As Poslovni Dnevnik/Domagoj Puljizovic writes, the departure of almost 400,000 Croatian citizens since joining the EU, mainly to other EU countries, has directly affected the labour shortage and resulted in the arrival of more than a hundred thousand, mostly lower-skilled workers from Nepal, the Philippines, India and Pakistan. The import of foreign labour isn’t remotely a long-term solution for the Croatian economy. The organisers of the sixth Croatian Emigrant Congress (HIK), which will be held in Pula from June the 27th to the 30th, warned.

If the state doesn’t appropriately respond to the needs of assimilation and quality integration of these increasing numbers of foreign workers into society, for which Croatia needs considerable financial resources, there is a danger of ghettoisation of new immigrants. The consequences of something like that can be long-term and damaging for Croatian society. These problems are now of a clear political nature.

“At the congress, more than 150 participants will speak about various topics important for relations between the homeland and Croatian emigrants, and our focus is to create an entrepreneurial atmosphere in Croatia in order to attract as many emigrants as possible to invest in Croatia,” said Marin Sopta, president of the Programme of the HIK committee from the Croatian Emigration Research Centre.

Entrepreneurs Zdenko Štriga, Marko Rudela, Sara Dyson, Mario Jakus, Rob Anderson and Tomislav Mustapić will discuss the value of experiences and business contacts of the Croatian diaspora for doing business in Croatia, and the discussion will be moderated by Don Markušić.

“The idea is that Croatian returnees and immigrants from the USA, Australia, Canada and Germany talk about running a business in Croatia through their personal experiences. They’ll also talk about Croats abroad should return to their homeland and invest in it,” said Sopta. The reluctance of emigrants to return to Croatia should not be traced to the Homeland War because those are now quite firmly matters of the past, he added. “The main problem is that there’s absolutely no political will for a mass return.

If such a political will existed, then more specific measures would be taken following the example of Israel, Spain, Portugal, Poland and other such countries. Sluggish bureaucracy is also a problem. In Canada you can set up your company in one day, but here you need hundreds of papers. Our people are not used to that,” he said.

Debureaucratisation

He believes that the descendants of the second and third generation of Croatian emigrants should be enabled to receive citizenship automatically with proof of origin, so that they can more easily deal with their paperwork, and not have to wait for it for three or four years.

“When it comes to investments, we’ve failed to achieve the desired results. Businesspeople will not return to Croatia out of love for the country if they’re just going to lose money. The state must offer benefits in order to attract expatriate investors”, believes Sopta.

The Ministry of Demography and Immigration will not be able to make changes and speed up the return of emigrants without the support of the Ministry of Economy, Culture, the Croatian Chamber of Commerce, the Croatian Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the Register of Emigrants, they concluded from the Croatian Emigration Research Centre.

The post Croatian Emigration Research Centre Discusses Demographic Issues appeared first on Total Croatia.

TCN once appeared in the Samoa Observer. It’s definitely the first time we have written for a publication in the Pacific! The topic, of course, was the wonderful Klapa Samoana, the Samoan Dalmatian klapa group who have taken Croatia to their hearts and won many Croatian admirers in the process, both inside Croatia and the diaspora. 

It was then that I caught up with Christian from Klapa Samoana after a wonderful performance on top of the island of Hvar at Hvarcienda. It was a really interesting interview covering a number of issues, including the dream of building a Polynesian village in Croatia.

Klapa Samoana got me thinking though. The idea of a Samoan group singing Dalmatian klapa was very unusual – were there any other Croatian traditions and cultures which were equally unusual happening in unlikely parts of the planet?

It turns out that there are… Many thanks to the many of you who answered my call for suggestions on my Facebook page yesterday. Here are my top 10:

The Sinj Alka knights tournament, African-style

You can take Croats out of their country but they will find a way to continue with their traditions no matter where they are. A very interesting version of this tournament took place back in 2015 in a small town of Lephalale in South Africa by the border with Botswana. It came to be owing to the enthusiasm of Josko Ugrin from Zrnovnica. Read the full TCN report.

It doesn’t quite have the ceremony, uniforms and groomed horses of the original Alka, but I really like their improvised style. 

Dalmatian klapa, Samoan-style

We have written a lot about the boys from Samoa, so no need to repeat. Enjoy instead the video which made them famous, as they wished Croatia’s World Cup heroes good look for last year’s final. And keep up with the latest via the Klapa Samoana Facebook page. Keep up the good work!

