It is not surprising that the 1980s are remembered with special nostalgia by Serbs, because less than a decade later, Yugoslavia was mired in a series of terrible wars that killed hundreds of thousands of lives and forced millions of people to leave their homes.
It was a time when elements of Western culture — punk, new wave, big ridiculous hairstyles and the Rubik's Cube-gradually began to push the usual communist way of life out of consciousness more and more. It seems that in the 1980s, parties and get-togethers were held literally on every corner of Belgrade. According to Belgrade photographer Miladin "Djela" Djelicic, " The 80s were not the golden age of Belgrade, but they were definitely the silver age."
Drugs, Hellish hairstyles and Communism: The Nightlife of 80's Belgrade
Miladin and his wife Nadia took an active part in the nightlife of Belgrade in the 80s. Between 1982 and 1988, Jela constantly took a camera with him to parties and filmed this quintessential exuberant Balkan fun. In his photos, people dance, hug, sing, try to take a sexual pose, or just show their fatigue. Many of the characters in these pictures are already dead — most of them were victims of excessive alcohol and drug use.
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