View source for Kikinda

{{Short description|City in the province of Vojvodina, Serbia}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2020}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name = Kikinda
| native_name = {{native name|sr-Cyrl|Кикинда|italics=off}}<br />
{{native name|hu|Nagykikinda}}<ref name="Statut">{{cite web|url=http://demo.paragraf.rs/demo/combined/Old/t/t2016_04/t04_0077.htm |title=Statut Grada Kikinde |trans-title=Kikinda City Statute |format= |access-date=12 February 2025 |language=sr |publisher=demo.paragraf.rs }}</ref>
| native_name_lang = sr
| official_name = City of Kikinda
| other_name = 
| settlement_type = [[List of cities in Serbia|City]]
| imagesize = 
| image_caption = 
| image_flag = Flag of Kikinda.svg
| image_shield = Велики грб Града Кикинде.svg
| image_skyline = {{multiple image
| border = infobox
| perrow = 1/2/3/2/2
| total_width = 260
| align = center
| caption_align = center
| image1 = Zgrada Skupštine opštine Kikinda 2.jpg
| caption1 = Kikinda City Hall
| image2 = Kikinda - panoramio.jpg
| caption2 = National Museum & [[Historical Archive of Kikinda|Archive]] of Kikinda
| image3 = Zgrada Velikokikindskog Dištrikta 02.jpg
| caption3 = Mammoth Kika sculpture
| image4 = Manastir Svete Trojice Kikinda 02.JPG
| caption4 = [[Monastery of the Holy Trinity, Kikinda|Monastery of the Holy Trinity]] 
| image5 = Kikinda main square Catholic church.jpg
| caption5 = Church of St. Francis of Assisi
| image6 = Reformatorska crkva u Kikindi.jpg
| caption6 = Reformation Church
| image7 = Pravoslavna crkva u centru Kikinde.jpg
| caption7 = Church of St. Nicholas
| image8 = Vila Rizenfelder u Kikindi.jpg
| caption8 = Villa Rizenfelder
| image9 = Suvača, Kikinda, Srbija. Pogled iz Nemanjine ulice.JPG
| caption9 = [[Suvača|Suvača- horse mill]]
| image10 = Sunset in Kikinda.jpg
| caption10 = Kikinda's pond
}}
| image_map = File:Municipalities of Serbia Kikinda.png
| mapsize = 
| map_caption = Location of the city of Kikinda (red) within Serbia
| coordinates = {{coord|45|50|N|20|27|E|region:RS|display=inline,title}}
| subdivision_type = Country
| subdivision_name = {{SRB}}
| subdivision_type1 = [[Administrative divisions of Serbia|Province]]
| subdivision_name1 = {{flag|Vojvodina}}
| subdivision_type2 = [[List of regions of Serbia|Region]]
| subdivision_name2 = [[Banat]]
| subdivision_type3 = [[Districts of Serbia|District]]
| subdivision_name3 = [[North Banat District|North Banat]]
| subdivision_type4 = [[Municipalities and cities of Serbia|Municipality]]
| subdivision_name4 = Kikinda
| established_title = Founded
| established_date = 
| established_title1 = City status
| established_date1 = {{Start date|2016|03|df=yes}}
| leader_party = [[Serbian Progressive Party|SNS]]
| leader_title = Mayor
| leader_name = Mladen Bogdan
| area_blank1_title = Urban
| area_blank1_km2 = 189.68
| area_blank2_title = Administrative
| area_blank2_km2 = 782.46
| area_rank = [[List of cities in Serbia|20th in Serbia]]
| population_as_of = 2022 census
| population_footnotes = <ref name=Census>{{Serbian census 2011}}</ref>
| population_rank = [[List of cities in Serbia|25th in Serbia]]
| population_blank1_title = Urban
| population_blank1 = 32,084
| population_density_blank1_km2 = auto
| population_blank2_title = Administrative
| population_blank2 = 49,326
| population_density_blank2_km2 = auto
| elevation_footnotes = 
| elevation_m = 78
| elevation_ft = 
| population_demonym = ''Kikinđani'',&nbsp;([[Serbian language|sr]])
| postal_code_type = Postal code
| postal_code = 23300
| area_code = [[Telephone numbers in Serbia|+381(0)230]]
| website = {{URL|kikinda.org.rs}}.
| timezone = [[Central European Time|CET]]
| utc_offset = +1
| timezone_DST = [[Central European Summer Time|CEST]]
| utc_offset_DST = +2
| blank_name = [[Vehicle registration plates of Serbia|Car plates]]
| blank_info = KI
| iso_code = SRB
| blank_name_sec1    = Official languages
| blank_info_sec1    = [[Serbian language|Serbian]] together with [[Hungarian language|Hungarian]] in Kikinda, [[Banatska Topola]], [[Rusko Selo]] and [[Sajan (Kikinda)|Sajan]]<ref name="Statut"/>
}}
 <!-- Infobox ends -->

'''Kikinda''' ({{lang-sr-Cyrl|Кикинда}}, {{IPA|sh|kǐkiːnda|pron}}; {{langx|hu|Nagykikinda}}) is a [[List of cities in Serbia|city]] and the administrative center of the [[North Banat District]] in [[Serbia]]. The city's urban area has 32,084 inhabitants, while the city administrative area has 49,326 inhabitants.

The city was founded in the 18th century. From 1774 to 1874 Kikinda was the seat of the [[District of Velika Kikinda]], an autonomous administrative unit of [[Habsburg monarchy]]. In 1893, Kikinda was granted the status of a city. The city became part of the [[Kingdom of Serbia]] (and [[Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes]]) in 1918, and it lost the city status. The status was re-granted in 2016.

In 1996, the well-preserved archaeological remnants of a half a million-year-old [[mammoth]] were excavated on the outer edge of the town area.<ref name=kika/> The mammoth called "Kika" has become one of the symbols of the town. Today it is exhibited in the National Museum of Kikinda. Other attractions of the city are the [[Suvača]] – a unique [[Horse mill|horse-powered dry mill]], the annual Pumpkin Days<ref name=dani/> and the International Symposium of Sculpture "Terra".<ref name=terra>[http://www.terra.rs/index-en.html The "TERRA" Centre for fine and applied arts] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100117124504/http://www.terra.rs/index-en.html |date=17 January 2010 }}</ref> The winter roosts of [[long-eared owl]]s, with a large number of individuals, are easily accessible as they are situated in town parks and attract birdwatchers both from this country and abroad.

==Name==
In [[Serbian language|Serbian]], the city is known as ''Kikinda'' (Кикинда), while in other languages it is called ''Great Kikinda'': in [[Hungarian language|Hungarian]] as ''Nagykikinda'', in German as ''Gross Kikinda'' or ''Großkikinda'', in [[Latin language|Latin]] as ''Magna Kikinda'', in [[Romanian language|Romanian]] as ''Chichinda Mare'', in [[Slovak language|Slovak]] as ''Kikinda'', in [[Pannonian Rusyn language|Rusyn]] as Кикинда, and in [[Croatian language|Croatian]] as ''Kikinda''. Until 1947 it was also known in Serbian as ''Great Kikinda'' — ''Velika Kikinda'' (Велика Кикинда).

