Gradska opstina Palilula

The Old Nis cemetery is located in the south of Nis, in the central part of Palilula. As early as the 18th century, on this site people were buried, and the time of its creation can not be accurately defined. Data from tombstones indicate the age of the cemetery. The oldest feature is from 1819, located in the western part. During the Turkish rule, the old cemetery belonged to the Serbian part of the settlement and outside the Turkish narrow and wider ramparts. The cemetery is elongated, with wider eastern entry and narrow western part and occupies over 17 hectares.

About 200 monuments have certain artistic or historical values, among them were eight sculptural monuments created after the war, and three were created before the war, as well as 11 medallions, eight deep reliefs and a hundred monuments of significant figures for the history and culture of the city. As authentic testimonies of personalities and events in Nis, by decision of the Municipal Assembly of Nis in 1983, eight graves in the “old cemetery” were placed under the protection of the Law. Here we are near the tomb with the monument to Atanasije Petrović – Teacher Tasa, a famous Nish teacher and warrior. The protection includes also the monuments of Nikola Kole Rašić, warrior against the Turks, organizer of the rebellion; Stanko Vlasotinčanin, trader and leader of the Niš Rebellion in 1841; Тоdor P. Stankovic, the organizer of the uprising in Nis and in the south of Serbia against the Turks; Serdar Jola Piletic, a Montenegrin hero, military leader and statesman of the 19th century; Milovan Nedić, Colonel, Commander of the Moravian Division since 1912; Pavle Stojkovic, leader and organizer of the workers’ movement in Serbia before the First World War and Proka Jovkic – Nestor Zucni, worker poet. By decision of the Executive Council of the Municipal Assembly of Nis No. 01-178 / 1-9-v of 21 June 1991, the entire complex of the Old Cemetery “Gorica” was declared a cultural asset and is under the protection of the state.

At the nineteenth meeting held in NKC on October 14, 2010, the members of the Municipal Assembly of the Municipal Municipality of Palilula issued a unanimous decision to initiate the initiative in the City Assembly of Nis to arrange the site of the Old Cemetery “Gorica” in a “Memorial park”. Based on the project of the Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments and the Institute for Urbanism, Palilula Municipality, with the support of the City of Nis, provided funds for the phase construction and fencing of the area. First works were completed at the “Eastern Gate” and then at the “Western Gate” of the Old Cemetery. Unfortunately, lasting protection and completion of works according to the project have not been completed, and the complex of the cemetery “Gorica”, which currently covers an area of 8 hectares, (more than 3.4 hectares is abandoned), the unprotected part some citizens continue to destroy, the parts of the fence and marble slabs , dispose of waste, vegetation quickly covers, up to then arranged space and grave sites. It has become a practice to get back to the very beginning of the “old cemetery” matter, because of this unresolved issue, it is said in Palilula Municipality. The Mayor of Nis, Darko Bulatović and the Niš Diocese, supported also the initiative of the Municipality of Palilula, and with the engagement of JKP “Medijana” the phase arrangement of this complex has started.