Status Symbols of Yugoslavia: Three Luxuries Once Reserved for the Wealthiest

Yugoslavia, the country of equality. For generations who grew up in that country, the memory of it means unity, comradeship, neighborhood harmony…

However, there are three things that in the time of Yugoslavia were owned only by the richest and were a status symbol.

Washing machine

While housewives at home were boiling laundry in a large pot and then washing it in a bathtub, the rich enjoyed the luxury of an automatic machine. Those who owned it called it “my friend” because no other household appliance made work easier like it did.

Color television

The first color televisions were a real attraction. The lucky ones organized movie nights for the neighbors, showing Bruce Lee and Lepa Brena in vibrant colors. Buying such a television meant giving up three months’ salary – but it turned every living room into a cinema.

Microwave oven

The microwave oven was so rare that traders barely managed to obtain copies. The rich boasted how this “magical” device heated food in an instant and defrosted groceries effortlessly. For others, it was an unattainable miracle of the future.

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