Dalmatian villages, Texan-style

 Croatian folklore, Milwaukee-style

Croatian opera, Japanese-style

“U BOJ! is a very popular song in the Japanese glee choir. It is from the opera “Nikola Subic Zrinski” by Ivan Zajc. 

After the end of World War I, a Croatian mariner’s ship sunk in Japan. While they repaired their ship, “U Boj” became a very popular glee song in Japan. This movie was played by “Funken glee club” in Japan at “Funken glee club 2nd concert on July 9, 2006. Almost all “Funken glee club” members live in Toyohashi city. Toyohashi city is near Toyota city which is famous for car production.”

British Royal Wedding and Coronation celebrations, Croatian wine-style

Indian churches, Dubrovnik-style in Goa

“Originally the St. Blaise Church, Sao Bras was a small Chapel built in 1541 by Croatian sailors and traders settled in this village. It was elevated to a Parish Church in 1563. Prof Z Matisic, a Croatian scholar, came across some historical records in her country about her city, Dubrovnic’s links with Goa. She came to Sao Bras and standing before the church exclaimed: ”This is a replica of the one in Dubrovnic, dedicated to St.Blaise, the patron of our City!”. To revive the four century old ties, a 15 – member parliamentary delegation of the Republic of Croatia visited St. Blaise Church, Sao Bras on April 1, 1999. The belfry of Sao Bras church has 2 bells, the bigger one being from the ruined church of Santa Luzia in Daujim. The present parish comprises the villages of Gandaulim and Daujim (part) in Tiswaddi and the island of Kumbharjua.” Read more.

Commemorating the Croatian war sacrifice, the French way

Writing the tune for the German National Anthem, Croatian-style

The next time you hear the German National Anthem, have a little thought for Croatian folk music which is where young Haydn got his inspiration. Judge for yourself in the tune above. 

Franjo Kuhac was a “researcher who first propounded the view that Haydn’s music abounds in Croatian folk tunes was the Croatian ethnologist Franjo Kuhač, who gathered a great number of Croatian tunes in his fieldwork. Kuhač’s views, published in Croatian in his Josip Haydn i hrvatske narodne popievke (Zagreb, 1880) were made better known in English speaking countries by the musicologist Henry Hadow, in his book A Croatian Composer (1897) and in various editions of the prestigious Grove Dictionary).” Learn more.

Writing the hits for Frank Sinatra, Croatian-style

Strangers in the Night might have been a massive hit for Frank Sinatra, but he has a Croat to thank, for it was written by Ivo Robic and first performed in Split. 

“This song was originally written by Ivo Robic for a music festival in Split, Croatia; Robic later recorded versions of it in Croatian (“Stranci u Noci”) and in German (“Fremde in der Nacht”). English lyrics about love at first sight were written by Charles Singleton and Eddie Snyder.” Learn more.

The post 10 Croatian Traditions & Cultures in Unusual Global Locations appeared first on Total Croatia.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, estimates on how many Croats live abroad by Croatian diplomatic missions and consular offices across the world, as well as by Croatian Catholic missions, reveal the number of ethnic Croats who live abroad.

These latest figures have also been aided by various censuses carried out in countries where Croatian emigrants and their descendants reside, as well as estimates taken by Croatian communities in some of these countries. As such, it is currently estimated that around 3,200,000 Croatian emigrants and their descendants live outside Croatia in various nations around the world. This was announced by the Central State Office for Croats outside the Republic of Croatia.

Based on the estimates of individual countries around the world, the number of Croats who live abroad, as well as their descendants, is as follows:

Argentina: about 250,000
Australia: about 250,000
Austria: about 90,000
Belgium: about 7,000
Brazil: about 70,000
Bolivia: about 5,000
Chile: about 200,000
Denmark: about 2,500
Ecuador: about 4,000
France: about 40,000
Ireland: about 20,000
Italy: about 60,000
South Africa: about 8,000
Canada: about 250,000
Luxembourg: around 3,000
The Netherlands: about 10,000
Norway: around 2000
New Zealand: about 100,000
Germany: about 500,000
Paraguay: about 5,000
Peru: about 6,000
United States of America: about 1,200,000
Sweden: about 40,000
Switzerland: about 80,000
Uruguay: about 5,000
Great Britain: about 5,000
Venezuela: about 5,000

According to the latest data from the National Bureau of Statistics (CBS), Croatia has 3,855,641 inhabitants, while estimations suggest that there are over 3.2 million Croats and their descendants living abroad.

