A musuem in Dubrovnik, Croatia, is exhibiting artifacts and information from the era when the southeastern European country was part of Yugoslavia.
Existing from 1945 to 1991, the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY) began breaking up into several distinct countries in a series of wars around the same time as the collapse of the Soviet Union, the world’s largest and most powerful communist state at the time.
In August, Croatia will reach the 30th anniversary of its independence.
The establishment, called the Red History Museum, showcases over 1,300 items from the era in a series of recreated domestic settings.
Museum curator Ivan Lujo told Reuters the exhibition received mostly positive reactions, especially from older generations who felt nostalgic.
Success
You are now signed up for our newsletter
Success
Check your email to complete sign up
Leisel Griffiths, a tourist from New Zealand, said on July 10: “Coming here and sort of seeing the other, you know, the history does exist, it’s fascinating.”
Zhilin Wu, a Chinese visitor, noted: “You can see a lot of similarity between the history in Croatia and in China.”
Unlike other Eastern European communist states, Yugoslavia — as with China — exercised policy independent of the Soviet Union, leading to tensions throughout the Cold War.
The Red History Museum continues to expand its collection through donations from local residents, preserving memories.
Hrvoje Kukuljica, who recently invited museum staff to take items from his sister’s apartment, said: “Everything is actually interesting, you remember it, because we all had them at home once.”
Reuters contributed to this report.
