Meet the fantastic 'The Croatian Tragedies'!
We talked to Davorin, Ivan, Nandi, and Vilim, a famous Croatian comical quartet from Osijek, a city in eastern Croatia. Together, they've been working on funny social media stories for a few years, called 'The Croatian Tragedies' and we love them! In a funny way, they describe perfectly a Croatian cliche, which any Croatian would recognize as part of their everyday life and culture. They also were very kind to translate some of them into English!
Describe 'The Croatian Tragedies' team in a few sentences, please. Who are you guys?
The Croatian tragedies team combines philosophy, visual design, copywriting, and psychology. We are four friends who never had the ambition to become popular but here we are.
How did it all start?
We started in a bar in our hometown of Osijek. We were making jokes over a couple of drinks. One of the ideas was inspired by typical nagging over minor everyday things, and here we are.
How would you describe Croatia to a complete stranger?
Croatia is a peaceful country with a lot of beautiful places and fairytale-like sceneries, old towns, and picturesque villages. Life here is mostly slow, which is sometimes good, and sometimes not.
How would you define the Croatian people? What are the particular things you like about them and don't?
Putting all Croatians in one box is difficult, but we are Slavic people. Perhaps I could say that we have some common Slavic traits: slow-paced, welcoming, and traditional. On the dark side Croatians like to override the rules when it suits them.
Do you think Croatians complain a lot and why?
Yes, we do, but I believe complaining is present in any society or culture. In fact, I think it’s in human nature - any kind of discomfort makes us want to change that. Croatians complain when something changes their tradition, routine, or expectations. We think that the most valuable thing to the Croatians is their spare time, weekends, or holidays. You don’t want to plan any work outside weekdays with Croats.
What's the funniest Croatian tragedy that you've made?
It’s hard to name only one. But the most popular topics were those related to holidays, food, and old people.
What do you think Erasmus students should know about our country?
I think Croatian hospitality and beautiful nature are unmatched. As well as prices on the Adriatic Sea.
Did you ever think about doing Croatian tragedies in another language? Tell us about it.
There were some suggestions to create them in English or German, but we never noticed enough interest in that. And we’re lazy.
Which languages do you speak and which ones would you like to learn?
We’re all good at English. I don’t know about learning something new. Maybe Serbian.
Do you believe in national prejudices? Are they always true?
As one of us is a psychologist, he says that prejudices are mostly unjustified and often incorrect generalizations of characteristics of a few people to the whole nation.
Is there any aspect of Croatian that people believe about the country or people and it's not true?
We're not sure. Probably all those beliefs are mostly incorrect.
Can you give some tips for having the best experience in Croatia?
Avoid crowded places, hang out with locals, learn a couple of phrases, say hi, be polite, and smile.
If you could write the tragedies about another country, which one would you choose and why?
Actually, we have one tragedy about Czech tourists who often get lost in the hills wearing flip-flops.
What's your favorite Croatian song? And Croatian city?
Currently, “Tour Life” by Vojko V. We like small towns in Istria, they are all great, you can’t miss them.
Recommend us a place you like in a Croatian place you live!
In the eastern part of Croatia, the City of Osijek has a beautiful promenade by the river Drava!
And for the end, your favorite Croatian word, expression, or phrase?
Our favorite Croatian word is “šipražje”, it means “bush” but we like the sound of it.
What are the future plans for the Croatian tragedies?
We never had plans for this project. Maybe that’s the reason why it’s successful.
Where can we find your products and souvenirs?
They are, for now, available at the web-shop of the publisher of our products - alfa.hr
Thank you for your time, Croatian tragedies. We wish you great work and projects in the future!
Dear Croatian learners and polyglots. If you have any questions about 'The Croatian tragedies', Croatian culture and jokes, or any ideas about the funny things Croatians do on daily basis, share them in the comments and your opinions! We would like to hear all about it!