The post Around 3.2 Million Croats Live Abroad – Here’s Where appeared first on Total Croatia.

Radovich, a 41-time Emmy Award winner and producer of the Super Bowl, is one of the world’s most prolific television producers. By birth, he is an American, whereas his father is from Kapri near Šibenik, and his mother is from Pašman.

During this part of the Croatian Radio New York podcast, Radovich spoke about how busy he has been preparing for the Super Bowl. “It’s fortunate that the Super Bowl is held every three years instead of every year, as I wouldn’t have stayed at CBS otherwise,” says Radovich. In addition, he said it has been an honor to work on the Super Bowl. Radovich discussed his Croatian heritage and how he handled any situation during the early stages of his career. According to him, he was able to take advantage of the situation he grew up in.

Podcast host Sreċko Mavrek interviewed Radovich about the popularity of soccer in America and the significant contributions Croatian athletes have made towards the promotion of their country. In their opinion, soccer in America has a brighter future and will gain popularity, especially during the FIFA World Cup in the USA, Canada, and Mexico in 2026. Radovich also produces CBS’s UEFA Champions League, travels to London twice a month, and regularly visits Zagreb for coffee with friends. CBS data shows soccer is currently the third most popular sport, even more popular than baseball, said Radovich. Besides Petar Musa, who recently signed with Dallas, he also mentioned Luka Modriċ’s potential to finish his career in America.

Radovich was asked what he thought was the reason Croatian athletes were so successful. “I believe it’s genetics, and Croatian people are fierce and have a heart and something indescribable. If I had that answer, I would sell it all over the world. Thank God it’s that way!” said Radovich. Patriotism is another significant motivator for Croatian athletes, according to Mavrek and Radovich. When Vida and Lovren play for the Croatian national team, Radovich said, they give much more of themselves than when they play for their clubs. A common love for Croatia and a common unity for the country binds Croatian athletes together, Radovich concluded.

It should be noted that Radovich often stays in Croatia. CBS must allow him to spend five weeks in Croatia each summer as part of his employment contract. Besides acquiring Croatian citizenship in 2023, he is currently producing “Football Must Go On”, a film following Ukrainian Shakhtar players during the Champions League season. As a result of the tragic shooting at the Kansas City Chiefs’ celebration parade, in which one person died and 22 were injured, Radovich has also begun considering moving to Croatia.

You can watch here.

The post Croatian Radio New York podcast ‘Croatia and Sport’ features Pete Radovich appeared first on Total Croatia.

Author Joe Orovic articulates his feelings and thoughts on the returning diaspora experience, having swapped the glamour of New York City for the tiny Dalmatian paradise of the island of Iz. 

“Home.”

Funny word, especially to an immigrant. Reaches beyond the familiar cozy metaphor, or a sense of belonging; it can evoke warmth balanced with pain. Home hurts for those who never wanted to leave theirs.

Those who escaped famine, conflict, or tyranny then constructed a new existence in a foreign land.

Most of Croatia’s diaspora lists one of those reasons for leaving this paradise.

Dire economics led to empty bellies. Despotism limited freedoms. Shelling threatened lives. Under better terms, fuller wallet and safer skies, perhaps some would have stayed.

Some may still fancy giving life here a second go. Why not? Croatia has entered the EU; the most recent economic recession is a distant memory. Democratic habits have progressed, at times at a halting pace.

Even complaints have been diluted; from deserted island gulags and mortars, people now complain about petty bureaucracy and corruption.

Demographic trends suggest Croatia’s quite literally running out of Croats, but maintaining its potential.

You may be among the diaspora considering a return “home”. To live and work, or perhaps your kids suggested giving it a try.

All good decisions require a balance sheet of pros and cons. Well, here are the top five cons to moving back, and how to handle them.

You will be declared mentally insane behind your back

This diagnosis, by even the best-intentioned of relatives and loved ones, is well-meaning. The headlines do, in fact, sound too dire. Young folks are leaving in droves. Economic competitiveness remains paltry and the investment climate seems awful.

A bit of perspective cures this perception. Consider the source of the criticism; those most likely harangued by 70-hour work weeks in a windowless cubicle, trapped in a rat-wheel existence lacking afternoon macchiatos and weekends on the shore.

Be “insane” enough to jump off the rat wheel.

People will welcome you home, but be wary of your intentions

The modern theory of Croatian demographics states the best leave, only to be replaced by the worst. If at all.

