Ćaci u školu
 The Jovan Jovanović Zmaj Gymnasium in Novi Sad, where the graffiti appeared. | |
| Date | January 22, 2025 |
|---|---|
| Location | Jovan Jovanović Zmaj Gymnasium, Novi Sad, Serbia |
| Coordinates | 45°15′28″N 19°50′55″E / 45.2577°N 19.8485°E |
| Type | Graffiti |
"Ćaci u školu" (Serbian Cyrillic: Ћаци у школу) was a piece of graffiti that appeared on January 22, 2025, at the entrance to the Jovan Jovanović Zmaj Gymnasium in Novi Sad, Serbia. Written in red paint, the graffiti gained viral attention on social media due to a prominent spelling mistake—using the letter ћ (ć) instead of ђ (đ) in the word "đaci" (students). The resulting nonsensical phrase "ćaci u školu" ("ćaci to school") was initially met with widespread humor and ridicule directed at the author's perceived illiteracy.[1]
The phenomenon quickly evolved from an online joke into a potent political symbol during the 2024–present Serbian anti-corruption protests. The term ćaci was adopted by anti-government protesters as a satirical and derogatory label for supporters of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party, particularly those participating in state-sponsored counter-protests.[2] Its most notable application was the naming of the "Ćaciland" in Belgrade. The term's journey from a simple misspelling to a complex political metaphor has been cited by analysts as an example of protest culture's power to reclaim and repurpose symbols in contemporary Serbia.[2]
Background
[edit]The Jovan Jovanović Zmaj Gymnasium, founded in 1810, is one of Serbia's oldest and most prestigious educational institutions.[3] The graffiti appeared during a period of significant social and political unrest. In the preceding months, the gymnasium itself had been a focal point of protests, with students and teachers blockading the school to oppose decisions made by the principal and to show solidarity with university students demanding accountability for the Novi Sad railway station canopy collapse, a tragedy that claimed 16 lives.[4]
The inscription also coincided with a nationwide teachers' strike driven by low salaries and poor working conditions.[5] Given this context, the graffiti was widely interpreted as an illiterate attempt to urge striking students and teachers to return to classes.[6] This interpretation was highlighted by commentators who framed it as a clumsy message from supporters of the authorities, with one portal attributing it to "SNS elite calligraphy squads."[7]
The graffiti and its discovery
[edit]On the morning of January 22, 2025, the graffiti was discovered painted in red on a fence post at the courtyard entrance of the gymnasium.[8] The author, intending to write "Đaci u školu" ("Students to school"), incorrectly substituted the Cyrillic letter Đ (which represents the sound /dʑ/) with Ć (/tɕ/), creating the neologism "ćaci". The grammatical error became the immediate focus of public attention, overshadowing the intended message. The graffiti was later altered, with the word "ćaci" being painted over and replaced with "ćalci" (a slang term for 'dads'), changing the message to "Dads to school."[8]
Viral phenomenon and public reaction
[edit]The image of the misspelled graffiti spread rapidly across Serbian social media platforms, triggering a wave of humorous and satirical responses.[1]
- Students at the gymnasium humorously "awarded" the anonymous author a "gold medal for the worst knowledge of Cyrillic," which they taped to the fence post next to the graffiti.[6]
- A satirical Facebook event titled "Tražimo Ćacija da ga pošaljemo u školu" ("Let's find Ćaci to send him to school") was organized for January 24, attracting significant online attention.[9][10]
- The incident inspired numerous memes, jokes, and online commentaries. Puns such as "Prelazak Đ u Ć – lojalizacija" ("The shift from Đ to Ć – loyalization") circulated widely, playfully linking the spelling error to political loyalty.[10]
Cultural and political impact
[edit]What began as an online joke quickly transformed into a significant cultural and political symbol. The term ćaci evolved from a simple noun for the graffiti's author into a widely used pejorative for individuals perceived as uneducated, incompetent, and uncritically loyal to the ruling establishment.[11]
According to academic analysis, anti-government protesters strategically reclaimed the term, turning it "into a tool of ridicule against fabricated state narratives and those participating in state-orchestrated pro-government rallies."[2] The most prominent example of this was the naming of the Ćaciland Protest Camp, a counter-protest encampment in Belgrade's Pionirski Park. This camp, seen by opponents as a government-organized effort to delegitimize student protests, was dubbed "Ćaciland," solidifying the connection between the original graffiti and the broader political conflict.[2]
The symbol demonstrated its longevity when new graffiti appeared at the same gymnasium in June 2025, reading "Ćaci je živ" ("Ćaci is alive"), a direct parody of the post-World War II slogan "Tito je živ" ("Tito is alive"). Another inscription, "Gde ste naci" ("Where are you, Nazis"), appeared alongside it, referencing a statement by President Aleksandar Vučić who had claimed it was "better to be a ćaci than a naci" (Nazi), a phrase his supporters used to deflect criticism of pro-government activists.[12]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c d "Serbia's Protests as a Cultural Explosion: Symbols, Memory, and the Unfolding Present". OSTBLOG. 2025-03-15. Retrieved 2025-06-13.
- ^ "Jovan Jovanović Zmaj Gymnasium – Novi Sad" (in Serbian). Edukacija.rs. Retrieved May 1, 2025.
- ^ "Jovan Jovanović Zmaj Gymnasium in Novi Sad blocked; students present five demands" (in Serbian). RTV. December 16, 2024. Retrieved May 1, 2025.
- ^ "Serbian Teachers Strike as Support for Student Protests Grows". Balkan Insight. January 20, 2025. Retrieved June 13, 2025.
- ^ a b "Illiterate author of graffiti tells students at Jova's Gymnasium: "Ćaci u školu"" (in Serbian). Autonomija. 2025-01-22. Retrieved 2025-06-13.
- ^ "Attacks by "SNS elite calligraphy squads": ĆACI U ŠKOLU (PHOTO)" (in Serbian). Direktno.rs. 2025-01-22. Retrieved 2025-06-13.
- ^ a b "Illiterate graffiti at Jova's Gymnasium becomes a subject of jokes on social media" (in Serbian). Luftika. 2025-01-23. Retrieved 2025-06-13.
- ^ ""The shift from Đ to Ć-loyalization": "Ćaci u školu", graffiti in front of Jova's Gymnasium is the biggest hit on social media" (in Serbian). City Magazine. 2025-01-23. Retrieved 2025-06-13.
- ^ a b ""Let's find Ćaci to send him to school": How an illiterate anti-strike graffiti became a hit on social media" (in Serbian). N1. 2025-01-23. Retrieved 2025-06-13.
- ^ "Ćaci and culture: A new phenomenon in Serbian society" (in Serbian). Vreme. January 30, 2025. Retrieved May 1, 2025.
- ^ "New graffiti at Novi Sad's "Jovan Jovanović Zmaj" Gymnasium: "Ćaci is alive" and "Where are you, Nazis"" (in Serbian). snm.rs. 2025-06-12. Retrieved 2025-06-13.