{"id":2,"date":"2021-06-13T14:53:35","date_gmt":"2021-06-13T14:53:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/yugo.today\/?page_id=2"},"modified":"2023-06-06T15:55:11","modified_gmt":"2023-06-06T15:55:11","slug":"sample-page","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/yugo.today\/","title":{"rendered":"Home Page"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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background story<\/a><\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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INTRO<\/p>

Originally named after the Adriatic wind of the same name, Yugo ([\u2019j\u00fbgo], meaning south) had been manufactured for 28 years, in Kragujevac, central Serbia, at the state-owned factory, Zavodi Crvena Zastava<\/em>, from 1980 to 2008, when the factory was purchased by FIAT. The production of Yugo cars was, at the time, a national project of high importance for the ruling regime. The very first car was ready on 28th<\/sup> November 1980, the day before the major public holiday of Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY), Republic Day.<\/p>

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LOCAL<\/p>

Based on the design of then popular FIAT 127, Yugo was far from state-of-the art product. Additionally, it was not the most reliable; but it was, in spite all its flaws, enthusiastically embraced by the society, not only because of the price-quality ratio, but for the simplicity of its concept and the low cost of maintenance. Its sentimental value has by far surpassed the material one, promoting Yugo into a cult car<\/em>. Made for a closely controlled market, and with very little competition, it has promptly gained the status of \u201cpeople\u2019s car\u201d, reaching in mid 80s the peak of its fame.<\/p>

When Yugo was made, shortly after the lifelong Yugoslav president Josip Broz Tito died, the people in the region still believed in bright future, only to, a decade later, face the breakup of SFRY, followed by the wars, which lead to Yugoslav proletariat ideals being irreversibly shattered. There is a certain parallel between the rise and fall of Yugo on the one hand, and the death of former Yugoslavia on the other, and to this day, Yugo is seen as one of the last common denominators of the former SFR Yugoslavia.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Boxy design, unreliability and \u201cthe worst in history\u201d are some of its epithets, but this project revealed another one, not as easily noticeable \u2013 its personalization. The car-owner relationship makes spotting a generic specimen next to impossible.\r\nBelgrade, Serbia, August 2019 \u00a9 Milovan Milenkovi\u0107<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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GLOBAL<\/p>

As luck would have it, this communist-made car found its way into various international markets, but came to prominence in the most demanding one, the US market. With compelling advertising and by being the cheapest in its class, 140k units, of almost 800k produced in total, were sold in the US in 7 years. Several years of challenges caused Yugo to lose its competitive edge, thus unofficially gaining the reputation of \u201cthe worst car in history\u201d. As such, it ended up in Hollywood, occasionally with a significant role, which enabled its simple, boxy design to be widely recognizable.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Although gradually vanishing from the streets, it is still possible to witness Yugo in its active and versatile use, as a symbol of a bygone era.\n\nPetrovac na Mlavi, Serbia, November 2020 \u00a9 Milovan Milenkovi\u0107<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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OUTRO<\/p>

Similarly to the society it originated from, Yugo\u2019s ultimate nemesis was that it did not evolve; it never went through substantial changes and the all-important process of modernization. The last manufactured model did not in essence differ from the first car produced. To this day Yugo is thought of as either trash or treasure.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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project description<\/a><\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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ABOUT<\/p>

Yugo Today<\/em> is an independent photo project, with an aim to create, present and preserve the image of this old-fashioned car, which is a symbol of cultural and historical heritage of an era \u2013 one of the last physical representations of the seeming prosperity of the SFR Yugoslavia still present in everyday use, as well as one of the last common denominators of the former country.<\/p>

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BEGINNING<\/p>

I grew up surrounded by Yugos \u2013 in 80s and 90s it used to be impossible to find a parking lot or glance at traffic without spotting one within a few seconds. With that in mind, visualising the moment when Yugo\u2019s ever-presence is going to be endangered was unimaginable. It was quite the opposite \u2013 there was a feeling that all of them are going to be around forever.<\/p>

However, about a decade later, on November 11th<\/sup> 2008, the last 794.428th<\/sup> Yugo was produced, which was the beginning of its extinction. Soon after that, the Zastava Automobile manufacturer where this car has been produced for 28 years, was completely taken by FIAT.<\/p>

What started as spontaneous documenting whenever I was out and about, quickly turned into a comprehensive photographic research. Using a mobile phone camera, instead of a conventional one, has enabled immediate accessibility.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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One of the last physical representations of the seeming prosperity of the SFRY as well as one of the last capital products of Yugoslavia, still present in everyday use. Since the beginning of its production, intentionally or not, the most common colour of this communist-made car \r\nhas been red. \r\n \r\n\u00a9 Milovan Milenkovi\u0107<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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COLLECTION<\/p>

The selection of photos on the website gives an overview of the work until 40th<\/sup> anniversary of Yugo production. From 2017 to 2020, in the region of former Yugoslavia, mostly in Serbia\u2019s capital of Belgrade, around a thousand specimens were recorded.<\/p>

A broader, ongoing, collection is available on instagram.com\/yugotoday<\/a><\/span>.<\/p>

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ONGOING<\/p>

The future of the project is to expand the collection of specimens primarily in the Balkans, but also wherever Yugo still exists in any form or condition. Furthermore, the intention is to bring the content to the audience regardless of the form.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Belgrade, Serbia, January 2019 \u00a9 Milovan Milenkovi\u0107<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Belgrade, Serbia, August 2018 \u00a9 Milovan Milenkovi\u0107<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Belgrade, Serbia, January 2020 \u00a9 Milovan Milenkovi\u0107<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Thanks to everyone who have been helping me on this documentation journey.<\/em><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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BIO<\/p>

Milovan Milenkovi\u0107 is a Prague (CZE) \/ Belgrade (SRB) based documentary photographer, continuously committed to elaborate approach to photography. His work covers chronicling everydayness, social distortion patterns and quirks of the mundane.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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get in touch<\/a><\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Instagram<\/p>

@yugotoday<\/strong><\/a><\/p>

Contact<\/p>

contact@yugo.today<\/strong><\/a><\/p>

Personal Instagram Account<\/p>

@irenin_brat<\/strong><\/a><\/p>

Personal Web Page<\/p>

mmxphotos.com<\/b><\/a><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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According to a general thought, the most common car model in Bosnia is VW Golf II. With one of them, Nikola's grandpa helping him to start the engine of his customized Yugo, widely known as The Space Warrior.\r\n\r\nPrnjavor, Bosnia and Herzegovina, July 2019 \u00a9 Milovan Milenkovi\u0107<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\u00a9 All Rights Reserved<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

background story INTRO Originally named after the Adriatic wind of the same name, Yugo ([\u2019j\u00fbgo], meaning south) had been manufactured for 28 years, in Kragujevac, central Serbia, at the state-owned factory, Zavodi Crvena Zastava, from 1980 to 2008, when the factory was purchased by FIAT. The production of Yugo cars was, at the time, a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-2","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/yugo.today\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/yugo.today\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/yugo.today\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yugo.today\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yugo.today\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2"}],"version-history":[{"count":180,"href":"https:\/\/yugo.today\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":365,"href":"https:\/\/yugo.today\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2\/revisions\/365"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/yugo.today\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}