Theatrical play "Golubnjača": The political context of its banning and the 1982/3 conflicts within the party

Abstract

This article analyzes the political background behind the political decision to remove the play "Golubnjača" from the Serbian National Theater program in Novi Sad in 1982. It also highlights the public reactions to that decision, as well as the conflicting stances of Vojvodina and Serbian governments about this issue. The Novi Sad Communist Union committee banned the play arguing that it was promoting Serbian nationalism. However, the play continued showing in Belgrade because of the benevolent attitude towards it among Serbian politicians and the Yugoslav people. Still, the controversies behind the play led to huge debates in the Yugoslav public sphere. This case study examines the intellectual influence over the repressive government decisions.