Zagreb fakini (fakin meaning; ‘dude’ or ‘guy’, rowdy and hooligan) used to practice the old Croatian Easter tradition of daying eggs (pisanica).
But fakins do not paint ordinary eggs. Their target was the “eggs” of King Tomislav’s horse at Zagreb’s Central Station. This tradition began in 1948 on Easter when one brave fakin painted the king’s horse’s eggs.
This custom was expressly accepted among Zagreb fakins eager for adrenaline and continued from year to year.
What do you say about this tradition?
According to the stories of the old Purgers, the authorities were not at all enthusiastic about this creativity, so “comrade militiamen” were often on duty at Tomislavac (The King Tomislav Square)
A new one was born when this custom was forgotten – in Maksimir.
The new leading actor of the fakin tradition is “Discus Thrower”, a sculpture by the famous artist Vanja Radauš.
The “discus thrower” was settled in front of the Maksimir stadium in 1952. It didn’t take long for the city fakins to “catch” it, first with the nickname “The Pimpek plac.”
Very soon, on the eve of Easter, he got cheerful colors on his crotch.
Like King Tomislav’s sculpture, the “Discus Thrower” was once guarded by the militia (ex-YU police), which did not worry our local creatives. Thus, the famous sculpture often took on Dinamo’s blue color as a fierce fan of the blue club or the occasional spring Easter color.
“Militia in the bar and eggs painted for a while.” the people of Zagreb remember.
During the 1990s, this tradition seemed to be shrouded in oblivion. Still, new generations of fakins sought to revitalize the sympathetic Zagreb custom. And whether the most famous “eggs” will get Easter clothes this year remains to be seen on Sunday morning.
