MEMORIES
Living through the 1990s in the Balkans
Wars, drugs, fights and a lot of booze
Hi! My name is Marjan and I’ve lived through the ’90s in the Balkans.
(Hi, Marjan!)
I’m from Slovenia, a part of former Yugoslavia. I don’t remember Tito. He died before I was born. My first memories date around 1985 when Yugoslavia was already on its way to collapse. I’m not sure how many people understood what was happening at the time, but there was a certain tension in the air that even small kids of the time picked up and felt in our own innocent way.
I don’t remember much of the 1990/91 aftermath but I do remember what followed.
Our country claimed independence in 1991. It was a short period of war and fear. Slovenia experienced nothing near what Croatia or Bosnia and Herzegovina had, but there were a few times when we heard the air strike sirens going off, the TV broadcast was interrupted (in the middle of morning cartoons) and we were instructed to take shelter.
My parents grabbed me and my brother and we went to the basement of our house. I never felt such fear ever before and probably never again did either. It was in my fucking bones! There was something very deep and existential about it that no child should ever feel.