Your return, as a member of the diaspora, will be suspect. Chatter will include various theories about your reasons for returning, none positive.

Unless the chatterbox in question has some influence over your business or personal life, let it go. If someone asks “Why did you come back?”, smile and say, “Because you don’t know how good you have it here.”

You will lead a double life

This may rank among the hardest aspects of returning home: you’re never fully here. Much as you may try to break ties with your life back in Canada, the US, UK or Australia, some matters remain overseas.

Family, business, friends and all the sentimental issues rank high and are expected. But you may find your complaints cross into the mundane: stiff toilet paper; an inability to find a proper and fair butcher; and a strong distaste for Pelinkovac.

Remember the cardinal rule: Don’t compare. Moving back doesn’t mean universal improvement.

Every bump along the way might trigger some doubt

This one sneaks up on you: some unforeseen calamity you never anticipated lays your pristine plans to waste. Everything seemingly goes to hell. And for a brief moment, you consider the ease with which you could’ve solve this problem overseas.

This is normal. This is fair. But use the frustration and doubt to demand more of yourself and those stopping your progress.

Each minor victory will feel like a massive triumph

A decade or so away isn’t a quick sojourn, it’s a complete revolution. And like every immigrant experience, even the most minor of victories can feel like a mastery of life in this wily country.

“Returning” diaspora, especially those who have spent a prolonged period overseas, tend to forget they are, in a sense, newly-arrived immigrants. Again.

Never forget, even though you were born here, you’re still the new guy in town.

The post 5 Things People Won’t Tell You About Moving Back to Croatia appeared first on Total Croatia.

Bojan Bogdanovic made an instant impact in his New York Knicks debut against Indiana on Saturday, scoring 11 points in 33 minutes. He added three boards, one assist, and one steal. A narrow 105-103 Houston Rockets victory over the New York Knicks on Monday featured Bogdanovic’s 15 points, including nine in the fourth quarter that sparked the Knicks’ comeback.

It has been a good season for Bogdanovic, 34, who has played 28 games with the Detroit Pistons, averaging 20.2 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.5 assists, shot 41.5 percent from three-point range over 32.9 minutes. He recorded a season-high 36 points, seven rebounds, five assists, one steal and eight made three-pointers vs. Utah on January 3, 2024. Bogdanovic is one of six players in the NBA to average at least 20 points and three made three-pointers while shooting over 40-percent from the three-point line this season. 

He holds career averages of 15.8 points on 46.1-percent shooting, 3.6 rebounds, 1.7 assists while shooting 39.5-percent from the three-point line over 29.5 minutes in 690 games (572 starts) over nine seasons. His NBA career started with the Nets and continued with the Wizards, Pacers, Jazz, and Pistons. Bogdanovic was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team in 2015. He also represented Croatia at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, where he led all scorers with 25.3 points per game. Prior to the NBA, he played for Real Madrid’s junior team and then spent five years playing professionally in Europe.

The famous Earvin Magic Johnson commented on Bogdanovic’s arrival in the Knicks on the X social network:

(embed)

The compliment from one of basketball’s greatest players is a once-in-a-lifetime honour and a perfect motivator for Bogdanovic in the New York Knicks jersey no. 44. Currently, the Knicks are fourth in the Eastern Conference with a 33-18 win-loss record. ​The New York Croats congratulate and welcome Bogdanovic to the Knicks.

The post New York Knicks Acquire ‘Croatian Sniper’ Bojan Bogdanovic appeared first on Total Croatia.

As Nikolina Demark writes, pretty much any mention of Susak island in a conversation will usually have people citing massive emigration and ‘that pretty costume’. While both are true, and we’ll get to that in a minute, Susak has a fascinating history and culture whose features go far beyond the folklore and diaspora. Let’s delve into the many aspects of this unique destination:

Susak is a small island located in Kvarner bay on the northern Adriatic, southeast off the coast of Istria. It neighbours the islands of Lošinj, Unije, Vele and Male Srakane, and Ilovik. It’s approximately 3 kilometres long and 1.5 kilometres wide, covering a surface of 375 hectares with the highest elevation point (Garba) at 98m above sea level.

Susak island is known for its unique geological features: it has a limestone rock base covered with fine sand of Aeolian origin, the latter presenting somewhat of a mystery, as it hasn’t yet been precisely established how the layer of sand came to appear on the entire island, with none of the neighbouring islands sharing the same trait.

