Literature is a crucial piece in the puzzle of Yugoslavia's memory. Let's give it a read. Part 1 of 2. With Eamon McGrath @balkanbooks and Danja Bujas @danchireads. The Remembering Yugoslavia podcast explores the memory of a country that no longer exists. Created, produced, and hosted by Peter Korchnak. New episodes one to two times per month. Show…

Sorry I've been gone for so long, but I'm back! Today, we see World War II in Yugoslavia finally begin, as the Nazis invade. Theme Music – “Charlotte” by Damiano Baldoni, licensed under CC BY 4.0 Main Maps Page Patreon

One hundred thousand women fought in the Yugoslav Partisan forces and two million more provided support to the resistance (and revolution) in the rear. Today the generation of these women’s granddaughters carries on the legacy of their struggle. With Chiara Bonfiglioli, Ana Džokić, and Lura Limani. Featuring music by PMG Kolektiv and Sticky Keys. T…

A walk through Yugoslavia's legacy in Dubrovnik and a visit to the Red History Museum. With Krešimir Glavinić (Red History Museum). Featuring music by Sticky Keys. The Remembering Yugoslavia podcast explores the memory of a country that no longer exists. Created, produced, and hosted by Peter Korchnak. New episodes one to two times per month. Show …

On the road in the former Yugoslavia with a couple of Americans: one recreating his trip from 1984, the other looking for cheese. With Chad Miller and Babs Perkins. Featuring music by Sticky Keys. The Remembering Yugoslavia podcast explores the memory of a country that no longer exists. Created, produced, and hosted by Peter Korchnak. New episodes …

Why did Yugoslavia fall apart? With Susan L. Woodward. The Remembering Yugoslavia podcast explores the memory of a country that no longer exists. Created, produced, and hosted by Peter Korchnak. New episodes one to two times per month. Show notes/transcript: RememberingYugoslavia.com/Podcast-Dissolution-of-Yugoslavia/ Instagram: @RememberingYugosla…

One in three Bosnians live outside of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Most Bosnians outside their country, about 87 percent, are dispersed around Europe. Though only about 10 percent live in the United States, the country is home to the biggest Bosnian city abroad. With Akif Cogo, Patrick McCarthy, and Gino Srdjan Jevdjević. Featuring music by Kultur Shock…

In which I answer listener questions...about anything (but strictly Yugoslavia-related). The Remembering Yugoslavia podcast explores the memory of a country that no longer exists. Created, produced, and hosted by Peter Korchnak. New episodes one to two times per month. Show notes/transcript: RememberingYugoslavia.com/Podcast-AMA1/ Instagram: @Remem…

Rakija is the distilled essence of the Balkan soul. More than a spirit, quintessential as it may be, rakija has a long history. Lately it has seen both threats to its survival and a resurgence. With Bill Gould (Faith No More / Yebiga Rakija), and Iskra Vukšić and Ekaterina Volkova (Javna Tajna). Featuring music by Dario, Dubioza Kolektiv, Luboyna, …

The K67 Kiosk is a symbol of Yugoslavia. Once ubiquitous in its thousands, only a few hundred units remain around the former country, many in various state of disrepair, and a handful of others around the world. But particularly over the past decade, the Kiosk has been experiencing a revival of sorts. It nowadays inspires educators, artists, design…

Yugonostalgia as a collective emotion is a sentimental longing for a positively remembered past of the former country and life in it. Why and how does it arise? What are its positive and negative effects? And what are its implications? With Borja Martinović and Anouk Smeekes. More in the extended version. The Remembering Yugoslavia podcast explores…

Diaspora Voices is an occasional series of conversations with ex-Yugoslavs living abroad. In this installment, a Canadian and an Australian with Croatian Serb heritage share stories about longing and belonging. With Nina Platiša and Nik. Featuring music by Nina Platiša. The Remembering Yugoslavia podcast explores the memory of a country that no lon…

The country of Yugoslavia may no longer appear on any physical maps, but it remains on many people’s mental maps; though Yugoslavia may be dead forever as a political entity, it lives on as a cultural project. Yugoslavia's material and cultural production inspires many people to make art and products. And a lot of them have little or even no lived …

In 1981, an obscure English punk band recorded a song whose cover by an Istrian punk band became famous in the former Yugoslavia. It took three decades and serendipity for the dots to connect. With Barry Phillips (Demob) and Nenad Milić (Tito's Bojs). Featuring music by Agent Tajne Sile, Defiance, Hladno Pivo, JazzIstra Orchestra, and Tito's Bojs. …

Films made after 1991 that are set in socialist Yugoslavia keep the former country present in popular culture. From Tito and Me (1991) to How I Learned to Fly (2022), from Slovenia to Serbia and beyond, from nostalgic tales to dark thrillers, the post-Yugoslav cinematography remembers Yugoslavia. Similarly, Czech directors have tackled the socialis…

