Speleolog, Vol. 71 No. 1, 2023.
Professional paper
Abandoned military shelters near Markuševac
Vlado Božić
Abstract
Northeast of the center of Zagreb, north of the urban area of Markuševac, there is an area that was once occupied by the military, and where they built two underground shelters. The area covers a few square kilometers. In this area, there is also a small natural cave (Markuševačka špilja). Stone quarries were located in the southern part, and further north were the shelters. Each shelter had several entrances at the level of the access road and several entrances/exits above it, which served as secondary exits protected by bunkers, and as openings for natural ventilation. It is believed that both shelters were dug-out immediately after the end of World War II and were used by the Yugoslav People's Army (JNA), and that they were definitively abandoned by the Croatian Army after the Homeland War. Since then, both shelters have been occasionally used by private entrepreneurs who cultivated mushrooms inside them. The total length of the underground tunnels and halls of the Small Shelter is 418 m, while the length of the Big Shelter is 788 m. Some parts of the shelters were well-isolated, while others were not, leading to water penetrating the interior in some areas and creating flowstone overgrowth. The shelters gradually take on the characteristics of natural underground.
Keywords
Hrčak ID:
314787
URI
Publication date:
23.2.2024.
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