The history of Susak island

The name ‘Susak’ is said to be derived from the Greek word sampsychon (marjoram), a term which Romance languages later adopted and transformed into multiple variations such as sansegus and sansicus. Since the Middle Ages, the island has been commonly referred to as Sansego in Italian; this particular variation of the name was first mentioned in Venetian chronicles written by John the Deacon in the early 11th century. This historical source features an account of a naval battle between the Saracens and the Venetian fleet in 844, with the latter seeking refuge near Susak after having been defeated at sea. From that point on, Sansego was mentioned several times in official Venetian documents in the 13th and 14th centuries.

Having been subjected to numerous rulers and regimes in the past, Susak has a long and tumultuous history. The entire story has proven hard to piece together, supposedly owing to the lack of formal education on the island prior to the 20th century. Considering that hardly any historical documents have been found on the island itself, Susak island’s history was mostly reconstructed on the basis of other historical sources that mention the island, as well as within the context of historical development of the wider geographical and cultural area.

Susak was first inhabited by the Illyrians, Greek sailors, and wealthy Romans who reportedly used the island as a summer resort. Even though no historical evidence to those facts has ever been found on Susak, neighbouring islands house ancient remains such as architecture, mosaics and sarcophagi which support the possibility of Susak having been inhabited as early as in ancient times. In the early Middle Ages, the island would have been ruled by the Byzantine Empire, followed by the Croatian Kingdom in the 10th and 11th centuries. Around 1071, Croatian King Krešimir allowed Benedictine monks to build an abbey on Susak, giving way to the Benedictine order governing the island until the late 13th century. Susak was part of the Osor diocese at the time.

In 1267, Istria was taken over by the Republic of Venice, leading to Susak ceding to Venetian rule as well. The island was governed by Venetians until 1797, when the gradually declining republic came crumbling down, with most of its territory divided between Austria and France. Napoleon Bonaparte ceded the area between Istria and Dalmatia – Susak island included – to Austria.

Things progressed at a faster rate from this point on: event though Susak technically belonged to Austria at the time, it was still under jurisdiction of Napoleon’s Illyria until 1815 when Austrians annexed most of the region, continuing to rule the island and the surrounding territory until the end of World War I. After the fall of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1918, the region was given over to Italy. Mussolini’s government swiftly launched a process of Italianisation, enforcing Italian as the official language and forcibly changing the spelling of several surnames on Susak island.

In the middle of World War II, the Nazis took control of the area and established the Operation Zone of the Adriatic Littoral; after the end of the war, Susak became part of Yugoslavia. The island has been a part of Croatian territory since Croatia proclaimed independence in 1991. The only inhabited place on the island is Susak town which consists of two parts: Gornje selo (upper village), the older part of the settlement that houses the church, and Donje selo (lower village) located on the coast and housing a small port.

Culture

The political turmoil in the last couple of centuries alone resulted in a variety of cultural influences which left a mark on the population of Susak. The islanders call themselves Sansegots and speak in a local dialect that is best described as a blend of Old Croatian, Italian, French, and German; Susak’s isolated position allowed for the language to develop without major linguistic influences from the neighbouring islands or the mainland.

Another specific facet of the island’s unique culture is its folklore: Susak is widely known for its traditional costumes. Women of Susak used to wear two different types of outfits, one called ‘po susacku’ (the Susak way) and the other ‘po losinsku’ (the Lošinj way). The former consists of a knee-length black skirt (kamizot), white linen shirt (kosula) topped with a sleeveless vest (bust) and a scarf (bravaruoul). This type of clothing has gone out of fashion in recent decades and is rarely to be seen on the island, instead getting replaced by the more festive ‘po losinsku’, mostly worn by girls and young women on special occasions such as festivals and feast days.

‘Po losinsku’ features what is arguably the shortest traditional skirt in Croatia: layer upon layer of ruffled white petticoats, topped with a colourful pink apron and a matching pair of vibrant tights. The skirt is paired with a tight shirt made of artificial silk (zabajka), and a brightly coloured scarf that’s folded over the chest and tucked into the skirt.

The men’s costume is way less flashy, consisting of black trousers with a knitted rope belt, a white linen shirt, a black vest lined with colourful embroidery, and a cap.

Apart from the traditional clothing, songs, and dances, the folklore of Susak island also involves a notion of mythological evils. Even though the population is predominantly Catholic, some of the ancient superstitions survive to this day, and it’s believed that predatory dark beings reside on locations named Obis and Puntina. An evil named Mora (nightmare) is believed to attack people during night time, while another named Mrak (darkness) is said to strangle people to death. Save for physically fighting them off, one can only defeat the threatening evils with fire – including cigarettes.

