Saturday, July 4 2026, was the day when the Regional Muesum Jagodina welcomed around one hundred former EX-YU Youth Work Action volunteers, who held their annual gathering in our city this year at the invitation of their hosts, the “Jagodina Youth Work Action Volunteers” Association. Their traditional reunions take place each year in a different city across the former republics of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. Alongside socializing and celebrating old friendships, these gatherings are always enriched by visits to local landmarks and cultural institutions. Once again, the Regional Muesum Jagodina delighted its visitors with the richness of its collections. Great interest was shown in the exhibits presenting the region’s cultural and economic history, the unique Neolithic figurines, the heritage of the nearby monasteries, the beginnings of Serbia’s glassmaking industry, the numismatic and natural history collections, as well as the current exhibition of icons and liturgical objects. Many visitors were reluctant to leave the museum when it was time to continue to the next destination, wishing they could have spent even more time exploring the permanent exhibition.
For many participants, memories of friendship and their contribution to the post-war reconstruction of Yugoslavia evoke recollections of youth, solidarity, enthusiasm, and a time when, as volunteers, they helped build bridges, roads, railways, and factories. Undeterred by blisters, fatigue, or hard work, they believed they were helping create a better society that future generations would continue to develop and improve. For them, the Youth Work Actions were far more than volunteer labour, they were a school of life, friendship, and community spirit. The universal values they embodied: solidarity, comradeship, and a willingness to help both the wider community and one another, continue to unite former volunteers and give their reunions a special meaning.
Some bonds endure despite the passage of time and the course of history. We wish our guests a pleasant stay in Jagodina, enjoyable moments together, and the strengthening of friendships that have always been among the greatest values of these gatherings.