The name of Kikinda is first found recorded at the beginning of the 15th century as ''Kokenyd'', and most probably denoted, together with the name ''Ecehida'', a number of small settlements, i.e. estates, firstly belonging to [[Magyars|Hungarian]] and later to [[Serbs|Serb]] local rulers. The name of the town first appears on a map of 1718 as ''Gross Kikinda'', indicating an uninhabited area or a [[:wikt:wasteland|wasteland]] and not a settlement. The adjective ''Gross'', ''Nagy'' or ''Velika'' (Great) in German, Hungarian and Serbian versions respectively, was in official use as the name of the town until the end of 1947.<ref name=ime>Kikinda Online: [http://www.kikinda.rs/default.asp?lang=cir&page=ogradu&option=istorija Istorija>NAZIV] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160309072022/http://kikinda.rs/default.asp?lang=cir&option=istorija&page=ogradu |date=9 March 2016 }} {{in lang|sr}}</ref>

==Coat of arms==
[[File:Kikinda City Hall Coat of arms.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Coat of arms on the City Hall]]
The official coat of arms of the city dates back to the Austrian rule and the 18th century. It is derived from the coat of arms of the [[District of Velika Kikinda]]<ref name=grb>http://www.kikinda.co.rs {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140726014300/http://www.kikinda.co.rs/ |date=26 July 2014 }}: [http://www.dj-media.net/moduli.php?naziv=prilozi&file=clanak&sid=1618 ''Blažić se stidi kikindskog grba'' (trans: ''Blažić Ashamed of the Kikinda Coat of Arms'')] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110719190447/http://www.dj-media.net/moduli.php?naziv=prilozi&file=clanak&sid=1618 |date=19 July 2011 }}, 30 June 2007 {{in lang|sr}}</ref> which was issued by [[Maria Theresa of Austria]] on 12 November 1774. The Coat of Arms represents a hand holding a [[sabre]] on which an [[Ottoman Turks|Ottoman Turkish]] head is impaled. It symbolizes the fight of Serbs and the majority ethnic Hungarians at that time, against the Turks during the [[Military Frontier]] period<ref name=grb/> and the military contributions of the population of Kikinda during the [[Ottoman wars in Europe|Austro-Ottoman Wars]].

In 2007, Branislav Blažić, then president of the municipality of Kikinda, asked for the change of the coat of arms, criticizing it for being "[[morbid]]".<ref name=grb/> The idea proved very controversial, and ultimately the coat was not changed. Most critics of Blažić stated that the coat of arms is a part of the history and tradition of Kikinda and so an important factor of the city identity.<ref name=grb/>

The severed head of a Turk is also one of the common symbols in [[Austrian heraldry|Austrian]] and [[Hungarian heraldry]]. It symbolizes the struggle of Serb soldiers of the Habsburg Empire ([[Austrian Empire]]) against the [[Ottoman Empire]] during the Austro-Ottoman Wars.<ref>[http://www.heraldica.org/topics/national/hungary.htm ''A Note on Hungarian Heraldry''] by François Velde, August 1998</ref>

==History==
{{unreferenced section|date=May 2011}}
The city of Kikinda is located on a territory rich in remains of old and bygone cultures. Numerous archeological findings are the testimony of people who lived here more than seven thousand years ago. However, the continuity of that duration was often broken. People arrived and departed, lived and disappeared, depending on various historical circumstances.

===Medieval history===
Two important medieval settlements existed near the location of modern Kikinda. The names of these settlements were Galad and Hološ.<ref>Milivoj Rajkov, Istorija grada Kikinde do 1918. godine, Kikinda, 2003, pages 14–16.</ref> Galad was one of the oldest [[Slavs|Slavic]] settlements in northern [[Banat]] and was built by Slavic duke [[Glad (duke)|Glad]] in the ninth century.<ref>Milivoj Rajkov, Istorija grada Kikinde do 1918. godine, Kikinda, 2003, pages 14–15.</ref> In 1337, Galad was recorded as settlement populated almost exclusively by [[Serbs]].<ref>Milivoj Rajkov, Istorija grada Kikinde do 1918. godine, Kikinda, 2003, page 15.</ref> This settlement was destroyed during the [[Habsburg monarchy|Austro]]-[[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]] wars at the end of 17th and beginning of the 18th century.<ref name="Milivoj Rajkov 1918. page 16">Milivoj Rajkov, Istorija grada Kikinde do 1918. godine, Kikinda, 2003, page 16.</ref>

Another settlement, Hološ (also known as Velika Holuša), was a local administrative centre in the 17th century, during the [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]] administration.<ref name="Milivoj Rajkov 1918. page 16"/> This settlement was also destroyed at the end of the 17th century.<ref>Milivoj Rajkov, Istorija grada Kikinde do 1918. godine, Kikinda, 2003, page 17.</ref>

According to some sources, an older settlement named Kekenj (Kekend, Keken) existed at this location.<ref name="Milivoj Rajkov 1918. page 27">Milivoj Rajkov, Istorija grada Kikinde do 1918. godine, Kikinda, 2003, page 27.</ref> In 1423 it was mentioned as the domain of Hungarian kings,<ref name=stefanovic>{{cite news | author = Miroslav Stefanović | script-title=sr: Познати по глини и лудаји | trans-title = Known for clay and pumpkins | newspaper = Politika-Magazin No. 1303 | pages = 18–19 | language = sr | date = 18 September 2022}}</ref> under the name of Kokenyd, and as a property of the Hungarian king [[Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor|Sigismund]].{{citation needed|date=May 2011}} In 1558, this settlement was populated by [[Serbs]].<ref name="Milivoj Rajkov 1918. page 27"/> It was deserted after the [[Banat Uprising]] in 1594.{{citation needed|date=May 2011}}

===Modern history===
[[File:Velika kikinda district seal.jpg|thumb|right|180px|Seal of the [[District of Velika Kikinda]]]]
[[File:Cross in the town square (Kikinda, Vojvodina - circa 1900).jpg|thumb|right|250px|Cross at the main square in Kikinda, at the beginning of the 20th century.]]
[[File:Kikinda Orthodox Church.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Orthodox Church]]
[[File:Kikinda, Main Street and Catholic Church.jpg|thumb|right|250px|The City Square and the Catholic Church]]
The history of modern Kikinda can be traced back for 250 years; by 1751–1752, when the area where the city is presently located began to be repopulated.<ref name="Milivoj Rajkov 1918. page 28">Milivoj Rajkov, Istorija grada Kikinde do 1918. godine, Kikinda, 2003, page 28.</ref><ref>Dr Slobodan Ćurčić, Naselja Banata – geografske karakteristike, Novi Sad, 2004, page 187.</ref> The Serbs settled in two waves.<ref name=stefanovic/> The first settlers were Serbs who served in border patrols of the Habsburg military. They were tasked with protecting the borders against the Ottomans along the rivers of the [[Moriš]] and the [[Tisza|Tisa]].<ref name="Milivoj Rajkov 1918. page 28"/> After the [[Treaty of Passarowitz|Požarevac]] peace treaty, where an agreement between the [[Habsburg monarchy]] and the [[Ottoman Empire]] was reached, the Ottomans lost the territory of [[Banat]], which led to huge job losses among the Serb population.{{citation needed|date=May 2011}} As a result, they founded a new settlement in an effort to make a living from [[agriculture]]. Some decades later, along with the Serbs, Germans ([[Banat Swabians]]), Hungarians, French and Jews also settled the area.<ref name=stefanovic/>

About twenty years after the establishment of the settlement, on 12 November 1774, the Austrian Empress [[Maria Theresa of Austria|Maria Theresa]], by way of a special charter, formed the [[Velikokikindski district|Velikokikindski privileged district]] – Regio-privilegiatus Districtus Magnokikindiensis, as a distinct feudal governmental administrative unit with headquarters in Kikinda.<ref>Jovan M. Pejin, Iz prošlosti Kikinde, Kikinda, 2000, page 34.</ref> Beside Kikinda, the district included another nine settlements of the Serb border military establishments in North and Central Banat: [[Srpski Krstur]], [[Jozefovo]] (today part of [[Novi Kneževac]]), [[Mokrin]], [[Karlovo (Banat)|Karlovo]] (today part of [[Novo Miloševo]]), [[Bašaid]], [[Vranjevo]] (today part of [[Novi Bečej]]), [[Melenci]], [[Kumane, Novi Bečej|Kumane]] and [[Taraš]]. During that period, the inhabitants of these places had substantial economic and even political privileges within the [[Habsburg monarchy]]. The District functioned, with some interruptions, until 1876 when it was abolished, and Kikinda was allocated both organizationally and administratively to the direct authority of the [[Torontal]] County with its headquarters in Veliki Bečkerek (today [[Zrenjanin]]), which covered most of the territory of present-day Serbian Banat.

