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Yugo-nostalgia, translated from jugonostalgija, is a little studied cultural and psychological phenomenon occurring among some citizens of the former Yugoslavia, specifically toward the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY). While its anthropological and sociological aspects have not been clearly recognized, the term, and the corresponding epithet "Yugo-nostalgic", is commonly used by the people in the region in two distinct ways: as a positive personal descriptive, and as a derogatory label.

In its positive sense, Yugo-nostalgia refers to a nostalgic emotional attachment to idealized positive aspects of SFRY. These are described as one or more of: economic security, socialist ideology, multiculturalism, internationalism and non-alignment, history, customs and traditions, and an allegedly more rewarding way of life. These are opposed to the perceived faults of the successor countries, which are still burdened by the consequences of the Yugoslav wars and are undergoing the process of economic and political transition. The faults are variously identified as parochialism, national chauvinism, corruption in politics and business, the disappearance of the social safety net, economic hardship, income inequities, higher crime rates, as well as a general disarray in administrative and other state institutions.

In the negative sense, the epithet has been used by the supporters of the new regimes to portray their critics as anachronistic, unrealistic, unpatriotic and possibly treacherous. In wartime, for example, the adjective has been used used semi-officially in the media of some successor countries to discredit certain avenues of political debate. The term Yugo-nostalgic could have been originally coined precisely for this purpose, as it appeared as a politically motivated pejorative label in government-controlled media, eg. in Croatia, very soon after the breakup of SFRY.

Present manifestations of Yugo-nostalgia include music groups with Yugoslav or Titoist retro iconography, art works, films, theater performances, and many organized, themed tours of the main cities of the former Yugoslav republics (mostly Belgrade and Sarajevo).

[edit] Bibliography

• Trovesi, Andrea: L'enciclopedia della Jugonostalgija. In Banchelli, Eva: Taste the East: Linguaggi e forme dell'Ostalgie, Sestante Edizioni, Bergamo 2006, ISBN 88-87445-92-3, p. 257-274.

[edit] See also

• Ostalgie: the German equivalent