Tanja

Age during the event: 33
Location: Rakovica

What were the worst sounds?

There were two. When they dropped the bomb on Straževica, I don't know how heavy it had been. There was a sunken sound. The primary sound which was audible was not as important as the one that followed, that of the quake or shock. It was as if the whole ground was moving. Meanwhile at the time I was in the washroom, which is a very small enclosed space, so the experience is therefore more intense.
The second one was the shattering of the windows. From that detonation, the glass of the windows broke. I went to check it out and I saw that the window above my father's bed broke. It was covered in glass.
That's it regarding sound. I wasn't bothered much by the sirens. But I would remember my mom jumping whenever she would hear them. You could see her knees buckling. Terrible.

What were the calming sounds?

Well, music I would listen to usually. Nothing special.

Was there any music that shaped this period? What did you listen to often?

No. If the question is whether I needed music for raising or strengthening morale, no. That wasn't necessary for me. But it was funny that when shit would start, on the TV you would have news and all of a sudden, no program, and immediately after they'd play partisan films. Now that was phenomenal (spoken sarcastically). And then you'd think to yourself: 'Are they so idiotic as to think that partisan films are somehow going to make me stronger when NATO is bombing us?'

What do you think of the remaining ruins? What do you think should happen to them?

For the RTS (Radio Television Serbia) I find it horrific because I have a personal connection to what happened.
Nebojša, one of Ivan's friends, worked as a sound guy there, and died at the time of the bombing.
On the night of the bombing there was direct transmission and in that moment you could see that they hit the building. And this is terrible, a body was hanging off the building. You had the reinforced concrete, iron, and there, a leg was caught, but it hung without a head.
But as far as the Generalštab is concerned, it's been covered by some war stuff. Horror. Frankly, I don't know, Generalštab is an architecturally beautiful building and from that point of view should be renewed. But not because it was struck by NATO, but since it represents the battle of Sutjeska and the whole National Liberation battle against fascism.

What would you like people who don't know about the bombing to know?

I have the same question of whether they should have struck us or not. I believe they shouldn't have because it is completely uncivilized in the 20th century for you to whip someone because they do this or that.
But from the other hand, there is the question of: In what way did we, and here I use we in quotation marks as none of us had any say in that, treat Kosovo. You see, this is a constant question.
The third point is Slobodan Milošević, who never brought this country any good.

What is one of your most important memories of the time?

I was at your place a lot. You were a baby then. Someone was holding you in their arms and then something cracked. You turned toward me and wanted me to hold you. It seems to me as if in that moment you felt tranquility from me, which you needed. Which is why you extended your hands towards me even though someone was already holding you.