History

There are many assumptions about how the city of Kolašin got its name. According to some data, since this area was very attractive for the Turks (the reason for better control of the surrounding tribes), they stationed their unit of 50 soldiers there. At the head was a kolasija – corporal, hence the name after this Turkish rank. On the other hand, there are opinions that after the founding of the city of Kolašin, as well as the entire area on the banks of the Tara River, it was called Kolašinovići. What we can say with certainty is that the city is of Turkish origin.

Archaeological research has established that the area of the Kolašin municipality was inhabited as early as the Bronze Age. A bronze axe dating from 1200–800 BC was found in the vicinity of Kolašin. Later, this area was inhabited by the Illyrian tribe Autoriati. The Romanization of the Illyrians began in the 3rd century BC. During the 7th century, the process of settlement of the Slavs in this area began.

In the Middle Ages, this area belonged to Duklja, and later to medieval Serbia. During the 15th century, the Turks invaded these regions, which influenced the demographic structure of this area, which at that time was inhabited by the Morača and Rovaci tribes. The only urban settlement in the municipality was built by the Turks in the mid-17th century, on the site of a village settlement of the same name. According to the chronicle from the Holy Trinity Monastery near Pljevlja, the city's fortifications were built in 1651. The fortress had a favorable position on the road between Bijelo Polje and Podgorica, and its function was initially military. Only at the end of the 17th and beginning of the 18th centuries, in addition to military and strategic, did Kolašin take on some economic functions. Then the city began to be inhabited by craftsmen and merchants. Trade in livestock and livestock products was mainly developed. Trade ties were maintained with Podgorica and partly with Dubrovnik. The physiognomy of the city had Islamic characteristics, as the population consisted of Islamized immigrants from neighboring regions and Turks.

As a result of changes among the great powers, the Ottoman Empire and Austria-Hungary, the population continually resisted and thereby had a positive influence on the Orthodox inhabitants of Bijelo Polje and Pljevlja, who were under Turkish rule.

The defeat of the Turkish army in 1820 at Gornja Morača led to the consolidation of power in Montenegro under the organization of Peter I. In 1858, the Montenegrin army won a major victory over the Turks at Grahovac, followed by the battles for Kolašin, which led to great destruction.

Although the Turks rebuilt it in 1864, the decision of the Berlin Congress in 1878 recognized the independence of Montenegro, which expanded its borders and made Kolašin an integral part of Montenegro. In the future, Kolašin will take on political and administrative functions, which will lead to an increase in the population.

For a long time, the area of Kolašin was a district and included the area of Mojkovac. Therefore, the area of Kolašin previously included a wider area called Gornji and Donji Kolašin.

The city played a significant role in the battles of Montenegro in the Balkan Wars and World War I, with a special role in the Battle of Mojkovac in 1916, in which the role of the Kolašin Brigade is well known.

During World War II, this region made a significant contribution to the People's Liberation Struggle against fascism from 1941 to 1945. From November 1943 to August 1944, Kolašin served as the war capital of Montenegro. In 1943, the National Anti-Fascist Council for the National Liberation of Montenegro and Boka Košice (ZAVNO) was established there, as the first and highest legislative body of Montenegro. In February 1944, the Second and Third Sessions of ZAVNO were held, and in July, the Third Sessions. After several more occupations and liberations, the city was liberated in 1944.

We can confidently confirm and rank the city of Kolašin among the most attractive regions of our country. 

In support of this claim are the Biogradska Gora National Park and the must-see Morača Monastery, which represent invaluable natural values as well as cultural and historical heritage. This area is also home to numerous cultural and historical monuments as well as memorials (the Turkish Powder Magazine on Vinića Hill, the First World War Students„ Monument, and the churches of Kolašin).