Republic of Peščenica

Republic of Peščenica
Republika Peščenica
Satellite picture of Zagreb. Peščenica is on the northern side of River Sava, resembling a large whitish rectangular patch, northwards from the big white object next to the river.
Satellite picture of Zagreb. Peščenica is on the northern side of River Sava, resembling a large whitish rectangular patch, northwards from the big white object next to the river.
Area
• Total
1.30 km2 (0.50 sq mi)
Population
• Estimate
6,400
Today part ofCroatia

The Republic of Peščenica (Croatian: Republika Peščenica) was a satirical-parodical project of Croatian Željko Malnar named after the Zagreb neighbourhood of Peščenica.

Events were aired on anti-TV-show Nightmare Stage (Noćna mora), on Saturdays from 22:00 until the early morning hours on Z1, and transmitted via satellite. Events were described in short version in Malnar's column in the Globus magazine from Zagreb.

For a short period of time, shortened (and censored) versions of previous shows were aired on Croatian national TV in May 2007 (as "Privremeni tjednik"; only five episodes).

It was located in Peščenica, a working-class neighbourhood in Zagreb. The neighbourhood is in the northern part of the city (northwards from Sava river), southeastwards from the city center.

The project ended with the end of the TV-Show in 2010 after the "minister of defense", Zvonimir Levačić, died.

Anthem is Peščenice bijela and Danijela. Željko Malnar & Soma Dollara: Dobro jutro, Peščenico.

Presidents

  • Željko Malnar (1944–2013) (3 October 1992 – 9 July 2013)
  • Sead Hasanović – Braco (1953–present) (9 July 2013 – present)

Personalities

Željko Malnar, the self-styled president of the Republic of Peščenica

Cultural manifestations

  • Dora Noćna mora, song contest (parody on Croatian Eurovision qualification contest Dora; name is rhyming, made of Dora and Noćna mora, title of the TV-show)[1]

Famous actions

  • Voluntary surrender and extradition of Malnar's generals and ministers to The Hague and ICTY ("You go there, so I don't have to go."), a parody on the same events from reality.
  • R. Peščenica's (military) returning of Savudrijska vala and giving it back to Croatia ("Because our friendly neighbor Croatia doesn't have balls to do it herself."). Parody on Croatian-Slovenian border dispute about Savudrijska vala (Bay of Savudrija).
  • Involving Peščenican personalities into Croatian political life (elections). Includes Jajan's political plan: forming of Flašistička stranka (parody to Fascist (Croatian: Fašist) -> Flašist, originating from German: Flasche, bottle: "bottleist", "drinkers' party") and leading of Peščenica into Vrapče (a parody on paroles "leading of Croatia into EU"; Vrapče is a neighborhood in northwest Zagreb known for its psychiatric hospital)[2]

Literature

  • Željko Malnar: Filozofija Republike Peščenice, Birotisak, Zagreb, 2004., ISBN 953-6156-31-8

References

  1. ^ (in Croatian) Index.hr Dora Noćna mora: Ševina pobjeda u sjeni skandala sa Jaranom - Zanimljivosti - XMag
  2. ^ (in Croatian) Index.hr Jajan osniva Flašističku stranku i vodi Hrvatsku u Vrapče
  • (in Croatian) Noćna mora
  • (in Croatian) Index.hr Junaci Malnarove ulice na HTV-u - Showbiz - XMag
  • (in Croatian) Online TV-edition
  • (in Croatian) Index.hr Kurcolovcem i generalom Prkačinom na njemačke pljačkaše i goste u studiju (Braco, Jajan and Malnar are in the top picture)
  • (in Croatian) Javno Snalažljivi predsjednik: Malnar nažicao Mercedese od ruskog tajkuna
  • (in Croatian) Vjesnik Opet zakazala organizacija Mesićeva stožera (Mesić, Malnar and gas supply)
  • (in Croatian) Vjesnik Malnar grdi Hrvatsku i Hrvate, jer želi da im bude bolje i ljepše, želi ih popraviti, nema mržnje