Kragujevac

Kragujevac is a city in Serbia, the largest city of the Šumadija region and the administrative centre of Šumadija District. It is the fourth largest city in the country after Belgrade, Novi Sad and Niš. The city was founded in the year 1476. The first university in the newly independent Serbia was founded in Kragujevac in 1838, as well as the first grammar school (Gimnazija), Printworks (both in 1833), National theatre (1835) and the Military academy (1837). The University of Kragujevac (established 1976) is also located there. During the period between 1818 and 1839, Kragujevac served as the capital of the Principality of Serbia, during the reign of the Serbian prince Miloš Obrenović.

Over 200 archaeological sites in Šumadija confirm that the region's first human settlements occurred 40,000 years ago, during the Palaeolithic era. Kragujevac was first mentioned in written form in the 15th century where Turkish people referred to it as the "village of Kragujevdza". The name of the town is derived from the archaic Serbian word "kraguj", which means hunting hawk. Kragujevac is a young city with old memories. It is known for its car factory, which produced the Yugo, Florida, Zastava automobiles until Fiat bought it in 2008.

Today it is a modern and dynamic city. The fun in Kragujevac doesn’t stop when the sun goes down. In the centre of Kragujevac is a pedestrian zone paved with white rock. You will find many pubs, bars and lounges with live music. They stay open until early in the morning and the drinks are less expensive then in Belgrade. There were several times I was so drunk that I could not even remember how I got back to my apartment. Kragujevac is a very safe city for foreigners.

In 2011,  I was the lead engineer on a project “The Kragujevac Plaza” shopping and entertainment center. The investment was worth over EUR 60 mil. The Center was opened in March 2012. “Kragujevac Plaza” has over 100 fashion stores, hypermarket, cafes, six cinemas and a fantasy park. The building combines a modern and functional interior with an aluminum folding decoration on the exterior facades. The total area is 65,000 square meters. The center is designed and constructed according to the latest environmental standards, with maximum energy efficiency, and it has been registered as the first green building in the region.