In 1848/1849, the famous uprising of the Serbs in [[Vojvodina]] took place. Initially, Kikinda's citizens expressed, almost unanimously, social revolt, while later the uprising turned into a national one, and Kikinda became part of the [[Serbian Vojvodina|Serbian Voivodship]], a Serb autonomous region within the Austrian Empire. During the war, control over the city changed hands between the [[Serbian Vojvodina|Serbian]] and [[Kingdom of Hungary|Hungarian]] governments at the expense of great conflicts, which resulted in suffering and destruction.{{citation needed|date=May 2011}} It was one of the most difficult and most complex periods in the history of Kikinda. Between 1849 and 1860 Kikinda was part of the [[Voivodeship of Serbia and Temes Banat]], a separate Austrian crown land. In 1860, this crown land was abolished, and Kikinda was incorporated into Torontal county, in the [[Kingdom of Hungary]] after the [[compromise of 1867]].

A railway connecting [[Szeged]], Kikinda and [[Timișoara]] was built in 1857 and is the oldest railway on the territory of present-day Serbia and the entire southeast Europe, predating [[Belgrade]] by 27 years. Kikinda had 15,000 inhabitants at the time. The first train arrived on 15 November at 15:00 at the still unfinished railway station. The railway itself was part of a {{convert|700|km|abbr=on}} long railway [[Vienna]]-[[Bratislava]]-[[Budapest]]-Timișoara-[[Baziaș]], a spa town and port on the [[Danube]]. Days before the first train arrived, public drummers were announcing the event and huge crowds gathered at the arrival ceremony. But some complained. Farmers whose land was appropriated by the state for the route of the railway were not satisfied with the compensation they received. Others spread stories that the fumes from the locomotive are toxic, that sparks from the wheels will set grain fields on fire or that the sound of locomotive will scare the cattle. However, the railway brought an economic boom to Kikinda, as in the next five years industry began to develop, including steam mills and brickyards. When at the end of 19th century [[Veliki Bečkerek]] was linked directly to Szeged, bypassing Kikinda, the economy slowed down. In 1953 the connection with Szeged was cut as the bridge over the river [[Tisza]] was demolished. The connection to Timișoara was operational via [[railbuses]] until 2015. The Austrian emperor [[Franz Joseph I]] visited Kikinda in 1872 arriving by this railway and it was also used for the original [[Orient Express]] route. As of 2017, trains operate only as far as [[Subotica]] and [[Zrenjanin]].<ref>{{Citation | author = J.T. Crnogorac | title = Pre 160 godina zazviždao prvi banatski voz | trans-title = The first train to Banat whistled 160 years ago | newspaper = Politika | page = 20 | language = sr | date = 18 November 2017 }}</ref>

In 1893, Kikinda was declared a [[royal free city]].<ref name=stefanovic/> At the end of the 19th century Kikinda was the most densely inhabited place in [[Torontál County]], with 22,000 inhabitants.<ref name="joomla.kikindske.net">[http://joomla.kikindske.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=45&Itemid=23] {{dead link|date=September 2017|bot=InternetArchiveBot|fix-attempted=yes}}</ref> After the declaration of a free city, period from the end of the 19th century to the beginning of the [[World War I]] was a peaceful and fruitful one in the history of Kikinda and was marked by a strong economic and urban development of the city.<ref name=stefanovic/> Moreover, the core of the city was formed, and the city received a defined local government in 1895 (statute, senate, town representative, mayor (Karlo Radovan), etc.).{{citation needed|date=May 2011}} According to the 1910 census, the population of Kikinda numbered 26,795 inhabitants, of whom 14,214 (53.00%) spoke Serbian, 5,968 (22.27%) Hungarian, and 5,855 (21.85%) German.<ref>Milivoj Rajkov, Istorija grada Kikinde do 1918. godine, Kikinda, 2003, page 200.</ref>

A date around the end of the First World War (20 November 1918) denotes one of the most crucial moments in the modern history of Kikinda.{{citation needed|date=May 2011}} The entry of the Serbian army into the city represented the achievement of the Serbs of Kikinda in striving to unite with Serbia. From 1 December 1918, the city was part of the [[Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes]] (renamed [[Yugoslavia]] in 1929). However, the city suffered greatly in the economic realm, as it was located in the hinterland, between two borders, with lines of communication disconnected. The period between the two world wars was not a one of economic prosperity for the city. In 1921, the population of Kikinda numbered 25,774 people and included 15,000 (58%) Serbs and [[Croats]], 5,500 (21%) Germans ([[Banat Swabians]]), 4,000 (16%) [[Hungarians]], and 5% [[Romanians]].<ref name="joomla.kikindske.net"/><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.lsvki.freewebsitehosting.com/kikinda.htm |title=Free Website Hosting with FreeWebsiteHosting.com |publisher=Lsvki.freewebsitehosting.com |access-date=2013-03-26 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120323155006/http://www.lsvki.freewebsitehosting.com/kikinda.htm |archive-date=23 March 2012}}</ref> Between 1918 and 1922, Kikinda was part of Banat county, Between 1922 and 1929 it was part of [[Belgrade]] oblast, and between 1929 and 1941 it was part of [[Danube Banovina]].

[[File:Sinagoga u Kikindi.JPG|thumb|left|250px|Synagogue in Kikinda razed in 1953<ref>[http://www.elmundosefarad.eu/wiki/wiki/images/Spomenploca.jpg Place where Kikinda Synagogue once stood] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100303202355/http://www.elmundosefarad.eu/wiki/wiki/images/Spomenploca.jpg |date=3 March 2010 }}</ref>]]
During the [[Interbellum]], numerous public buildings were built. While the Historical Archive and the People's Museum moved into the old district building in 1876, new buildings were constructed for the city administration, other museums, a library, etc. Clergy House was built in 1939.<ref name=stefanovic/> After only twenty years of peace, in 1941 Kikinda entered the stormy period of World War II, during which it was occupied by German troops. The Banat region, which Kikinda belonged to, was made an autonomous region within Serbia and was placed under the control of the region's German minority. The city was liberated on 6 October 1944,{{citation needed|date=May 2011}} and since 1945, it has been part of the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina within the new [[SFRY|Socialist Yugoslavia]].

