488:. The settlement encompasses the former gold mine of the same name. The mine became operational in 1902. In 1953, Blagojev Kamen had a population of 1,258, elementary school, cultural institutions, cinema, etc. The mine was closed in 1961 and the population tumbled down to 26 in 2011. When the reporters visited the place in 2019, only 10 people were in the village which was completely desolated and ruined. Though gold was excavated and acquired as byproduct on numerous locations throughout Serbia, Blagojev Kamen was the only proper gold mine in Serbia, where only gold was mined. An attempt to revive the production in the mid-1990s, ended in 2001 when the mine was again closed.
503:, and has survived until the 21st century, though the number of prospectors dropped. Wooden and modernized plastic pans are used. A thick sheep's fleece can be used for filtering of the sand, too. It takes an estimated 2 m (71 cu ft) of sand and sludge to be filtered in order to obtain 0.5 g (0.018 oz) of gold, if gold is present in the deposit brought by the river as the deposits of gold are at the depth of 4 to 5 m (13 to 16 ft). Discovered
29:
532:
construction of the new ventilation shafts, and that mine is not shut down. In May 2021, Zijin stated they fulfilled all requirements of the inspection, and even more, by cleaning some 300 metres (980 ft) of Mali Pek, one of Pek's two headstreams, from waste sediments which were building up for decades.
381:
In the final section, the Pek gently makes a big curve to the east. Braničevo is the lowest part of the Pek valley, so the river spills in several arms and passes next to many villages (Zelenik, Klenje, Mrčkovac, Miljević, Šuvajić, Donja Kruševica, Tribrode, Braničevo, Kusiće, before it empties into
526:
After the report on pollution became public, Zijin refused to communicate with anyone: local population and administration, environmentalist organizations and reporters. Unofficial reports from April 2021 showed that the company stopped discharging wastewater from the Jama mine in
Majdanpek, which
531:
stated that it was actually the government which temporary closed the mine, cause they sent an inspection to the Jama. Asked why the government didn't react earlier, she indirectly accused grand corruption. This prompted "Zijin" to issue a statement that the inspection only ordered halting of the
483:
After the 1950s, gold extraction switched to separation from the copper ore, while the traditional way of gold panning almost completely died out. The mining industry collapsed in Serbia since the 1990s. The most symptomatic example of this in the Pek valley is the village of
523:, allows them to discharge untreated wastewater. Measurements in March 2021, showed that concentrations of various elements were way over the allowed reference values, including sulfur, copper (doubled), manganese (10 times) and iron (12 times).
476:. The preparations began in 1930, and the excavator became operational on 12 October 1934. It was filtering 25 to 32 kg (55 to 71 lb) of gold per week. In total, it excavated some 7 tons of 22-carat gold before the outbreak of
428:
coalmine), but the river is famous for the gold which it brings from the mountains around
Majdanpek in small amounts, so from time to time, a media coverage of the gold findings (more often used as a publicity stunts) provoke
416:), but on a much lesser scale. Average discharge is 10.5 m³/s and the river's mouth is known for the Danube's inverse flow (during high levels, water from the Danube flows up the Pek).
607:
519:
complex are being discharged directly into the river. The pollution and murkiness of the river grew since the late 2010s. The contract with the
Chinese owner since 2018, the
373:), between the villages of Kaona and Turija. The river makes another elbow turn, next to the villages of Sena, Lješnica and Mišljenovac and enters Braničevo.
527:
was considered the main pollutant, with intention to solve the problem. Environmentalists considered this a victory. Then the
Minister of Mining and Energy
507:
are mostly small with some larger recorded from 5 to 28 g (0.18 to 0.99 oz), with the largest recorded nugget having 103 g (3.6 oz).
778:
189:. The river got a moniker Golden Pek, being one of the most gold-bearing rivers in Europe, with some of its tributaries bearing even more gold.
256:
572:
452:, but the extraction stopped during the Ottoman period, to be restored in the late 19th century. Austro-Hungarian naturalist and traveller
792:
85:
424:
The areas surrounding the Pek's course are rich in a variety of ores and minerals, like copper, iron, pyrite, zinc, wolfram and coal (
182:
448:
It is known that the Romans exploited gold from the river and its surrounding in the 2nd century. The exploitation was continued in
515:
Flowing through the mining and heavily industrialized areas, the river is notorious for the pollution for decades. Waters from the
252:
at the village of Debeli Lug. Measured from the Lipa source, Pek is 129 km long, measured from its own, 110 km.