Economy and migration

In the past, the inhabitants of Susak island mostly made their living from farming, fishing, and wine making. The economy flourished until the middle of the 20th century; a fish cannery was operating on the island until the 40s, and a Cooperative wine cellar was running from 1936 to 1969, processing 1400 tonnes of grapes each year and producing close to 90% of red wine and 10% of white. The island even has an indigenous red grape variety called Sansigot, supposedly brought over by the ancient Greeks. Almost a third of the entire island’s surface was planted with Sansigot which flourished on the sandy soil; the variety later spread to the islands of Krk, Cres and Lošinj where it was used blended with other local varieties. (Read more here.)

The island’s economy – including the unfortunate Sansigot – fell victim to a massive exodus that took place in the 60s. The Communist regime launched a nationalisation process and an agricultural reform, and the majority of the population decided to leave the island for political or economic reasons. During the 60s, the number of Susak’s inhabitants dropped by 1395; from that point on, the population continued to decrease to the current number of around 150 residents.

Most Sansegots fled via Italy to Hoboken, New Jersey; others have moved to France, Canada, Argentina and Australia. Nowadays, the largest number of families originating from Susak reside in New Jersey and the wider New York City area, and it’s estimated that the Susak diaspora based in the US currently counts between 2500 and 4000 people. Here’s a list of surnames indigenous to Susak, with spelling variations noted in the brackets:

Busanić (Bussanich, Bussanic)
Hrončić (Hroncich, Hroncic)
Matesić (Mattessich)
Mirković (Mircovich)
Morin
Picinić (Picinich, Piccinich, Picinic, Piccinic, Picini, Piccini)
Skrivanić (Scrivanich)
Tarabokija (Tarabocchia, Tarabochia, Tarabokia)

In 1948, an emigrant from Susak named John Matesić founded the Society of St. Mikula from Susak (Društvo Svetoga Mikule od Suska) in Hoboken, aiming to provide support to all families from the Croatian island who were immigrating to the US. Since 1985, the society has been based in Fairview, New Jersey. Other associations founded by Susak emigrants include the Sansego Soccer Club (Hoboken, 1960) and the Susak Klapa (Hoboken, 1981).

To this day, the American branch of the Susak diaspora sticks together, keeping the tradition and the language alive. In fact, Susak island is one of few emigration hotspots in Croatia that are regularly visited by their former inhabitants: the island has been celebrating the Day of Emigrants every last Sunday in July since 1985. Former Sansegots and their families gather on Susak to pay tribute to their heritage and keep in touch with the remaining population.

Sources: Priča o Susku, Susak Klapa, Island of Susak

The post Diaspora Roots – Susak Island appeared first on Total Croatia.

As Nikolina Demark writes, Blato on Korčula is a town located in Dubrovnik-Neretva County in the southern part of the Adriatic. It’s a municipal centre and has a population of around 3500.

The town is known as one of the oldest settlements on Korčula. Its name, translating to mud in English, stems from the Old Slavic term for ‘a large body of water’, referring to the neighbouring Blato karst field. From the ancient times onwards, the field has been flooding on a regular basis, creating a lake that regularly went on to dry up in summer months. In 1911, the first canals and tunnels were constructed to channel the drainage water into the sea on the northern part of the island.

Blato on Korčula is believed to have been inhabited since the Roman times. While historical sources on the ancient history of the town are hard to track down, the church of Our Lady of the Field, located on the karst field of Blato, partially dates back to the 4th century, its ancient Roman floors bearing witness to the earliest stage of Blato’s development. Archaeologists have also discovered remains of an agricultural estate close to the field, named Roman Junianum.

The town itself is spread on several hills around a small central valley, accessed by the main road from the town of Korčula. Throughout history, the population of Blato has mostly dealt in agriculture, owing to the pleasant Mediterranean climate with dry warm summers and mild winters. The economy was primarily based on wine making and olive oil production; in the early 20th century, more than 1000 wagons of wine and 30 wagons of oil were produced and exported annually. Carob and figs were two other major products, with legumes and grain grown for private purposes.