During and after the war, the city's economic and political organizational structure significantly changed. In addition, there were major changes in the ethnic structure of the city. The German (about 22%) and Jewish (about 2%) populations vanished. In 1940, there were about 500 Jews in the town.{{citation needed|date=May 2011}} In August 1941, they were deported to the [[Sajmište concentration camp|Sajmište]] death camp near [[Belgrade]] and murdered. In 1944, one part of the German population fled the region, together with the defeated German army. Between 1944 and 1948, those who remained were detained in work camps. After the abolition of the camps, most of the remaining German population left for Austria and Germany in search of better living conditions.<ref>Nenad Stefanović, Jedan svet na Dunavu, Beograd, 2003, pages 175–176.</ref> In 1948, shortly after the end of World War II, Kikinda had a population of 28,070.<ref>Columbia-Lippincott Gazetteer (1951) p. 944</ref> From the mid-1960s to the mid-1980s, the city saw continuous economic and cultural development: new factories and production plants, new blocks of flats and residential neighbourhoods, various objects of general social interest, and paved streets definitely stressed and formed the urban dimension of Kikinda. In 1971 the city had a population of 37,487.<ref>''Britannica'', 15th Ed. (1984) Vol. 5, p. 805.</ref>

In March 2016, Kikinda was again granted city status.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.b92.net/info/vesti/index.php?yyyy=2016&mm=02&dd=29&nav_category=11&nav_id=1102137 | title=Pirot, Kikinda i Vršac dobili status grada | publisher=[[B92]] | date=29 February 2016 | access-date=5 March 2016 |trans-title=Pirot, Kikinda and Vršac Awarded City Status}}</ref>

==Greater Kikinda area==
[[File:Kikinda2.JPG|thumb|250px|Panorama of Kikinda]]
[[File:Kikinda mun.png|thumb|300px|Map of the City of Kikinda]]

The City of Kikinda comprises the town of Kikinda, nine villages and two [[Hamlet (place)|hamlets]]. The nine villages are:
* [[Banatska Topola]]
* [[Banatsko Veliko Selo]]
* [[Bašaid]]
* [[Iđoš]]
* [[Mokrin]]
* [[Nakovo]]
* [[Novi Kozarci]]
* [[Rusko Selo]]
* [[Sajan (village)|Sajan]] ({{langx|hu|Szaján}})

The two [[Hamlet (place)|hamlets]] are:
* [[Bikač]], officially part of [[Bašaid]]
* [[Vincaid]], officially part of [[Banatska Topola]]

Note: for settlements with a Hungarian majority, the name is also given in Hungarian.

The city belongs to the group of so-called planned organized settlements.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.biserka.in.rs/page60.html|title=AN ORGANIZED VILLAGE|first=Biserka|last=Ilijasev|website=Biserka.in.rs|access-date=28 December 2017}}</ref> Plans of streets and crossroads were completed in the second half of the 18th century according to the standard city plans of the time used for the construction of new settlements in Banat.{{citation needed|date=May 2011}} Those plans defined settlements with regularly lined and wide streets intersecting at right angles, with a central town square, market place, church, city hall, school, inn, etc.

==Demographics==
{{Historical populations
| type = 
| percentages = pagr
|1948|64251 |1953|64685 |1961|68562 |1971|68915 |1981|69864 |1991|69743 |2002|67002 |2011|59453 |2022|49326
| source = <ref>{{cite web|title=2011 Census of Population, Households and Dwellings in the Republic of Serbia|url=http://pod2.stat.gov.rs/ObjavljenePublikacije/Popis2011/Knjiga20.pdf|website=Stat.gov.rs|publisher=Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia|access-date=11 December 2017}}</ref>
}}
According to the last official census done in 2011, the city of Kikinda has 59,453 inhabitants.

===Ethnic groups===
{{See also|Serbs in Vojvodina|Hungarians in Vojvodina|Romani people of Vojvodina|List of Hungarian communities in Vojvodina}}

Most of the settlements in the city have an ethnic Serb majority, while one settlement has a [[Magyars|Hungarian]] ethnic majority: [[Sajan (village)|Sajan]] (Hungarian: Szaján). Two others have over 20% of ethnic Hungarian population: [[Banatska Topola]] and [[Rusko Selo]].

The ethnic composition of city administrative area:<ref>{{cite web|title=Попис становништва, домаћинстава и станова 2011. у Републици Србији|url=http://pod2.stat.gov.rs/ObjavljenePublikacije/Popis2011/Nacionalna%20pripadnost-Ethnicity.pdf|website=stat.gov.rs|publisher=Republički zavod za statistiku|access-date=10 April 2019}}</ref>
{|class="wikitable"
|-
! Ethnic group
! Population
|-
|style="background:#F5F5DC;"|[[Serbs]]||align="right"|44,846
|-
|style="background:#F5F5DC;"|[[Hungarians in Serbia|Hungarians]]||align="right"|7,270
|-
|style="background:#F5F5DC;"|[[Romani people in Serbia|Roma]]||align="right"|1,981
|-
|style="background:#F5F5DC;"|[[Yugoslavs in Serbia|Yugoslavs]]||align="right"|331
|-
|style="background:#F5F5DC;"|[[Croats of Serbia|Croats]]||align="right"|204
|-
|style="background:#F5F5DC;"|[[Macedonians in Serbia|Macedonians]]||align="right"|126
|-
|style="background:#F5F5DC;"|[[Montenegrins of Serbia|Montenegrins]]||align="right"|99
|-
|style="background:#F5F5DC;"|[[Romanians of Serbia|Romanians]]||align="right"|95
|-
|style="background:#F5F5DC;"|[[Germans]]||align="right"|87
|-
|style="background:#F5F5DC;"|[[Albanians in Serbia|Albanians]]||align="right"|75
|-
|style="background:#F5F5DC;"|[[Muslims (ethnic group)|Muslims]]||align="right"|74
|-
|style="background:#F5F5DC;"|Others||align="right"|4,265
|- class="sortbottom"
|style="background:#F0F0F0;"|'''Total'''||align="right"|59,453
|}

==Economy==
The principal branch of the city's economy is agriculture, with its {{convert|598.17|km2|2|abbr=out}} of arable land. The annual production of wheat is about 60,000 tons, 114,670 tons of [[sunflower seed]]s. [[soybean|Soy]], [[sugar beet]] and other fruits and vegetables are also produced.

Industrial production includes the production of oil derivatives by the "Naftagas" branch in Kikinda, metal processing, machine tools, special tools, car parts and flexible technologies by the former "Livnica Kikinda" (metal foundry) and [[IDA-Opel]] (now owned by [[Slovenia]]n [[Cimos Koper]]), roof tile and brick production by "Toza Marković",<ref name=stefanovic/> the production of chemicals by "MSK"<ref name=stefanovic/> and "Hemik" and the processing of agricultural products by a number of factories.

The following table gives a preview of total number of registered people employed in legal entities per their core activity (as of 2018):<ref name="stats18">{{cite web|title=MUNICIPALITIES AND REGIONS OF THE REPUBLIC OF SERBIA, 2019.|url=https://publikacije.stat.gov.rs/G2019/PdfE/G201913046.pdf|website=stat.gov.rs|publisher=[[Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia]]|date=25 December 2019|access-date=28 December 2019}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size:95%;"
|-
! Activity
! Total
|-
|Agriculture, forestry and fishing||align="right"|565
|-
|Mining and quarrying||align="right"|102
|-
|Manufacturing||align="right"|4,669
|-
|Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply||align="right"|139
|-
|Water supply; sewerage, waste management and remediation activities||align="right"|221
|-
|Construction||align="right"|532
|-
|Wholesale and retail trade, repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles||align="right"|1,880
|-
|Transportation and storage||align="right"|603
|-
|Accommodation and food services||align="right"|428
|-
|Information and communication||align="right"|149
|-
|Financial and insurance activities||align="right"|175
|-
|Real estate activities||align="right"|34
|-
|Professional, scientific and technical activities||align="right"|329
|-
|Administrative and support service activities||align="right"|428
|-
|Public administration and defense; compulsory social security||align="right"|714
|-
|Education||align="right"|908
|-
|Human health and social work activities||align="right"|1,367
|-
|Arts, entertainment and recreation||align="right"|212
|-
|Other service activities||align="right"|257
|-
|Individual agricultural workers||align="right"|487
|- class="sortbottom"
|'''Total'''||align="right"|'''14,200'''
|}

===Transport===
Rail line [[Banatsko Aranđelovo]] – Kikinda – Romanian border at [[Jimbolia]], part of the former [[Szeged]] – [[Timișoara]] railway is the second oldest railway in present-day Serbia.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://geocities.com/hvithrafn/jz/const.html |title=Construction of Railway Lines in Slovenia |access-date=2013-03-26 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091027072400/http://geocities.com/hvithrafn/jz/const.html |archive-date=27 October 2009 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.zeleznicesrbije.com/active/sr-latin/home/glavna_navigacija/o_preduzecu/istorijat_zeleznice.html |title=ŽELEZNICE SRBIJE – Istorijat železnice |publisher=Zeleznicesrbije.com |date=1970-05-31 |access-date=2013-03-26 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130408084508/http://www.zeleznicesrbije.com/active/sr-latin/home/glavna_navigacija/o_preduzecu/istorijat_zeleznice.html |archive-date=8 April 2013}}</ref> The city is also connected by railway to [[Subotica]] and to [[Belgrade]] via [[Zrenjanin]].

