History

Legend: in the work “Life of Saint Simeon” the area around the Vlasina river is mentioned under the name Uska. According to one legend, Vlasotince was settled by Serbs led by the tribal elder Vlasta.

Vlasotince is first mentioned in Turkish records, under the name “Vlašotinac”, as part of the Sanjak of Sofia. In the sixteenth century it has about 600 inhabitants and 66 houses.

The people of Vlasotince rise against the Turks for the first time; the last time is in 1877. No mosque was ever built in Vlasotince. Before the Serbian forces arrived, the town was already free: the Vlasotince “tojagaši” (club-bearers) had brought about the flight of the Turks in advance.

The census records 519 houses and 2,626 souls; 432 men and 22 women can read and write.

The Leskovac-Vranje railway bypasses Vlasotince and brings periods of stagnation. The people of Vlasotince turn to wine growing.

After that year the textile industry begins to grow: strong demand for gajtan (braid) led merchants to build braid works on the Vlasina.

The engineer Bartos draws up an urban plan; it was carried out only in 1922 and 1923.

Popović Mill is built on the Vlasina.

A 20 kW generator is installed in the mill and Vlasotince gets its first electric lighting. In the same year the Vlasotince library and reading room are given permission to operate.

The Bulgarians occupy Vlasotince, and the library is thoroughly looted.

FK “Vlasina” is founded, one of the oldest clubs in the former Yugoslavia. Vojislav Popović brings the first ball and football boots from Vienna.

The singing society “Njegoš” holds the first organised New Year celebration in Vlasotince.

On the sixteenth of September the first issue of the newspaper “Vlasina” comes out, in 200 copies, at a price of one dinar.

The Narodni dom (People’s Hall) is built, in the academic national style. The cultural and artistic life of the town takes place in it.

On the tenth of October Vlasotince is liberated when the First Vlasotince Brigade enters the town. That day is now Municipality Day.

One of the worst floods in the town’s history.

In July work begins on the embankment on the Vlasina, to the plan of the engineer Milan Nešić.

On the thirteenth of July the first Wine Ball is held.

A record harvest in the Vlasotince wine region: 1,200 wagons of grapes.

On the twenty-sixth of December the Cultural Centre is founded. Its building stands on the site of the former hotel of Proka Crnilović, father of the painter Hristifor Crnilović.

The Local History Museum in the Turska kula (Turkish Tower) opens to the public, and the restoration of Gigina kuća (Gigi’s House) begins.

On the night of 26 to 27 June the swollen Vlasina causes disastrous floods: the homes of more than a quarter of the people of Vlasotince are under water.

After a break of 36 years the newspaper “Vlasina” comes out again; since 2002 it has been published by the Cultural Centre.

On the first of April a fire in the library destroys a rich book collection for good, officially 14,658 books.

The first food and drink festival Ukusi juga (Tastes of the South) brings together 54 exhibitors.

A hundred years of the newspaper “Vlasina”, the fortieth Wine Ball and 140 years since the birth of Hristifor Crnilović.