There’s an invisible way of remembering the former country and especially how it fell apart: in your body. This is doubly true for trauma. How do the people of the former Yugoslavia experience and deal with trauma of their country's dissolution? How does trauma get passed down over generations? And how can we dance our way out of it? With Stefan Jo…

Vladimir Nazor was a poet, Partisan, and politician. His greatness and popularity endured through five regimes/countries. Who was Croatia's greatest children's writer and first president? How did the author of so many Croatian national classics turn into Tito’s adulator ? How come he remains a popular figure in today’s anti-communist Croatia? With …

The Day of Youth was a major Yugoslav holiday. It continues to be annually commemorated to this day in Tito's birthplace. What was the holiday and how was it celebrated in Kurmovec? How is the defunct Yugoslav holiday commemorated today? Plus a field report from the 2022 edition of the event.* With Nevena Škrbić Alempijević and Jovan Vejnović (plus…

Let's go to the movies! Yugoslav and post-Yugoslav film is a port window projecting the region’s cultures and history. From Gibanica to Kraut Westerns, from Black Wave to Prague School, and from films of remembrance to war movies, this is seventy years of cinematic history in a single arc. With Dijana Jelača and Sanjin Pejković. The Remembering Yug…

Yugonostalgia is like a vessel that everyone fills with their own ideas and meanings. What is it and why does it exist? How does it manifest and how do different people experience it? And where is it headed? A deep dive in the yugonostalgia plus a comparison with nostalgia in the former Czechoslovakia. With Milica Popović and Boris Strečanský. Feat…

Jews have been part of Sarajevo's human tapestry since the 16th century, only to be "discovered' by the rest of the world during the Bosnian War. This is their story. With Jakob Finci* and Francine Friedman. Featuring music by Shira Utfila and Flory Jagoda. * Bonus episode featuring the full interview with Finci available exclusively to Patreon and…

Diaspora Voices is an occasional series of conversations with ex-Yugoslavs living abroad. In this installment of Diaspora Voices, a Vlach-American from Eastern Serbia and a Yugoslav-Australian from Slavonia share stories of their journeys to themselves and their tribes. With Daniela Vančić and Denis Svob. Featuring music by Šizike and Mechanism of …

The country of Yugoslavia may no longer appear on any physical maps, but it remains on many people’s mental maps; though Yugoslavia may be dead forever as a political entity, it lives on as a cultural project. Yugoslavia's material and cultural production inspires many people to make art and products. And a lot of them have little or eve…

The country of Yugoslavia may no longer appear on any physical maps, but it remains on many people’s mental maps; though Yugoslavia may be dead forever as a political entity, it lives on as a cultural project. Yugoslavia's material and cultural production inspires many people to make art and products. And a lot of them have little or even no lived …

The country of Yugoslavia may no longer appear on any physical maps, but it remains on many people’s mental maps; though Yugoslavia may be dead forever as a political entity, it lives on as a cultural project. Yugoslavia's material and cultural production inspires many people to make art and products. And a lot of them have little or even no lived …

What do you call Yugoslavia after Tito? Titanic. It's the end of the year, time to get serious about humor. What did people in the former Yugoslavia joke about and, most importantly, why? What about the post-Yugoslav landscape of laughter? With Zenit Djozić (Top Lista Nadrealista) and Marina Orsag (Croatian stand-up). Featuring music by Los Kreteno…

Burek is a pastry dish comprising thin layers of dough and a variety of fillings—a quintessential Balkan breakfast staple, late night snack, or anytime-anywhere fast-food delight, really. Burek is also a metaphor that varies across the former Yugoslav lands. Burek is food is life is culture is politics is burek. With Irina Janakievska, Ksenija Hoti…

Rock music is a huge part of Yugoslavia’s legacy. Soon, there will be a place in Sarajevo bringing Yugoslav rock back to life. With Will Richard, Zenit Djozić, and Petar Janjatović. Featuring songs by Zed Mitchell, Yugo Project, Zabranjeno Pušenje, Uroš Andrijašević, and more. The Remembering Yugoslavia podcast explores the memory of a country that…

When you think of sports in Yugoslavia, ice hockey doesn’t exactly skate to mind. But not only does hockey have a tradition in the former Yugoslavia, in one unexpected part of the disappeared country the beautiful game is on the up and up. With Amil Delić and Will Richard. The Remembering Yugoslavia podcast explores the memory of a country that no …

Just to let you all know I am still alive, and yes, I will be getting back to the podcast! Also, sorry about the bad acoustics, I'm currently in a different apartment.

