Monumental

I’m fascinated with socialist monuments, which you can find even in small, out of the way Bosnian towns.

Here in Bratunac, I stopped to take two photos of the monument in the center of town.

I stopped to chat with these ladies, my romantic preconception being that I would hear stories: their memories of its construction, a first kiss under its shadow, etc etc… Instead, it turned out that they are all refugees from another town.

“Who knows what this monument was for, anyway, back then??”

I asked my driving instructor… He told me that money was donated for restoration, but that the current mayor let his cronies pocket the donation and the monument was never restored. (My driving instructor’s wife recently ran for mayor and lost to the incumbent.)

Drawn to its ramshackle charm, kids play nearby, young couples sit in quiet corners, old ladies sit on the benches each day and chat.