The article analyzes the historical and cultural significance of Tito’s relay and Youth Day in former Yugoslavia, emphasizing their role as symbols of unity, loyalty, and respect towards Josip Broz Tito. It describes how these customs were part of the social order and how they changed over time, including the discontinuation of the relay after Tito’s death. It also addresses the issue of cultural heritage theft in Montenegro, particularly in the Cetinje museum, and the various controversies and debates surrounding this topic.
Political Perspectives:
Left: Left-leaning sources tend to emphasize the cultural and social unity that the Tito relay and Youth Day symbolized in Yugoslavia, highlighting the collective spirit and the role of youth in socialist society. They may also critique the post-Tito period for losing these unifying traditions and lament the loss of cultural heritage due to privatization or neglect.
Center: Center-leaning sources present a balanced view, acknowledging both the symbolic importance of the Tito relay and Youth Day as a unifying national tradition and the controversies surrounding the cult of personality around Tito. They also report on the issues of cultural heritage theft in a factual manner, emphasizing the need for preservation and proper management of museum collections.
Right: Right-leaning sources often focus on the authoritarian aspects of Tito’s regime symbolized by the relay and Youth Day, viewing them as tools of political propaganda. They may highlight the negative aspects of the socialist past and stress the importance of moving beyond these symbols. Regarding cultural heritage theft, they might emphasize the mismanagement and corruption in socialist and post-socialist institutions.
