance from Slavija along the Makenzijeva street, there were 30 kafanas. After 1945, the Vltava kafana, for example, became known as the gathering place of Belgrade's lawyers, Mala Vlatava of the former political prisoners from the Goli Otok while the more affluent citizens gathered in Trandafilović. However, with changes in recent years, kafanas are being closed one by one and the 'spirit of Čubura' is slowly disappearing. According to the city government's plans published in early 2007, a residential section along the even side of the Maksima Gorkog street is designated for demolition for the future expansion of the street.

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Wikipedia