After World War I, a massive phylloxera infestation destroyed the majority of vineyards in Blato on Korčula. Combined with unfavourable political and economic conditions in the newly formed Yugoslavia, the blight led to a mass exodus from Blato. While the statistical data available online differs from source to source, one thing is certain: the town’s population dramatically decreased in an incredibly short time span, with entire families from Blato leaving for Australia and South America on three separate occasions in 1924 and 1925. According to HRT, 1200 residents departed from the nearby port of Prigradica in a single day – on May 25, 1925. What used to be the sixth biggest settlement in the whole of Dalmatia turned into an emigration hotspot almost overnight.

Blato found its ground again after the end of World War II; agriculture, tourism, and the metal and textile industries entered a new stage of development. Even though the population continued to decline, emigrants who left Blato after WWII kept in touch with their hometown.

Nowadays, the local economy flourishes owing to the Radež shipyard which employs 330 island residents. They build small tourist ships, manufacture steel structures and marine equipment, and export their products to Germany, Finland and Norway. Agriculture has remained one of the main economic activities, namely the production of wine and olive oil; tourism continues to bloom with a decent range of hotels and private accommodation on offer. The local authorities are making immense efforts to entice population growth: every couple residing in Blato is granted financial support of 5000 kuna for their first-born child, 10.000 for the second, 60.000 for the third, and 72.000 kuna for the fourth. Once the kids are done with elementary school, they don’t have to look far to continue their education: they can choose between a grammar school in Blato, an engineering high school, and a tourism high school in Korčula and Vela Luka. Those who move to other Croatian cities to pursue education in other fields are granted scholarships, with the Town of Blato contractually obliged to find them a job in their hometown once they’ve graduated.

The inhabitants of Blato on Korčula are immensely proud of their cultural heritage and local customs: no less than fifteen cultural societies and associations are active in town. The best known is the Chivalrous Society ‘Kumpanija’; established in 1927, the society is performs a chivalrous game somewhat similar to the famous Korčula moreška. Kumpanija (companions or company in English) is a tradition originating from the historical island defense unit of the same name, first mentioned in 1214 and later transforming to a staged ceremonial fight between two armies defending their homes.

The performance takes place in front of the church of All Saints on April 28 in honour of St. Vincenca, Blato’s patron saint. The so-called kapitan (captain) sets the performance in motion with a choreographed sword dance; the standard-bearer called alfir follows with his own dance figures. When the chivalrous game is over, soldiers may dance with girls; the entire ceremony is set to bellows and a war drum. It’s also worth noting the performance used to involve an unfortunate ox led to sacrifice, but this particular custom was abandoned a couple of decades ago.

Even though more people of Blato origin reside in Australia and South America than on Korčula island itself, Blato has managed to overcome all challenging circumstances and nowadays houses a thriving community whose members lead happy, fulfilled lives. All of them united in a single goal: preserving the unique qualities of authentic island life. 

The post Diaspora Roots – Blato on Korčula appeared first on Total Croatia.

As Nikolina Demark writes, Ilovik is the southernmost inhabited island in the Lošinj archipelago. It has a surface of 5.8 square kilometres, with a coastline of 15 kilometres that is accessible from all sides. A smaller islet of Sveti Petar (St. Peter) is located north of Ilovik; the two are separated by an inlet named the Strait of Ilovik which is 2.5 kilometres long and 300 metres wide, making it a perfect spot for mooring as it’s naturally shielded from most winds. 

It’s exactly the favourable position of the inlet between the two islands that has brought the first inhabitants to Ilovik and Sveti Petar. Their history can be traced back to the Ilirian tribe of Liburnians, followed by the ancient Romans who have left behind an extensive fund of preserved remnants of buildings, mosaics, coins, and an underwater archaeological site.

Sveti Petar is home to several objects that bear witness to the islands’ historical development. It used to serve as a quarantine for passengers on their way to Venice, with a preserved Venetian castle built by Filippo Pasqualigo in 1600 to defend the area from pirates. The islet also houses remains of a Benedictine monastery which used to be under jurisdiction of the Susak abbey, with an adjacent burial site enclosed by walls originating from the 11th century. This particular location of Ilovik island’s only cemetery gave way to a poetic burial rite: after the service for the departed is held in Ilovik’s church of Saints Peter and Paul, the body is taken to its final resting place on Sveti Petar on a boat, making for a symbolic notion of one’s last journey.

The first Croatian inhabitants arrived on Ilovik island back at the end of the 18th century, moving to the south from its bigger neighbour Lošinj. The favourable Mediterranean climate provided optimal conditions for a thriving agricultural activity to develop, along with fishing and sheep herding. All three have remained the main economic activities of Ilovik’s population to this day, with tourism having developed in the last couple of decades owing to the island’s unspoiled nature and dreamy secluded bays. The entire island is covered in lush Mediterranean vegetation, including oleander, bougainvillea, palm trees and two century-old eucalyptus trees, getting Ilovik its nickname of ‘the island of flowers’.

