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Traces of History
Serbia
Milos Stanojevic
Born 1992 in Niš, Serbia
High-school student (Gymnasium Svetozar Marković, Niš)
"The cult of Josip Broz Tito" (2010)
Milos explores in his project the personality of Josip Broz Tito by focusing on his psychology as a leader and his charisma among the people. Tito had managed to unite all the ethnic groups living in Yugoslavia (South Slavs, Albanians, Roma people and Hungarians) under one state and apparently gain a huge support from the population for his economic and social policies. The conclusion the author draws from his research is that people weren’t allowed to have a real freedom of mind back then and that is why they had to abide by the official rule. That great brotherhood and unity Tito proclaimed among the nations of the country was never present among the people and it eventually led to secession in The Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. One particular day which people still remember was the Day of Youth, which celebrated Tito’s birthday and all the young people in Yugoslavia. It was a nice occasion for having festivals, playing outdoor sports and taking part in youth contest. And maybe that might have given people a true feeling of solidarity.
For his written contribution Milos Stanojevic was awarded the tenth prize in the Serbian history competition from 2010.
Milana Kostic
Born 1992 in Zrenjanin, Serbia
High school student (“Grammar School”; Zrenjanin)
"Josip Broz Tito's visits to the city of Zrenjanin" (2009/2010)
This competition entry attempts providing an explanation for Josip Tito’s personality cult, by investigating five official visits which he took during the 1950s and 1960s to the city of Zrenjanin, in north-eastern Serbia. Former eye-witnesses at these events were interviewed and asked to explain their attitude towards Tito, Yugoslawia’s most known state man. The author concludes that in most cases people were ingrained with standard remarks about their ruler from the media, instead of being let to develop a personal opinion about him. “The son of all Yugoslav nations and nationalities” was a cleverly designed slogan of the Yugoslav totalitarian regime, used in relation to Tito’s decisions and actions, in order to make him both loved and unforgettable. This was also the best propaganda before and after stare visits.
For her work Milana Kostic was awarded the second prize in the Serbian national history competition.
Milan Vukasinovic
Born 1989 in Leskovac, Serbia
High school student (High school Leskovac)
"The Hairy 70s - hairstyles and hairdressers in Leskovac from 1970 to 1980" (2005)
Who determined hairstyles in socialist Yugoslavia in the 1970s - the Party, families, friends or hairdressers? Eighteen-year-old Milan Vukasinovic took on this question in his competition project, "The Hairy 70s - hairstyles and hairdressers in Leskovac from 1970 to 1980." In his hometown, Leskovac, a town with 63,000 residents in southern Serbia, he visited hairdressers and talked to eyewitnesses about their hairstyles of those days. He examined ways in which social status, career, education, political party, television and personal environment influenced the choice of hairstyles.
The author concludes that in socialist Yugoslavia, as in the west, international fashion and rock music trends influenced the choice of hairstyles. "Neither families nor the economy nor party leaders had any influence on hair fashion," concludes Milan Vukasinovic. So bold hairdos could give an impression of maladjustment and rebellion within the regulated socialist society. That is why hairdressers under socialism in the 70s were seen as a respectable profession, according to the author. The young researcher managed in an unusual way to capture differentiated statements about the issue of personal freedom within a totalitarian constructed society, using a theme from youth culture.
Milan Vukasinovic won a first prize for his work: "The Hairy 70s - hairstyles and hairdressers in Leskovac from 1970 to 1980" in the Serbian National History Competition 2005 on the theme of: "Encounters with the Past: Life in the City, 1945-1991."