Regional roads connect Kikinda with all the neighbouring cities and villages. Buses operate regularly to the surrounding villages and major domestic and some European cities.

The only transport waterway in the city is the [[Danube-Tisa-Danube Canal]]. There is a dock which is used for industrial transport.

There is also the [[Kikinda Airfield]], a recreational aerodrome near the city.<ref>[http://www.aeroklubkikinda.rs/Info_eng.htm] {{Dead link|date=April 2010}}</ref> The local flying club organizes lessons in parachuting, aviation and space-modeling. "Cropduster" planes are also flown from this airstrip to spray agricultural fields.{{cn|date=December 2022}}

==Education==
;Primary schools
There are eight primary schools in the city:
* ''Đura Jakšić'' Primary School [http://www.djurajaksic.edu.rs]. Language of instruction: Serbian.
* ''Feješ Klara'' Primary School. Language of instruction: Serbian and Hungarian.
* ''Jovan Popović'' Primary School. Language of instruction: Serbian.
* ''Sveti Sava'' Primary School [http://www.svetisava.edu.rs]. Languages of instruction: Serbian and Hungarian.
* ''Vuk Karadžić'' Primary School. Language of instruction: Serbian.
* ''Žarko Zrenjanin'' Primary School. Language of instruction: Serbian.
* ''6 October'' Special Primary School. School for children with special needs. Language of instruction: Serbian.
* ''Slobodan Malbaški'' Primary [[Music school]]. Language of instruction: Serbian.

;Secondary schools
All secondary schools in Kikinda use Serbian as the language of instruction:
* [[Dušan Vasiljev Gymnasium, Kikinda|Dušan Vasiljev Gymnasium]], founded in 1858. Students can choose between four main courses: socio-linguistic, mathematics and natural sciences, informatics and general.
* [http://www.tehskola-ki.edu.rs/ Technical School]{{Dead link|date=June 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20160303183423/http://www.ekonomska-ki.znanje.info/ Economics and Trade Secondary School]
* ''Miloš Crnjanski'' Secondary [[Vocational School]]. The school offers courses in food processing, building, and health sciences.
* Higher School for the Education of Teachers

;Free schools
* ''Pionir'' free school [https://pionir.org]. Integral education. Students learn about technology, ethics and digital humanities. Language of instruction: Serbian and English

==Culture==
===Cultural institutions===
[[File:Narodni muzej Kikinda 130.jpg|thumb|right|200px|National Museum, Kikinda]]
Situated in the city square, the building of the [[National Museum of Kikinda]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.muzejkikinda.com/|title=National Museum of Kikinda|website=Muzejkikinda.com|access-date=28 December 2017}}</ref> was built in 1839. In the beginning, the building served as the city [[curia]] and the seat of the [[Velikokikindski district|District of Velika Kikinda]] until its abolishment in 1876. In 1946, the National Museum of Kikinda and the City Archive [https://web.archive.org/web/20121013002318/http://www.kiarhiv.org.rs/] were founded and housed in the building. The Museum boasts numerous artifacts which are displayed in its four sections: archeological, historical, ethnological and naturalist. As of recently, it also possesses a [[mammoth]] skeleton<ref name=kika>{{cite web|url=http://www.kika-mamut.com/|title=KIKA – OnLine|first=Dusko Milicev|last=(Duk)|website=Kika-mamut.com|access-date=28 December 2017}}</ref> which was excavated on the grounds of the "Toza Marković" brick factory in 1996.

The ''Jovan Popović'' National Library was founded in 1845 as ''Čitaonica Srbska'' (Serbian Reading Room). It was renamed in 1952 to ''[[Jovan Popović (writer)|Jovan Popović]]'' in honor of a prominent poet from Kikinda. Besides serving its primary function of loaning books, the library also organizes literary meetings, book promotions, seminars, lectures, exhibitions, and has published several works.<ref>Kikinda Online: [https://web.archive.org/web/20221130195404/http://www.kikinda.rs/default.asp?lang=lat&page=ogradu&option=kulturneinstitucije&level=biblioteka Narodna biblioteka "Jovan Popović"] {{in lang|sr}}</ref>

Although the National Theater in Kikinda was founded only 50 years ago, Kikinda has a long theatrical tradition. Kikinda witnessed its first theatrical play in 1796 in German. The first play in Serbian was performed in 1834. The theater has a continuous program all year round, including the summer when the stage is set up outside, in the yard of the theater.<ref>Kikinda Online: [http://www.kikinda.rs/default.asp?lang=lat&page=ogradu&option=kulturneinstitucije&level=pozoriste Narodno pozorište] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160308112120/http://kikinda.rs/default.asp?lang=lat&level=pozoriste&option=kulturneinstitucije&page=ogradu |date=8 March 2016}}</ref>

The most famous band is ''Downstroy'' formed in 2004. In 2007, the group was the first in the history of the ex-YU to perform at one of the biggest heavy metal festivals in the world - [[Wacken Open Air]]. In 2022, ''Downstroy'' received an invitation to perform on the main stage of the [[Exit (festival)|EXIT]] festival, which was the first time a performer from Kikinda had succeeded.

===Manifestations===
The Pumpkin Days (''Дани лудаје/Dani ludaje'' in Serbian) are an annual manifestation that takes place in mid-October.<ref name=dani>KIKA Online: [http://www.kika-mamut.com/default.asp?lang=lat&page=project&level=partneri&kind=dani_ludaje Dani ludaje u Kikindi...] {{in lang|sr}}</ref> Every year people from all over the region gather in Kikinda to take part in a competition of who has the largest pumpkin and longest [[gourd]]. The term {{lang|sr|ludaja}} is specific to the Kikinda region, while the common Serbian word for pumpkin is {{lang|sr|bundeva}}. Kikinda has a special relationship with this plant because throughout its history, the locals used to say that one had to stand on a pumpkin while working in the fields in order to get a clear view of the whole city.<ref name=stefanovic/> This exaggeration is supposed to depict the flatness of the city's territory and symbolize the joy of finding way back home. A local man standing on a pumpkin, dressed in a traditional attire, and with his hand blocking the sun so that he can see into the distance, thus became the symbol of the region. A group of local enthusiasts started the Pumpkin Days celebration in 1986 and it quickly started attracting pumpkin and gourd lovers from all over the country. The three-day event also includes lectures and seminars on the advancement of pumpkin and gourd cultivation, a culinary competition in preparing meals from pumpkins and gourds, children's competitions in creating masks and sculptures, and various concerts and exhibitions. Over the past few years this event has gained prominence and has drawn visitors from Hungary, Romania and the former [[Yugoslavia|Yugoslav republics]]. In 2006 the event celebrated its 20th anniversary and had the largest number of visitors so far, as well as a richer program. A [[tamburitza]] festival was included in the event, contributing to the authentic Banat experience.