Enchanted by that lush vegetation and pristine beaches, it’s easy to forget about the harsh reality of island life. In the 1960s, when the residents of Ilovik island were first granted passports by the Yugoslav government, a good part of the population was quick to escape to Italy where they were granted asylum as political refugees; most have headed on to the US, where the Ilovik diaspora nowadays counts three times more people than their island of origin.

Here’s a list of common surnames indigenous to Ilovik, with italianised and anglicised versions noted in the brackets:

Baričević
Belanić (Bellani, Belanich)
Budinić (Budinis, Budinich)
Mezić (Mezzich, Mezich)
Radelić
Raguzin
Simičić (Simicich)

The only inhabited place on the island is Ilovik village which had a population of 85 as of the 2011 census. While Ilovik now has a grocery store, a post office, a local primary school and several restaurants, more or less providing basic services and goods its residents might need in their daily lives, a public water supply system wasn’t introduced until 2013 – water had to be ordered and brought to the island on a cargo ship from Mali Lošinj. Going to the dentist or a pharmacy entailed an hour-long boat trip to Lošinj as well, with the service available only twice a week. Getting back to Ilovik island would have taken you up to two hours, as Jadrolinija’s passenger ship, Ozalj, operated on a route connecting the islands Susak, Male and Vele Srakane, and Unije, with Ilovik island as the very last stop.

A port was since established in Mrtvaška bay on the southern coast of Lošinj, enabling Ilovik’s residents to make the formerly exhausting trip in under 10 minutes owing to a service provided by the public company TIM-G. A primary school teacher can now easily commute to Ilovik to teach a combined class of eight pupils: one first-grader, three third-graders, two kids in 5th grade and two in 8th grade. Most subjects are taught by local teachers in Ilovik, while the older children keep up with chemistry and English with the help of a video feed of classes held in the main primary school in Mali Lošinj.

While the majority of Ilovik’s residents are of older age, the demographic situation has been looking up since the quality of life had improved. In the last decade or two, people have been moving to the island from all parts of Croatia: they have young newcomers from Zagreb, and the president of the local council Jadranka Matas moved to Ilovik from Rijeka more than fifteen years ago.

As the infrastructure continues to improve and more ferry lines are introduced to better connect Ilovik island with the neighbouring islands and the mainland, the island community is sure to continue to thrive. And who knows – seeing that many members of the Ilovik diaspora have kept in touch with their homeland, making it a habit to visit their island of origin in summer months, they just might decide to return to Ilovik once and for all.

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Interviews and discussions will be conducted about the accomplishments of remarkably talented Croatian athletes, sportsmen and politicians, as well as other interesting topics related to sport.

In the podcast, host Srecko Mavrek and technical editor Josip Bogovic will invite guests with a variety of perspectives to speak. The first podcast featured 16-year-old football player Sierra Floricic from New York, who received an invitation from Croatia to join the Croatian women’s U-17 soccer team.

Her family lives in Queens, where Sierra is in 11th grade at St. John’s Preparatory School. Her father is from Labin, her mother is from Porec, and she has a younger brother. In her fluent Croatian, she proudly explained that they speak only Croatian at home. In addition, she pointed out that she spends two months in Croatia every summer.

Currently, she plays midfield or defence for NYCFC as captain. With the help of teachers and friends, she balances school and club commitments. She is actually an excellent scholar with the highest possible GPA 4.0.

“I’m very proud to play for the Croatian national football team. I was very happy when they invited me to Croatia. I was in Osijek last summer for preparations, and again in December in Medulin for the Croatian national football team camp. All the girls I met there were excellent players. Most of the girls are from Croatia, but there are some from the diaspora – one girl from each of Canada, Australia, Austria, Switzerland and Germany, as well as me from America.” Sierra told Croatian Radio New York (Hrvatski Radio NY).

When Sierra was asked about the difference between playing football in Croatia and America, she replied, “The speed of the game in Croatia is very fast. Girls put a lot more emphasis on their strength.” In the future, Sierra plans to continue playing football as well as studying in either America or in Croatia. You can listen to the entire podcast on Croatian Radio New York’s website.

The post Croatia and Sport – Croatian Radio New York Releases Podcast appeared first on Total Croatia.