412:
The river's course is characterized by many elbow turns, similar to the Danube's on this same section (most notably, the
851:
836:
822:
781:[Zijin: Mine Jama is not closed, halted construction of shafts] (in Serbian). Radio Television Vojvodina.
630:
317:
This section of the river course both begins and ends with a gorge. At the village of Rečica, the Pek enters the
472:
in search of gold. It was the second largest excavator in the world at the time, behind another gigantic one in
741:
652:
671:
603:
293:) from the right. The Pek continues to the north, curves between the mountains of Homolje and northern
266:
mountain, near the village of Lipa. It flows straight to the north, following the western side of the
856:
158:
541:
516:
186:
563:
528:
465:
277:
Shortly after the confluence of Lipa and Mali Pek, the river receives the small stream of
259:(or Valja Fundata), artificial body of water used as a tailing pond for the nearby mines.
8:
270:
mountain, next to the villages of Vlaole, Jasikovo (where it receives the left tributary
383:
832:
818:
576:
245:
500:
206:
449:
485:
406:
460:
was "Chrisovehia" (meaning "Old Gold", in
Serbian "Starozlatija"). During the
845:
580:
492:
100:
87:
797:[Zijin: all requirements of the inspecting team fulfilled in time].
263:
520:
496:
477:
453:
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461:
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who visited the Pek area in 1858, wrote that the old name of the town of
56:
267:
229:
779:"Ziđin: Rudnik Jama nije zatvoren, prekinuta gradnja okana za rudnik"
469:
430:
403:
346:
233:
145:
28:
457:
413:
358:
676:
294:
674:[When this magnet attracts you, its not letting you go].
297:, next to the villages of Blagojev Kamen and receives the rivers
244:). After a short course, the Pek reaches the western side of the
236:, one of the major mining centers of Serbia (city's name itself,
178:
262:
The Lipa (or Veliki Pek) springs out on the western side of the
174:
170:
141:
71:
44:
473:
166:
402:
The Pek drains an area of 1,236 km and belongs to the
762:[Mihajlović: We shut down "Zijin's" mine "Jama"].
725:[Precious metal on over 200 locations in Serbia].
255:
Near the confluence of the two rivers is the reservoir of
228:
The Mali Pek comes down from the northern slopes of the
794:Циђин: на време испуњени сви захтеви инспекцијског тима
361:
is located. The Pek continues to the north through the
345:), makes an elbow turn to the north at the village of
706:[Much luck and sweat for the crumb of gold].
628:
232:
mountain, flows to the southwest through the city of
760:Михајловићева: Затворили смо "Циђину" рудник "Јама"
701:
565:
Statistical
Yearbook of the Republic of Serbia 2017
386:. In this section, important left tributary is the
173:. It is a 129 km long right tributary of the
739:
655:[Gold-bearing Pek full of heavy metals].
650:
843:
723:Драгоцени метал на више од 200 локација у Србији
433:in the region. For this, the river is nicknamed
829:Enciklopedijski geografski leksikon Jugoslavije
669:
329:). The river receives from the left the stream
744:[Still no solution for polluted Pek].
197:The Pek originates from two major headwaters,
720:
646:
644:
573:Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia
624:
622:
620:
618:
616:
558:
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641:
766:(in Serbian). 14 April 2021. p. 12.
697:
695:
693:
691:
689:
687:
633:[Gold-painted eastern Serbia].
613:
599:
597:
553:
274:) and Leskovo before it meets the Pek.
844:
776:
704:До мрвице злата уз много среће и зноја
702:Miroslav Stefanović (4 August 2019).
801:(in Serbian). 7 May 2021. p. 10.
629:Mariota Vlasiavljević (2 July 2023).
684:
670:Ozren Milanović (18 November 2018).
594:
571:(in Serbian and English). Belgrade:
721:Darko Pejović (6 September 2020).
651:Olivera Milošević (20 March 2021).
376:
128:1,236 km (477 sq mi)
13:
817:, Third edition (1985); Prosveta;
742:"Još nema rešenja za zagađeni Pek"
740:Olivera Milošević (7 April 2021).
653:"Zlatonosni Pek pun teških metala"
468:dynasty was dredging the river at
464:, an excavator owned by the royal
397:
349:, leaves the gorge and enters the
14:
868:
672:"Taj magnet kad uhvati, ne pušta"
192:
177:, flowing through the regions of
27:
785:
770:
631:"Zlatom obojena Istočna Srbija"
382:the Danube east of the town of
312:
752:
733:
714:
663:
162:
79: • coordinates
1:
815:Mala Prosvetina Enciklopedija
710:(in Serbian). pp. 22–23.