In 2019, records in both categories were set - the largest pumpkin weighed {{convert|639.5|kg}}, while the longest gourd was {{convert|366|cm}} in length.<ref name=stefanovic/> However, in 2022, a pumpkin with {{convert|716.5|kg}} was measured.<ref>{{cite news | author = Lidija Vučković, Branislav Ugrinov | title = 37. Dani ludaje u Kikindi - bundeva teška 716,5 kilograma apsolutna rekorderka | trans-title = 37th Ludaja Days in Kikinda - pumpkin heavy 716,5 kilograms set absolut record | publisher = Radio Television Vojvodina | language = sr | date = 17 September 2022 | url = https://rtv.rs/sr_lat/vojvodina/banat/37.-dani-ludaje-u-kikindi_1374323.html}}</ref>

Every year, since 1982, six to eight world-renowned sculptors are invited to Kikinda, to the premises of an old production plant of the "Toza Marković" brick factory, to take part at the international [[symposium]] of sculpture "Terra".<ref name=terra/> Work area has {{convert|600|m2}} and a {{convert|2.5|m}} tall furnace for baking sculptures.<ref name=stefanovic/> The symposium takes place throughout the month of July. Over the years, "Terra" has hosted sculptors from all corners of the world who are drawn by the unique and peaceful ambience of the studio. All sculptures are done in [[terracotta]] and some have appeared at the [[Venice Biennale]]. Over 300 sculptors have so far participated at the symposium and together have produced more than 500 sculptures. The "Terra" museum was opened on 5 December 2017. A building of the old riding hall (''manjež''), built in 1871, was converted into a museum by sculptor Slobodan Kojić. When built, ''manjež'' served for the horse training of the Austro-Hungarian army and was the second largest such facility in the empire, after the one in Vienna. The exhibits, works of over 300 artists from all over the world since 1982, belong both to large and gallery format sculptures. The "Terra" exhibition is the largest collection of large size terracotta sculptures in the world and the first new museum of the contemporary art in Serbia since 1967.<ref>{{Citation | author = J.T.C. | title = "Tera" – jedinstveni muzej u svetu | trans-title = "Tera" – unique museum in the world | newspaper = Politika | page = 6 | language = sr | date = 7 December 2017 }}</ref> Previously proposed locations were within the brickyard complex, old brickyard II and old drier, but the adaptation of ''manjež'' began in 2012. There are over 1,000 sculptures in the exhibition space of {{convert|2100|m2|abbr=on}}. Previously, the collection was shown in Venice, Paris, Ljubljana and Belgrade. Several sculptures are permanently exhibited in the parks of Kikinda and Belgrade, while 5 monumental ones were donated to Venice after the 1999 [[Venice Biennale]].<ref>{{Citation | author = Ljiljana Ćinkul | title = Energija gline u novom muzeju | trans-title = Energy of clay in new museum | newspaper = Politika-Kulturni dodatak, year LXI, No. 35 | page = 05 | language = sr | date = 9 December 2017}}</ref>

===Media===
;Newspapers
* ''[http://www.kikindske.rs/ Nove Kikindske Novine]'', weekly newspaper. Printed in Serbian, using the [[Cyrillic]] alphabet, with a supplement in Hungarian.{{citation needed|date=May 2011}}

;TV stations
* ''[https://web.archive.org/web/20160302181102/http://www.rtv-vk.rs/ TV VK]'', independent TV station, ceased broadcasting in November 2016.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.rtv.rs/sr_lat/vojvodina/kikinda/kikindska-televizija-vk-prestala-da-radi_775287.html|title=Kikindska televizija VK prestala da radi|website=Radio-televizija Vojvodine|access-date=2016-11-17}}</ref>
* ''[http://www.tvrubin.rs/ TV Kikinda (ex TV Rubin)]'', TV station favoring the local government.{{citation needed|date=May 2011}}

;Radio stations
* ''[https://web.archive.org/web/20160302181102/http://www.rtv-vk.rs/ VK Radio]'' (frequency: 98.3&nbsp;MHz), independent regional radio station, ceased broadcasting in November 2016.
* ''[https://web.archive.org/web/20091026152713/http://www.radiokikinda.rs/ Radio Kikinda]'' (frequency: 93.3 МHz, ceased broadcasting in January 2016.), state-owned local station, which broadcast programs in both Serbian and Hungarian
* ''[http://www.amiradio.rs/ Radio Ami]'' (frequency: 89.7 МHz), local commercial pop music radio station

== Tourism ==
[[File:Nagykikinda, városháza.png|thumb|Townhall]]
Before the break-up of former [[Yugoslavia]], hunting tourism was widespread in Kikinda. There are a number of hunting grounds in the city covering an area of {{convert|300|km2|0|abbr=out}}, mostly around the banks of the [[Danube-Tisa-Danube Canal]], where rabbits, [[pheasants]] and [[deer]] are hunted.

On the location of the former [[clay pit]] of the "Toza Marković" company, an artificial lake was created. Located at the southern entrance into the town, it was named ''Plava banja'' ("Blue Spa"). Though it is not officially classified as a spa, the water is highly mineralized, microbiologically suitable for swimming and chemically has an elevated levels of [[sulfates]] and [[chlorides]], so as higher [[electroconductivity]] and [[pH]] values. That means the water may be beneficial for the skin and some skin diseases, like the [[eczema]]. Until the early 2000s, the lake was arranged with numerous recreational activities and was visited by several thousand people daily. It was busy in the evenings as the lake was place for many concerts and other artistic and entertaining happenings. As the lake is on the lot of "Toza Marković", new owners stopped all that and by 2017 the lake was neglected and without even the basic infrastructure (showers, toilets, etc.). However, the locals still visit the lake, though on a much smaller scale. In the summer of 2017, the lake shores were cleaned from garbage and vegetation.<ref>{{Citation | author = J.T. Crnogorac | title = Kupači ne odustaju od Plave banje | newspaper = [[Politika]] | pages = 22 | language = sr | date = 26 July 2017}}</ref>

There is another lake, ''Staro jezero'' ("Old Lake"), in the town itself. It is a remnant of the former river Galacka, part of the [[Mureș (river)|Mureș]] river system. The river was diverted at a time, partially channeled and conducted underground, so there is no river in Kikinda today. In the city, there is a park called Blandaš, which was declared a natural monument. The tree line along the {{convert|2|km|abbr=on}} long Generala Drapšina Sreet is made up of 400 trees, and the street was declared the 22nd most beautiful street in the world by the ''Architecture and Design'' magazine. The tree line was planted after the World War II, even before the war ended in the rest of Europe and Yugoslavia. It is believed that the seedlings were a gift from the U.S. president [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]], due to his friendship with [[Mihajlo Pupin]].<ref name=stefanovic/>

In the vicinity of Kikinda is the [[Copper Age]] [[kurgan]] of [[Kinđa]], which possibly gave name to the city.

=== Main sights ===
[[File:Mamut Kiki.jpg|thumb|250px|''Kika the mammoth'', faithful replica reconstruction of the mammoth skeleton excavated in 1996, National Museum of Kikinda. Original bones can be seen in the museum.]]