The story of a tiny immigrant community in the first permanent American settlement west of the Mississippi. With Djordje Čitović. The Remembering Yugoslavia podcast explores the memory of a country that no longer exists. Created, produced, and hosted by Peter Korchnak. New episodes one to two times per month. Shownotes/transcript: RememberingYugosl…

A close look at how Yugoslavia and the European Union, both supranational entities with uneven economic development and riven by nationalism, strive(d) to change institutions, structures, economies as well as behavior and practices in Kosovo in order to build a certain kind of state and society in their image. With Vjosa Musliu. Featuring music by …

A barren island in the Adriatic Sea was between 1949 and 1956 the site of an internment camp where Tito's regime sent its opponents for "re-education." At Goli Otok, the newly minted anti-Stalinists were fighting Stalinists with Stalinist methods. How did the prison and labor camp at Naked Island come about and what happened there? How do people re…

Lepa Brena was the most famous Yugoslav singer of the 1980s. Her popularity during the decade eclipsed that of the late Tito. She remains the greatest and best-selling Yugoslav pop star. But Lepa Brena was more than a pop icon: she continues to personify Yugoslavia for many to this day. What's her story? And what does she mean for Yugoslavia's memo…

There’s a Yugoslav car that was even more important than the Yugo for the country and for the country’s memory. Better known by its nickname, Fića / Fićo / Fićko, Zastava 750 was the first Yugoslav car. It was and continues to be a Yugoslav icon, a symbol of that disappeared country and an object of nostalgia. In metaphorical terms, Fićo is Yugosla…

A conversation with journalist and writer Slavenka Drakulić. The Remembering Yugoslavia podcast explores the memory of a country that no longer exists. Created, produced, and hosted by Peter Korchnak. New episodes two to three times per month. Shownotes/transcript: RememberingYugoslavia.com/Podcast-Slavenka-Drakulic/ Instagram: @RememberingYugoslav…

The scars of the Siege of Sarajevo have marked an entire generation of Sarajevans—and their children. How do children of Bosnian refugees growing up abroad form their identity? What culture do they belong to? Where is home? And what of Yugonostalgia among the post-1991 cohort? An installment of the Diaspora Voices series. With Anja Savčić and Arnel…

In the last 75 years, two Yugoslav-born women were the First Lady of their respective countries: Jovanka Budisavljević was the third wife of Josip Broz Tito and Melania Knavs is the third wife of Donald John Trump. A look at similarities, differences, and legacies of two most famous ex-Yugoslav women. With Sonja Bjelobaba, Sandi Gorišek, and Mirjan…

Sorry for the long delay between episodes! Theme Music – “Charlotte” by Damiano Baldoni, licensed under CC BY 4.0 Main Maps Page Patreon Check out this episode!

Generations of Yugoslav women fought for Yugoslavia and then against the patriarchy in it. Many of them were artists, whose primary medium for their work were their own bodies. Art historian Jasmina Tumbas took the image of Jugoslovenka (Yugoslav Woman) from Lepa Brena’s eponymous song to tell the story of women’s emancipation within and through ar…

Thirty-eight years ago, on February 8th, 1984, 50,000 spectators attended the opening ceremony of the 14th Winter Olympic Games at the Koševo Stadium in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia. For twelve ensuing days, 250,000 spectators and 2 billion television viewers watched nearly 1,300 athletes from 49 countries compete for medals…or simply participate. Sarajevo…

When it comes to travel writing and the Balkans, the vast majority of literature is by Western authors; travel writing about the Balkans. What’s much less known is a significant body of travel writing literature authored by people from the Balkans, including the former Yugoslavia. In fact, Balkan (and ex-YU) writers have been traveling and living t…

The Yugo car headlined the inaugural episode of Remembering Yugoslavia. A part of the little Yugoslav car's story remained unexplored, the part that made the Yugo one of the best known automobiles in history—and turned it into a legend. Out of the 794,428 Yugos made between 1980 and 2008 in Kragujevac, 141,651 were sold in the U.S. In America, the …

Croatian historian Ivo Goldstein gives a short lecture on Yugoslavia's history in an attempt to answer the question, "Was Yugoslavia good or bad for its peoples?" The Remembering Yugoslavia podcast explores the memory of a country that no longer exists. Created, produced, and hosted by Peter Korchnak. New episodes two to three times per month. Show…

There was Yugoslav cuisine the same way there is European cuisine. At best, Yugoslav cuisine was an amalgam of cuisines of Yugoslavia’s constituent peoples, all of which can, in turn, be easily subsumed under a grander umbrella of Balkan cuisine. There is nary a more representative, metaphorical, and even iconic Balkan dish than sarma, or stuffed c…

Yugoslavia continues to disintegrate. There’s Kosovo, there’s lingering territorial and financial disputes among successor countries...and there’s Republika Srpska. Last month, Milorad Dodik, the Serb member of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s tripartite presidency and Republika Srpska’s strongman leader, announced the entity would annul a number of state …

In 2016, a cantonal government decided that, in one of the secondary schools in Jajce, which was following a Croatian curriculum for all the students, a separate school would be established on the premises for Bosniak students with a parallel Bosniak curriculum. The students in the integrated school rebelled and mounted a campaign to prevent their …