Draft:Belgrade Garden

Belgrade garden (Serbian Cyrillic: Београд башта, romanized : Beograd bašta), located on Bregalnicka Street in Belgrade, Serbia, is a historically significant green space within the city.

Originally established in the 1930s as a private botanical garden owned by a wealthy family, Belgrade garden has undergone several transformations over the years. After World War II, the garden was repurposed as a theater venue and later converted into an open-air cinema, providing entertainment and cultural experiences to the local community. The theatre scene in our days is used for local concerts and art exhibitions, contributing to the cultural scene of Belgrade. There are 29 trees of different species growing in the garden today.

The Church of St. Anthony of Padua can be seen from the Belgrade garden.

History
In the 1930s, the land where Belgrade garden now stands, along with an adjoining plot, was purchased by Greta Minh, a noblewoman from a Jewish family that owned a fabric in Belgrade and a coal mine in Rtanj. She ordered the construction of a villa on one portion of the land, while dedicating the other to the creation of a botanical garden. The villa, located at Silvija Kranjcevica 9, has since been repurposed into a kindergarten. Minh's botanical garden boasted numerous conifers, which was one of the reasons why the whole area at that time was called "Borov park" (english: "Pine Park"). Today the district where Belgrade garden is located is called Lipov lad. Notably, there are several giant linden trees growing in the garden. Following the upheaval of World War II, Greta Minh, who was of Jewish descent, had to flee from the area. The botanical garden was subsequently nationalized, a scene was built there and the site repurposed into a theatre. The first performance on the new stage took place in June 1944. "With the natural decor of large pines and firs attracting people, all tickets for the first night were sold out". By 1955, it had transformed into an open-air cinema, owned by the company "Beograd Film". However, the cinema's decline began in the 1970s due to financial woes, ultimately leading to bankruptcy for the film company. In the 1990s the stage was used by several bands for filming their music videos, among them Oružjem protiv otmičara ”Dobro znam da ćutim” (1996) and Monteniggers ”Aj Aj”. Consequently, the garden fell into disrepair until recent years.

Local residents have since initiated efforts to rejuvenate Belgrade garden. The former cinema seating area has been converted into a basketball court. Summer of 2023 a rock concert was organised within the garden. In spring 2024, a famous Serbian youtube duo Marka Žvaka visited the Belgrade garden to report on the issue of residential infill development affecting green spaces in the city.

Flora and fauna
Flora:

Belgrade garden hosts a variety of plant species, with 29 trees of different species growing there. These include various Linden, Maple, Ginkgo, Mulberry, Common Yew, Cedar, Birch, Walnut, Pine, Ailanthus, and Fir trees. Other plant life such as elderflower, cherry, and bamboo also contribute to the garden's greenery. During spring, certain areas are left to grow wildflowers and grasses, including violet, veronica, dandelions, and stellaria.

Fauna:

The garden attracts a range of wildlife, with woodpeckers, crows, pigeons, great tits, and blue tits commonly seen. Sparrow houses are positioned along one wall, providing shelter. Firebugs (Pyrrhocoris apterus), are often found near the linden trees. There are several dead stumps in the Belgrade garden, each serving as a unique habitat within the ecosystem. One stump has been repurposed into an insect hotel, providing refuge for various insects. Others host different types of fungi, adding to the biodiversity of the garden and contributing to the natural decomposition process.