In The Times of Hardship, We Stick Together
You may have heard that Zagreb was hit with a strong earthquake in the early hours of Sunday morning on March 22nd. This came as a horrible twist in an ongoing battle with Coronavirus, which has taken the whole world as its hostage in the last month.
Here is my personal recap of all the recent events and a little bit of love for all my fellow citizens who may feel discouraged and sad. We will be fine. :)
Image credit: Lice grada
The sobering aftermath
As a Zagrebian, I'll try to sum up my view of events and emotions, which went through my head these past days and weeks. As you've probably seen, the city center of Zagreb was hit the most by strong shaking during the earthquake. The damage is more than evident in every single building. After the shock of the earthquake itself, this was the part that was so shocking as well.
Seeing our beloved city so severely "injured" really brought me to tears. Some may say, those are just materialistic things, but those buildings make our city. We all have memories tied to different locations of this town, many being in the city center, and seeing those places ruined really hurts.
The picture which was published in every media channel showed one of the towers of Zagreb Cathedral. It was severely damaged during the earthquake and now misses the whole top part. It has since become a symbol of this tragedy, and like all Zagrebians, I can only hope it will be repaired to its original state. In fact, this is a wish for all the beautiful building which have been affected by this earthquake. From hundreds of years old museums, faculties to churches, which make our town so unique. I'm sure we will see them all again shining despite this natural tragedy, which took us all by surprise.
Zagreb Cathedral
Image credit: Lice grada
Lastly, another symbol is the clock of the St. Blaž church. This church has a special meaning to me, as it is where my parents got married and started their life together. The clock on its tower stopped at the exact time of the earthquake - 6:24 on Sunday morning. Many now propose to keep it that way to remind all the Zagrebians and tourists who find themselves in Deželić Street of this tragic earthquake. I love this idea, as it is very easy to get used to beautiful things, which will all happen once life gets to a normal state. This would be a small and symbolic reminder of the tragic event which took place in our town.
St. Blaž church
Image credit: Lice grada
Once again - together
One thing which was confirmed once again through this tragedy is how a close-knit community we are. As soon as the earthquake hit, people organized themselves to help those affected the most. The most heartbreaking scene was in front of the Petrova hospital, one of the biggest maternity hospitals in the city. It is a picture every Zagrebian will remember forever.
Poor mothers who just had their babies were rushed in front of the building as it was severely damaged. Prematurely born babies were put into improvised space at the reception desk outside. To add to all of this horrific atmosphere, snow started to fall, and it all seemed almost apocalyptic. But Zagreb citizens have shown their heart once again, and in a matter of hours, the situation was fixed. Volunteer firefighters, Bad Blue Boys - the official fans association of Zagreb football club Dinamo and many other regular citizens, all flooded the Petrova hospital yard. They helped to put the little babies and their mothers into the safe form of transport, which then drove them to a different and secure location.
The scene of mothers standing outside in the snow still gives me chills. Like many Zagrebians, I have a special connection to Petrova hospital as I was too born there and still live in its proximity. Seeing these beautiful acts of kindness that day reminded us all how important it is to value strong connections, friendships, and special relationships in our life. Zagreb and people living in it showed that no matter what happens, we are here for each other, especially those in need. Despite the isolation due to Coronavirus, we are not alone in this beautiful city of ours.
"Zagreb, do not give up. You will come out of this stronger and even more beautiful."
Image credit: Lice grada
What now?
As the shock of the earthquake is behind us, and the fear of it repeating slowly fades away, we are still faced with the coronavirus epidemic. I, as all my fellow Zagrebians, am forced to be at home with little or no interaction with the outside world. After two weeks of being at home, I can say it is a mentally exhausting situation. Even though I'm an introvert and I love to be at home by nature, this constant worry about the spread of the virus and added stress of an earthquake could really take a toll on a person.
I can only talk from my experience, but what helps me the most is constant communication via Whatsapp, social media, or just through a plain old phone call. We are lucky to live in a world where it is easier than ever to communicate with the help of technology. I spend my days messaging with my friends, and this constant interaction really helps me cope better with everything going on. The other day, my coworkers and I had a group video call, not to talk about work but just to see each other face to face and talk about everything going on and also about light topics, like what we are watching on Netflix, what we ate for lunch, and many more.
Ilica street
Image credit: Lice grada
I really think that strong friendship and communication are crucial right now. Even though we can't physically be there for each other, to give a hug or to be a shoulder to cry on, we can all support each other virtually. And for that, I'm really thankful. By making these small gestures of kindness, like clapping on our balconies, publishing our photos from childhood on social media, or sending funny memes in WhatsApp groups, we are showing that we are all in this together. And remember, this too shall pass - but our strong Zagrebian spirit will stay forever.
Header image credit: Lice grada
Author: Darija Ilić