Unattainable past, unsatisfying present – Yugonostalgia: an omen of a better future?

Abstract

Nostalgia for the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, yugonostalgia, has become widespread throughout the former Yugoslavia. It takes various forms and expressions, but it represents a selective and largely embellished remembrance, influenced by the need of those who engage in it to escape from the unsatisfying present they live in. In most cases, yugonostalgia is a bittersweet craving for the past – passive, static, and restricted. The paper argues that the actions inspired by yugonostalgia not only can have an active, dynamic, and progressive face, but can also serve as an important factor in the reconciliation process among former Yugoslavs. With its focus on positive and inclusive aspects of the common socialist past, yugonostalgia has the potential to (re)connect the nostalgic subjects throughout the former Yugoslav space, helping them to overcome the alienation that resulted from the violent dissolution of the common state.

Keywords:

• yugonostalgia
• Yugoslavia
• nostalgia
• collective memories
• reconciliation

Acknowledgements

The author is grateful to Katherine Poseidon and Rafael Pupovac for useful comments on earlier drafts of the paper, and Holly Taylor for copy editing. The author would also like to express her sincere appreciation to Dr. Ioannis Armakolas for his enthusiastic guidance and support.

Notes

1. Magnifico: The Land of Champions, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6RbLsByZUlQ.

2. Consisting of Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia, and Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM).

3. For more details on the culture of nostalgia and its manifestations, see, for example, Velikonja (2008), Baković (2008), and Pauker (2006).

4. In former Yugoslavia, children were initiated in the pioneer movement [Savez pionira Jugoslavije] under the Federation’s ideal of “Brotherhood and Unity.” All children of age seven and older, attended an annual ceremony, wore pioneer’s uniforms – including a blue hat called Titovka [Tito’s hat] and swore in pionirska zakletva [the Pioneer pledge].

5. See, for example, www.juga.com , www.titoslavija.org , www.titoville.com, www.postyu.info, www.yugomuzej.com. Some fan pages and groups and number of members: SFR Jugoslavija – SFR Yugoslavia – 134,664 members, Josip Broz Tito – 54,502 members, Tovariš Josip Broz Tito [Comrad Josip Broz Tito] – 10,736 members, 25. Maj, Dan Mladosti [25 May, The Youth Day] – 62,524 members (accessed on 7 September 2012).

6. For more details on the nostalgic culture, see, for example, Velikonja (2008).

7. www.mojevrijeme.hr, “Hrvatska i BiH složne: U SFRJ se živjelo bolje,” http://www.mojevrijeme.hr/magazin/2015/04/hrvatska-i-bih-slozne-u-sfrj-se-zivjelo-bolje/.

8. See note 5.

9. Facebook group: Izjasni se kao Jugosloven/ka na bosansko-hercegovačkom popisu [Declare yourself as a “Yugoslav” at the Bosnian and Herzegovinian population census], http://www.facebook.com/pages/Izjasni-se-kao-Jugoslovenka-na-bosansko-hercegova%C4%8Dkom-popisu/354511117902869?ref=ts.

10. See, for example, www.exyupoprock.com.

11. Live streaming: http://www.livestream.com/jugoslovenskatelevizija; YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/rtvjugoslavije.