and Slovenes (future Yugoslavia). From 1918 to 1922, the village was part of the Syrmia County and from 1922 to 1929 part of the Syrmia Oblast. Bežanija became part of the wider Belgrade area for the first time in 1929 after coup d'état conducted by the king Alexander I of Yugoslavia, who, among other things, draw a new map of Yugoslavia's administrative division creating a new administrative unit Uprava grada Beograda or Administration of the City of Belgrade which comprised Belgrade, Zemun (with Bežanija) and Pančevo. Administrative area of the village of Bežanija was quite large at the time, stretching to the King Alexander Bridge, which was a dividing point between Bežanija and Zemun. It means it encompassed of what would be 2/3 of the area of modern New Belgrade. During World War II, from 1941 to 1944, the village was occupied by the Axis Powers and was attached to the Pavelić's Independent State of Croatia. After World War II, Bežanija became part of new socialist Serbia within restored Yugoslavia. It remained part of the Belgrade area but with its own municipality. As the construction of Novi Beograd began in 1948, municipality of Bežanija was abolished an annexed to the municipality of Novi Beograd in 1955 (itself established in 1952), becoming one of its local communities. Economy Bežanija is mostly residential area. Some very important industrial facilities are located in the areas geographically, though not administratively, parts of Bežanija: IMT and FOM factories, section of the Belgrade's Waterwoks and Sewage, Minel, etc. Commercial sector is developing recently, including a green market, several gas pumps, a stadium and several shopping malls (like Immo Idea). The major transmission grid's substation for western Belgrade is located in Bežanija and was heavily damaged during the NATO bombing of Serbia in 1999. The graphite bombs (or blackout bombs) were used. The major substation for eastern Belgrade, in Leštane was also bombed. In August 2021, city announced that Bežanija will be one of the termini of the second line of the planned subway system. Construction of the terminus in Bežanija was scheduled for 2023, and completion of the route, which will connect it to Mirijevo on the eastern outskirts of the city, is planned for 2030. In 2022, construction of the Bežanija reservoir was underway. Part of the Belgrade waterworks system, the reservoir will be the largest basin of drinking water in Southeast Europe. Features Cemeteries