The [[Suvača]] is a [[Horse mill|horse-powered dry mill]]. Kikinda has one of the three remaining such mills in Europe (the other two being in [[Szarvas]], Hungary and [[Otok, Vukovar-Srijem County|Otok]]). There were many mills like this in the city: 17 in 1781, 32 in 1801, with the largest recorded number being 51 in 1847. The only remaining mill was built in 1899 and was operational until 1945.<ref name=stefanovic/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kikindskimlin.co.rs/mlinnekad-suvaca.htm|title=Kikindski mlin AD – Kikindska suvača|website=Kikindskimlin.co.rs|access-date=28 December 2017}}</ref>

Located in the center of the square, the [[Serbian Orthodox]] church was built in 1769. The icons of the iconostasis were done by [[Jakov Orfelin]] (nephew of [[Zacharius Orfelin]]) in 1773. [[Teodor Ilić Češljar]] is the author of the two large wall paintings "The Last Supper" and "Ascension of Jesus Christ" (1790). Both, the late baroque [[iconostasis]] and the wall paintings show significant influence of western European art of the period. New church bells were installed in 1899.

The small Vodice church was built in 1865. On an elevated plateau above it, four water wells were dug. The complex was declared a cultural monument.<ref name=stefanovic/> The [[Serbian Orthodox]] [[Holy Trinity monastery (Kikinda)|Holy Trinity monastery]] is located in the southern outskirts of the city. It was built between 1885 and 1887 as a foundation of Melanija Nikolić-Gajčić. The construction of the Roman Catholic Church in Kikinda was started in 1808 and completed in 1811.

According to a popular belief, the treasure of [[Attila the Hun]] is buried somewhere on the territory of the city of Kikinda.

Fossil remains of a mammoth, named Kika, were discovered in 1996 in the [[clay pit]] of the "Toza Marković" company. Kika was a female, {{convert|4.7|m|abbr=on}} tall, {{convert|7|m|abbr=on}} long with an estimated weight of {{convert|7|t|abbr=on}}. The tusks are {{convert|3.5|m|abbr=on}} long. That makes Kika one of the largest mammoth specimens ever discovered. It is still not determined to which mammoth species it belongs.<ref name=stefanovic/><ref>{{Citation | author = Ana Vuković | title = Divovi geološke prošlosti na Kalemegdanu | trans-title = Giants from the geology history (exhibited) on Kalemegdan | newspaper = Politika | page = 14 | language = sr | date = 25 November 2017}}</ref>

Among the birdwatchers Kikinda is known as the prime hotspot for observing winter roosts of [[long-eared owl]] with large number of individuals. Kikinda has been nicknamed the Serbian owl capital. The roosts are situated in city parks so they are easily accessible. In November 2017, 238 owls were numbered while the record was set in 2009 when 743 birds were counted in the town. At one point, 145 owls were counted on only one tree. The [[BBC]] crews visited Kikinda in 2015 and 2018, filming documentaries about the wild animals in urban areas and focusing on the owls.<ref name=stefanovic/><ref>{{cite news | author = J.T. Crnogorac | title = Sove ponovo dovele Bi-Bi-Si u Kikindu | trans-title = Owl brought BBC back to Kikinda | newspaper = Politika | page = 14 | language = sr | date = 4 February 2018 | url = http://www.politika.co.rs/sr/clanak/397744/Sove-ponovo-dovele-Bi-Bi-Si-u-Kikindu }}</ref>

==Notable citizens==
* [[Mika Antić|Miroslav Mika Antić]], poet<ref name=stefanovic/>
* [[Radivoj Berbakov]], painter
* [[Albert Bogen]] (Albert Bógathy; 1882–1961), Kikinda-born Austrian Olympic silver medalist saber fencer<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/bo/albert-bogathy-1.html |title=Albert BÃ³gathy Bio, Stats, and Results &#124; Olympics at Sports-Reference.com |website=www.sports-reference.com |access-date=13 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200417230740/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/bo/albert-bogathy-1.html |archive-date=17 April 2020 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
* [[Predrag Bubalo]], politician, former Government minister
* [[Dajana Butulija]], professional basketball player, Olympic bronze medalist and European champion
* [[Branimir Brstina]], actor, from nearby [[Banatsko Novo Selo]]<ref name=stefanovic/>
* [[Vesna Čipčić]], actress, was raised and schooled in Kikinda<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.blic.rs/kultura/vesti/glumica-vesna-cipcic-dobila-plaketu-kikinde/bsh7vj7 | title=Glumica Vesna Čipčić dobila plaketu Kikinde | publisher=Blic | date=20 March 2017 | access-date=29 January 2018}}</ref>
* [[Jovan Ćirilov]], [[dramaturge]], poet, writer<ref name=stefanovic/>
* [[Dimitrije Injac]], professional football player
* [[Đura Jakšić]], poet and painter, lived in Kikinda for some time
* [[Branislav Lala Kovačev]], jazz musician, drummer
* [[Milivoj Jugin]], aeronautical enginner<ref name=stefanovic/>
* [[Mladen Krstajić]], former football player of football club [[FK Partizan|Partizan Belgrade]]
* [[Maja Latinović]], supermodel
* [[Jovan Popović (writer)|Jovan Popović]], poet<ref name=stefanovic/>
* [[Srđan Srdić]], writer
* [[Vasa Stajić]], writer and philosopher (from nearby Mokrin)<ref name=stefanovic/>
* [[Aleksandra Stanaćev]], basketball player, born in Kikinda
* [[Srđan V. Tešin]], writer and journalist
* [[Dušan Vasiljev]], poet<ref name=stefanovic/>
* [[Goran Živkov]], politician

==Twin towns – sister cities==
{{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in Serbia}}
Kikinda is [[Twin towns and sister cities|twinned]] with:<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.kikinda.org.rs/index.php?language=lat&page=ogradu&option=bratskigradovi | title=Bratski gradovi | publisher=Grad Kikinda | access-date=18 August 2019 | language=sr}}</ref>
{|class="wikitable"
|- valign="top"
|
* {{flagicon|NOR}} [[Narvik Municipality|Narvik]], Norway
* {{flagicon|ISR}}  [[Nazareth-Illit|Nazareth Illit]], Israel
* {{flagicon|BIH}} [[Bihać]], Bosnia and Herzegovina
* {{flagicon|BIH}}  [[Prijedor]], Bosnia and Herzegovina
* {{flagicon|ROU}}  [[Reșița]], Romania
||
* {{flagicon|ROU}} [[Jimbolia]], Romania
* {{flagicon|ROU}} [[Medgidia]], Romania
* {{flagicon|HUN}} [[Kiskunfélegyháza]], Hungary
* {{flagicon|HUN}} [[Kondoros]], Hungary
* {{flagicon|HUN}} [[Nagydobos]], Hungary
||
* {{flagicon|HUN}} [[Szolnok]], Hungary
* {{flagicon|SVK}} [[Žilina]], [[Slovakia]]<ref name="Žilina">{{cite web|url=http://www.zilina.sk/mesto-zilina-o-meste-partnerske-mesta|title=''Žilina – oficiálne stránky mesta: Partnerské mestá Žiliny [Žilina: Official Partner Cities]''|publisher=MaM Multimedia, s.r.o..|date=2008|access-date=28 May 2016|archive-date=24 September 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170924155802/http://www.zilina.sk/mesto-zilina-o-meste-partnerske-mesta|url-status=dead}}</ref>
* {{flagicon|BUL}}   [[Silistra]], Bulgaria
|}

==Awards==
In 2003, the [[Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe]] Mission to Serbia awarded the Municipality of Kikinda the Municipal Award for Tolerance.<ref>{{cite web
| url = http://www.mfa.gov.rs/Bilteni/Engleski/b121203_e.html
| title = Daily Bulletin
| publisher=Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia
| access-date = 12 November 2006
}}</ref>

