Gospodar Vasin konak

Master Vasa's Konak - most important information

Master Vasa's residence is located in the very center of the city. The origin of this konak is connected to Vasa Popovic who lived in the 19th century. Master Vasa's konak has had various purposes over the years. The building belonged to the Zica Monastery in 2000 when the Orthodox Spiritual Center of Bishop Nikolaj Velimirovic was opened in it. The konak has been declared a cultural monument of great importance.

Biography of Vasa Popovic
He was born in Berisici near Gornji Milanovac in 1777 and was a cousin of Princess Ljubica Obrenovic. He participated in the Takovo meeting in 1815 and was a close friend of Prince Milos. The preserved letters, 66 of them, testify to Vasa's friendship with Vuk Karadzic. Through their friendship, the cooperation between Vuk and Milija was created, who helped to record the songs Banovic Strahinj, The Wedding of Maksim Crnojevic and many others.

At the beginning of 1819, Prince Milos appointed Vasa Popovic as the main prince of the Pozega nahija. Until 1933 the Pozega nahija had 8 principalities with 105 villages. In their long friendship they also had disagreements, and the people especially remember their quarrel in the church in Kragujevac, when Vasa took communion immediately after the prince and did not wait for the liturgy to end.

Appearance of the house
In an address to Prince Milos on May 8, 1830, he wrote to him about his desire to build a house and soon after that he built it. It was built as a rectangular two-storey building; the ground floor is built of stone where the porch, chimney and 4 auxiliary rooms were built. Just as his life was filled with exciting feats, the death of Lord Vasa was specific. The records of Milan Dj. Milicevic claimed that he got injured in his yard when he was on his way to Belgrade where he then contracted erysipelas from which he died. Vuk Karadzic, on the other hand, publicly blamed Prince Milos for Vasa's death.

After the death of Vasa and his wife Marta, the house was bought by the state to serve as a court to the Bishop of Uzice, Janicije Neskovic. The history of the origin of the konak was murky, it was thought that it was built by the bishop himself with the help of the Obrenovic family. However, there are records of the Ministry of the Interior Business which determine that the house was bought from Vasa and that, on October 12, 1855, 1,600 ducats were paid to his heirs for a house with all the accompanying facilities and land.

In 1945 the then government placed a prison in Master Vasa's konak, and since 1951 it has housed a radio city museum. Today's appearance of the konak is not completely authentic, the roof construction is smaller, the original number of windows has been reduced and the wooden staircase has been replaced with a concrete one.

How to get to Master Vasa's Konak?
It is located in the park of Saint Sava and opposite the church of the Holy Trinity.

On foot: From the square where the Monument to the Serbian Soldier is located it takes a 5-minute walk through Omladinska Street
Taxi stations: Bond taxi - 036 317911; As taxi 036 323323; Tref Taxi KV 036 323232; Mega Taxi KV 036 303303

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