547:
353:(Cyrillic: Кучевска котлина;
51:Physical characteristics
575:. October 2017. p. 16.
510:
357:) where the regional center
248:and flows in into the river
7:
535:
499:, is the most used type of
67: • location
10:
873:
827:Jovan Đ. Marković (1990):
808:
708:Politika-Magazin, No. 1140
635:Politika-Magazin, No. 1344
852:Tributaries of the Danube
748:(in Serbian). p. 22.
729:(in Serbian). p. 12.
680:(in Serbian). p. 12.
659:(in Serbian). p. 21.
637:(in Serbian). p. 21.
604:Velika Morava River Basin
337:) and from the right the
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793:
777:Tanjug (14 April 2021).
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722:
703:
542:List of rivers of Serbia
120:129 km (80 mi)
517:Serbia Zijin Bor Copper
419:
409:. It is not navigable.
831:; Svjetlost-Sarajevo;
610:, November 2009, p. 2
285:) from the left, and
101:44.76721°N 21.53561°E
355:Depression of Kučevo
301:from the right and
133:Basin features
97: /
106:44.76721; 21.53561
529:Zorana Mihajlović
495:, in the form of
388:Češljebarska reka
246:Homolje mountains
151:
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857:Rivers of Serbia
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501:gold prospecting
491:The traditional
392:Чешљебарска река
377:Braničevo region
351:Kučevska kotlina
323:Кучевска клисура
319:Kučevska klisura
272:Jagnjilo/Јагњило
207:Serbian Cyrillic
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159:Serbian Cyrillic
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398:Characteristics
384:Veliko Gradište
379:
367:Каонска клисура
363:Kaonska klisura
327:Gorge of Kučevo
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309:from the left.
242:Mine on the Pek
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16:River in Serbia
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486:Blagojev Kamen
421:
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407:drainage basin
399:
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371:Gorge of Kaona
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193:Homolje region
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493:placer mining
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584:. Retrieved
564:
525:
521:Zijin Mining
514:
505:gold nuggets
497:gold panning
490:
482:
478:World War II
466:Karađorđević
454:Felix Kanitz
447:
442:
438:
434:
425:
423:
411:
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370:
366:
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354:
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318:
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313:Zvižd region
306:
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257:Veliki Zaton
254:
249:
241:
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214:
210:
202:
198:
196:
154:
152:
462:Interbellum
437:(Cyrillic:
426:Rakova Bara
390:(Cyrillic:
365:(Cyrillic:
341:(Cyrillic:
333:(Cyrillic:
321:(Cyrillic:
307:Kisela Voda
289:(Cyrillic:
281:(Cyrillic:
169:in eastern
138:Progression
104: /
846:Categories
548:References
443:Golden Pek
439:Златни Пек
435:Zlatni Pek
264:Veliki Krš
238:Majdan-pek
223:Little Pek
211:Велики Пек
199:Veliki Pek
125:Basin size
92:21°32′08″E
89:44°46′02″N
581:0354-4206
511:Pollution
470:Neresnica
431:gold rush
404:Black Sea
347:Neresnica
234:Majdanpek
219:Great Pek
187:Braničevo
146:Black Sea
799:Politika
764:Politika
746:Politika
727:Politika
677:Politika
657:Politika
536:See also
287:Železnik
268:Mali Krš
240:, means
230:Liškovac
215:Мали Пек
203:Mali Pek
36:Location
809:Sources
335:Гложана
331:Gložana
299:Brodica
291:Желеник
283:Тодоров
279:Todorov
179:Homolje
165:) is a
41:Country
835:
821:
586:30 May
579:
458:Kučevo
414:Đerdap
359:Kučevo
175:Danube
171:Serbia
142:Danube
117:Length
72:Danube
61:
45:Serbia
608:ICPDR
569:(PDF)
474:India
343:Дајша
339:Dajša
303:Komša
295:Kučaj
183:Zvižd
167:river
57:Mouth
833:ISBN
819:ISBN
588:2018
577:ISSN
420:Gold
305:and
250:Lipa
221:and
213:and
201:and
185:and
153:The
445:).
394:).
225:).
163:Пек
155:Pek
22:Pek
848::
686:^
643:^
615:^
606:,
596:^
555:^
480:.
441:;
369:;
325:;
217:;
209::
181:,
161::
144:→
590:.
205:(
157:(
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