Centuries passed, precisely 625 years since the record from the Pauline Monastery at the foot of Garic-grad (1391), pointing to the centuries-old connection of Moslavina with oil (Josip Žgaljić: Five Centuries of Croatian oil, Rijeka 2003). Oil, for which the literary expression "black gold" is sometimes used, was in the 19th century the impetus and in the second half of the 20th century the backbone of Moslavina economic development. Serving as a monument to "black gold", an oil well called Martin near Mikleuška, 72 meters deep, was once the largest well in the Austro-Hungarian Empire (the concession was given on November 29, 1865). It was exploited until 1943. In 88 years it yielded 20,000 tons of oil. There is also a smaller well called Franciska.

The significance of oil is confirmed by demographic data for Gojlo, sometimes also called the birthplace of organized Croatian oil industry. Of the 951 residents in 1948 census, only five years before there were only 377. And if it had not been for associations that took incentive, especially individuals, such as those in Gojlo Volunteer Fire Department or in the local committee and especially the diligent Antun Dragošević, in cooperation with companies (names have changed but the name Naftaplin remains striking) there would not have been a monument of the pump in the center of the place. In addition to this, it should not be forgotten that at one time Kutina was referred to as the place near Gojlo because of the oil.

A praiseworthy example is Betlehem Scouts Division Kutina, which led the project of educational trail, Martin oil well. The trail was designed and built by highlanders of Pegla Club which is part of the mentioned Scouts Division. One should also mention the name Ivan Mikulic Pipin, a scout legend of Kutina. The trail is 3 km long and it has six information boards. It starts in Paklenjača Street, a village called Ciglenica (between Gornja Gračenica and Mikleuška). The program was financed by the Zamah Regional Foundation for Local Development. There was also the support from local self-government units of Kutina and Popovača.

But these are valuable and more than useful incentives to preserve industrial heritage. At one time it was mentioned that, with industrial life, Kutina also deserves an oil and petrochemical museum collection. And what is even more important, to turn the already forgotten industrial sites into cultural heritage and, among other things, into tourist offer.

Dragutin  Pasarić

PROGRAM: ALONG THE TRAIL OF MOSLAVINA’S BLACK GOLD
as a study tour for students of geology, mining, history and literature...
- a meeting at Gojlo, a village called the "cradle of Croatian oil industry”
- a visit to "black gold" wells from 19th century on the slopes of Moslavina Mountain (regional nature park in Croatia) shows you the story of interesting geological past of this mountain: from granite (from which the first podium of the Ban Jelačić monument was built) to bentonite clay (used for drilling fluids in oil mining operations), which with its binder features "archived" the life of 18 million years ago at the site of prehistoric elephant findings in Gornja Jelenska.
- a short event in Popovača - «Crno zlato (black gold) and a mine of Croatian literary word   - with writers who wrote about oil; from Ljudevit Vukotinović, Josip Badalić, Nedjeljko Fabrio (theatrical text version) to Matko Peić whose record "Oilman from Voloder" shaped in original Moslavina speech was performed as a monodrama.
- a visit to the famous oil field Stružec.