Scandal in the centre of Belgrade! Arrogant tenant seized a underground tunnel and made a private bunker! He has been terrorising neighbours for years
In the very heart of Belgrade, in Karađorđeva Street, where every brick and every stone bears witness to the rich history of the Serbian capital, a scandal is unfolding that defies imagination. The underground tunnel, a protected part of the cultural-historical heritage and of the Kosančićev venac complex, has not been public property for more than ten years – but the private fiefdom of one tenant (name known to the Kurir editorial team and the police), who behaves as if he is the master of the underground. The underground tunnel, which once served as a public good and part of a complex network of underground spaces of great significance for the city’s history, has become the private possession of an arrogant Belgrader, who usurped it on his own initiative – and without any permit!
Knife attack
The final confirmation of his ruthless behaviour occurred a few days ago, when he pulled a knife and slashed a neighbour in the stomach. The tenant (whose identity we are not publishing for safety reasons) ended up in hospital, while the attacker – believe it or not – after questioning at the Stari grad police station calmly returned to his flat, as if nothing had happened.
Neighbours claim this was not an isolated incident, but the culmination of years of terror.
“For years we have been warning the police and the inspections to take action and put an end to this neighbour. No one dares say anything to him, because physical threats immediately follow,” says one of the tenants, trembling as she speaks, and refusing to allow her name to appear in the papers for fear of reprisals.
Forged seals
The story has lasted for more than ten years. The arrogant tenant first changed the locks, then began behaving as the owner of the underground tunnel. In municipal and city offices we constantly encountered falsified documents, forged seals of ownership over the underground tunnel which he turned into his private quarters, carrying out illegal extensions and works – all in a space that is part of Belgrade’s cultural treasure.
While neighbours watched their shared history disappear, the institutions, the tenants claim, turned a blind eye. The police were informed, the inspectors called, dozens of complaints were filed. Yet nothing happened. The underground tunnel still remains locked behind his padlock.
“On several occasions we asked for measures to be taken. Instead, we met a wall of silence. It seems someone from the police and inspections is backing him, because nothing else explains such irresponsibility,” say the outraged tenants from Karađorđeva 17–19, who turned to us for help.
They are increasingly outspoken that the bully could not have usurped the underground tunnel for years without powerful support from the shadows
“This man surely has some backing. That’s why he is still there, and why he can do whatever he wants,” say the angry tenants.
Kurir reporters tried to hear the other side, the arrogant neighbour, but no one opened the door of his flat.
Jewel of Belgrade
Kosančićev venac is an urban whole belonging to the oldest Belgrade neighbourhoods, with many protected buildings and ambiences. Karađorđeva Street is part of it, and the underground tunnels located there bear witness to centuries of city history and have enormous cultural potential. Their usurpation and destruction represent not only a local but also a general problem of heritage preservation. But in this case, one of those jewels has been turned into a private bunker!
Experts warn that such cases undermine citizens’ faith in institutions, but also irreversibly destroy cultural heritage
“Instead of the underground tunnel being a tourist attraction, for pupils to see, for historians to study – it is locked behind rusty padlocks. It is a disgrace for the whole of Belgrade,” says one of the monument protection experts who has long worked on preserving the Kosančićev venac area.
For now, the arrogant tenant still holds the key to the underground tunnel, while Kosančićev venac – the jewel of Belgrade’s history – becomes a symbol of the authorities’ impotence in the face of private interest and violence.
I. Čorbić