At a time when law and order on the streets were kept by members of the People’s Militia, and the roads were cruised by recognizable blue “stojadins,” everyday life was significantly different. This very atmosphere of a bygone era was brought back to life by Ilija Ječmenica, an electrical engineer from Čačak, who completely restored one such vehicle, with astonishing dedication to detail.
“I found an old blue ‘kec’, we fixed it up, painted the hood and trunk white, put up the ‘milicija’ sign, and started looking for the original rotating light. It was a ‘Rudi Čajevac’ rotating light, with sirens that light up alternately, just like it used to be,” Ilija tells the RINA agency.
This unusual endeavor was not just aesthetic; Ilija wanted to authentically evoke the spirit of a time. The vehicle also has a radio station with recorded police conversations, and special attention is drawn to the license plates with the letter “M” and a red five-pointed star, identical to those that appeared in the cult film “Žikina dinastija.”
“We carefully chose the license plate number – it’s the same as in the scene when Žika and Milan drive an identical stojadin. We had to make those license plates ourselves, because they are no longer available even in junkyards,” explains Ječmenica.
Although the vehicle is not registered for daily traffic, it is used for classic car gatherings, film shootings, and promotional events. The reactions of citizens are, he says, more than positive.
People are thrilled; they come up, take pictures, and ask me to turn on the siren and lights. Especially older folks – this car brings back memories and emotions for them. That was the whole idea – to preserve and pass on the memory of a certain era,” Ilija adds.
Finally, Ilija reveals that his plans don’t stop there – he intends to enrich the collection with additional original elements, which, he says, will be a real challenge.
His “police Stojadin” doesn’t participate in patrols today, but it successfully spreads nostalgia and brings back memories of a forgotten time when everything, at least it seemed that way then, was simpler and safer.
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Source: RINA, Photo: RINA