==Climate==
Climate in this area has mild differences between highs and lows, and there is adequate rainfall year-round.  The [[Köppen Climate Classification]] subtype for this climate is "[[Köppen climate classification#Group C: Temperate/mesothermal climates|Cfa]]" ([[Humid subtropical climate]]).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather-summary.php3?s=47131&cityname=Kikinda,+Serbia&units=|title=Kikinda, Serbia Köppen Climate Classification (Weatherbase)|website=Weatherbase|access-date=28 December 2017}}</ref>

{{Weather box
|width = auto
|location = Kikinda (1991–2020, extremes 1961–present)
|single line = Yes
|metric first = Yes
|Jan record high C = 17.7
|Feb record high C = 21.4
|Mar record high C = 28.3
|Apr record high C = 31.2
|May record high C = 33.7
|Jun record high C = 37.5
|Jul record high C = 40.0
|Aug record high C = 39.7
|Sep record high C = 37.4
|Oct record high C = 30.9
|Nov record high C = 25.3
|Dec record high C = 19.7
|year record high C = 40.0
|Jan high C = 3.6
|Feb high C = 6.4
|Mar high C = 12.3
|Apr high C = 18.3
|May high C = 23.1
|Jun high C = 26.9
|Jul high C = 29.0
|Aug high C = 29.3
|Sep high C = 23.9
|Oct high C = 18.0
|Nov high C = 11.0
|Dec high C = 4.4
|year high C = 17.2
|Jan mean C = 0.4
|Feb mean C = 2.1
|Mar mean C = 6.8
|Apr mean C = 12.5
|May mean C = 17.4
|Jun mean C = 21.2
|Jul mean C = 22.8
|Aug mean C = 22.6
|Sep mean C = 17.3
|Oct mean C = 11.9
|Nov mean C = 6.6
|Dec mean C = 1.5
|year mean C = 11.9
|Jan low C = -2.5
|Feb low C = -1.6
|Mar low C = 1.9
|Apr low C = 6.7
|May low C = 11.4
|Jun low C = 15.0
|Jul low C = 16.4
|Aug low C = 16.2
|Sep low C = 11.9
|Oct low C = 7.2
|Nov low C = 3.1
|Dec low C = -1.2
|year low C = 7.0
|Jan record low C = -29.8
|Feb record low C = -25.7
|Mar record low C = -20.3
|Apr record low C = -6.5
|May record low C = -0.5
|Jun record low C = 4.0
|Jul record low C = 7.1
|Aug record low C = 6.0
|Sep record low C = -1.4
|Oct record low C = -7.7
|Nov record low C = -13.8
|Dec record low C = -22.4
|year record low C = -29.8
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 34.6
|Feb precipitation mm = 32.2
|Mar precipitation mm = 34.8
|Apr precipitation mm = 41.3
|May precipitation mm = 60.8
|Jun precipitation mm = 73.9
|Jul precipitation mm = 61.5
|Aug precipitation mm = 46.3
|Sep precipitation mm = 51.7
|Oct precipitation mm = 49.0
|Nov precipitation mm = 41.5
|Dec precipitation mm = 43.6
|year precipitation mm = 571.2
|Jan humidity = 85.4
|Feb humidity = 79.3
|Mar humidity = 69.3
|Apr humidity = 64.4
|May humidity = 64.6
|Jun humidity = 65.6
|Jul humidity = 63.4
|Aug humidity = 63.5
|Sep humidity = 69.4
|Oct humidity = 75.0
|Nov humidity = 81.3
|Dec humidity = 86.8
|year humidity = 72.3
|unit precipitation days = 0.1 mm
|Jan precipitation days = 12.7
|Feb precipitation days = 11.6
|Mar precipitation days = 10.6
|Apr precipitation days = 10.8
|May precipitation days = 12.6
|Jun precipitation days = 11.9
|Jul precipitation days = 9.8
|Aug precipitation days = 8.1
|Sep precipitation days = 10.1
|Oct precipitation days = 9.9
|Nov precipitation days = 10.9
|Dec precipitation days = 13.7
|year precipitation days = 132.7
|Jan snow days = 6.0
|Feb snow days = 5.4
|Mar snow days = 2.9
|Apr snow days = 0.3
|May snow days = 0.0
|Jun snow days = 0.0
|Jul snow days = 0.0
|Aug snow days = 0.0
|Sep snow days = 0.0
|Oct snow days = 0.0
|Nov snow days = 1.8
|Dec snow days = 5.2
|year snow days = 21.6
|Jan sun = 72.1
|Feb sun = 103.5
|Mar sun = 164.8
|Apr sun = 212.8
|May sun = 261.4
|Jun sun = 283.8
|Jul sun = 314.1
|Aug sun = 300.2
|Sep sun = 209.6
|Oct sun = 165.2
|Nov sun = 98.7
|Dec sun = 60.0
|year sun = 2246.2
|source 1 = Republic Hydrometeorological Service of Serbia<ref name = RHSS1991>{{cite web
| url = https://www.hidmet.gov.rs/ciril/meteorologija/stanica_sr_kikinda.php
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220415190402/https://www.hidmet.gov.rs/ciril/meteorologija/stanica_sr_kikinda.php
| archive-date = 15 April 2022
| title= Monthly and annual means, maximum and minimum values of meteorological elements for the period 1991–2020
| language = sr
| publisher = Republic Hydrometeorological Service of Serbia
| access-date = 15 April 2022}}</ref><ref name = RHSS1981>{{cite web
| url = http://www.hidmet.gov.rs/eng/meteorologija/stanica_sr.php?moss_id=13174
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220326125158/https://www.hidmet.gov.rs/eng/meteorologija/stanica_sr.php?moss_id=13174
| archive-date = 26 March 2022
| title = Monthly and annual means, maximum and minimum values of meteorological elements for the period 1981–2010
| language = sr
| publisher = Republic Hydrometeorological Service of Serbia
| access-date = 25 February 2017}}</ref>
|date=April 2015
}}

==See also==
* [[List of places in Serbia]]
* [[List of cities, towns and villages in Vojvodina]]

==References==

===General references===
* Brane Marijanović ''et al.'' ''Kikinda: istorija, kultura, sela, privreda, sport, turizam'', Novi Sad: Prometej, 2002.
* Jovan M. Pejin, ''Iz prošlosti Kikinde'', Kikinda: Istorijski arhiv & Komuna, 2000.
* Milivoj Rajkov, Istorija grada Kikinde do 1918. godine, Kikinda, 2003.
* Dr Slobodan Ćurčić, Naselja Banata – geografske karakteristike, Novi Sad, 2004.

===References===
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Kikinda}}
{{wikivoyage|Kikinda}}
*  [http://www.kikinda.org.rs The Official site of the City ]
*  [http://www.terra.rs/ TERRA: The International Sculpture Symposium in Kikinda ]
*  [http://www.kikindske.rs/ Kikindske Novine: Local newspapers ]
*  [https://web.archive.org/web/20130806020924/http://www.kikinda.co.rs/ Vodeći portal Grada Kikinde ]
*  [https://web.archive.org/web/20091026152713/http://www.radiokikinda.rs/ Radio Kikinda ]
*  [http://www.muzejkikinda.com/ National Museum of Kikinda ]
*  [http://pozoristekikinda.rs/ National Theater Kikinda ]
*  [http://kibiblioteka.org.rs/ People's Library "Jovan Popović" ]

{{North Banat District}}
{{Municipalities of Serbia}}
{{Spas in Serbia}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Kikinda| ]]
[[Category:Populated places in Serbian Banat]]
[[Category:Populated places in North Banat District]]
[[Category:Municipalities and cities of Vojvodina]]
[[Category:Towns in Serbia]]