Miljenko Smoje is a legendary Croatian journalist, writer, chronicler, eternal rebel, and one of the greatest humorists in Croatian literature.

Miljenko was born on February 14, 1923, in Varoš, one of the oldest neighborhoods in Split. At the time, this picturesque, Fellini-like neighborhood of poor laborers, old stone houses, and narrow streets was known for its strong, opinionated individuals, anarchists, and socialists that left a significant influence on Smoje’s life.

Miljenko was a master of portraying ordinary people living in Split and Dalmatia. He captured the way they think, talk, walk, their gestures, and their vivid personalities, which were often “allergic” to establishment and authority.

Smoje developed a unique writing style using the Split dialect Čakavština and combined it with humor, satire, and elements of tragedy.

In this post, we cover:

• Smoje as journalist
• Smoje as TV screenwriter
• Smoje’s legacy
• Controversy and death
• Love to Dalmatia

The facts are these…

Legendary Croatian journalist and satirist – Miljenko Smoje

Miljenko Smoje as a journalist

After the end of World War 2, Smoje graduated from university, where he studied Croatian language and history, after which he worked for a short time as a teacher.

In 1950, he started working as a reporter for the Split daily newspaper Slobodna Dalmacija, where he stayed until his formal retirement in 1979. In addition to the articles he wrote for Slobodna, he wrote short stories, plays, and novels.

[Read: Where to get your Croatian news]

Miljenko Smoje as a television screenwriter

Malo misto

His biggest success came in 1970 when he wrote the script for the television series Naše malo misto (Our Small Place). This show depicts life in a small Dalmatian coastal town during the period before and after World War 2.

In his specific way, full of humor and sarcasm, Smoje describes the economic, political, and cultural changes of those times through the lives of ordinary and animated characters. The success of the series was huge and earned cult status in Croatian culture.

Velo misto

Following the success of Malo misto, Smoje wrote another television script that was based on his own novel. This new series called Velo misto (The Big Place) described life in Split between 1910 and 1947.

Velo misto was also a great success. The series was based primarily on real-life people and historical events.

As you probably know if you’re reading this article, Croatia is well known for its football. In Velo misto, Smoje wrote about the beginnings of football in Split, sometimes referred to as balun.

The word balun in the dialect Čakavstina literally means ball and is used by locals as a synonym for football. You can hear kids on the streets saying Hoćemo na balun? (Shall we play football?). The word “balun” is only used for football, and not for any other sport that includes playing with the ball.

[Read: The 3 Croatian dialects: Što, Kaj, and Ča]

In Velo misto, Smoje showed the development, rise, and fall of one of the most iconic symbols of Split – Football club Hajduk.

[Read: 8 completely ridiculous Hajduk products]

Hajduk’s mascot is based on Nikola Gazdić, called Rico, who was one of the best Hajduk players ever and portrayed in Velo misto.

Both Malo misto and Velo misto became iconic and represent one of the best examples of Croatian cinematography.

The series introduced many legendary characters, both fictional and real, that are portrayed by famous actors, including Boris Dvornik, Zdravka Krstulović, Karlo Bulić, Asja Kisić, and Ivica Vidović.

Dino Dvornik, a singer known as the Croatian king of funk, had his first TV appearance in Malo misto when he was just a boy. Young Dino played the son of the character Roko Prč, who was played by Boris Dvornik, his real-life father.

[Read: Croatian Music Guide: Dino Dvornik]

Miljenko Smoje’s legacy

Many quotes from his shows became legendary and even part of everyday language, such as:

Neću politiku u svoju butigu. – No politics in my store.

Jema, jema puno lipi’ stvari, ali nesmin kazat. – There are a lot of nice things, but cannot say.

Evo, ja iz ove svoje butige nisam maka’, a čet’ri san države prominija! – I haven’t moved from my store, but I have changed four different countries.

Smoje wrote in dialect, which meant swearing (beštimati). Swearing in Dalmatia is a part of the culture. The entire family gathers at the table, usually over a meal, and they shout and swear at each other. A non-Croatian fly on the wall might think they are arguing, but that is not the case. This is how Dalmatians often communicate.

[Read: How to understand the Croatian culture: Part 1]

In one interview, Smoje said: ”I can swear, why not? I don’t swear to impress someone, but because that is part of our lives. I am a child of a fisherman, and in my house, like in the whole Split, we do three things: eat, drink and swear.”

Swearing is usually the first thing locals will teach foreigners.

Controversy and death of Miljenko Smoje

Despite his significant impact on Croatian culture, Smoje was not without controversy. In the 1990s, when Croatia was fighting for independence, he was characterized by some as a sympathizer of Yugoslavia and communism.

Smoje died in 1995 and was buried in žrnovnica, a village near Split. In his final days, he wrote for the weekly satirical newspaper Feral Tribune. In his last article, the very last word he wrote was pisati (write).

For the love of Dalmatia

When he was asked to describe Dalmatia, Smoje said, “Dalmacija je jedan lipi, litnji, sunčani dan.” (Dalmatia is one nice, summer, sunny day.)

Such a simple, yet very true statement.

Often you could see him sitting in a local cafe, just listening and talking to people about everyday life. He spent many summers on the island Brač in a rented bungalow with his wife Lepa – his biggest critic and muse. They were accompanied by their dog Šarko, the subject of Smoje’s book Pasje novelete (Dog Stories).

Today, Split and Dalmatia may not look like what Smoje described in the Malo and Velo misto series. Maybe there are more apartment rental signs than mudante (underwear)  hanging from the walls. However, the spirit and the core that Smoje was talking about are still there.

There are still places representing real Dalmatian culture where one can see stone houses, tiny streets (kale), coastlines, boats, and fishermen. Anyone visiting the local market (pazar, pijaca) and traditional cafes can feel that spirit.

The best way to feel the culture and pulse of the locals is by observing and talking to them, just like Smoje did.

[Read: How to understand the Croatian culture: Part 2]

View our other articles on prominent Croatians