Union of Pioneers of Yugoslavia

Union of Pioneers of Yugoslavia
Савез пионира Југославије,
Savez pionira Jugoslavije
Founded27 December 1942
Dissolved1992
HeadquartersBelgrade, SR Serbia, SFR Yugoslavia
IdeologyCommunism
Marxism–Leninism
Titoism
Yugoslavism
Anti-fascism
Mother partyLeague of Communists of Yugoslavia

Union of Pioneers of Yugoslavia (Serbo-Croatian: Savez pionira Jugoslavije / Савез пионира Југославије; Slovene: Zveza pionirjev Jugoslavije (ZPJ); Macedonian: Сојуз на пионери на Југославија) also known as Tito's Pioneers (Serbo-Croatian: Titovi pioniri / Титови пионири; Slovene: Titovi pionirji; Macedonian: Титовите пионери) was the pioneer movement of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. Its members, basically all children of age seven and older, attended an annual ceremony and wore uniforms.

The uniforms consisted of red scarves as well as navy blue hats called Titovka. These hats were sometimes white, and bore a red star on the front. A white shirt was often worn with the Pioneer scarf (marama) and the Titovka, although this varied depending on which part of Yugoslavia the particular pioneer was from. Boys often wore navy blue shorts or pants, and girls wore skirts in the same colour, along with white stockings and black shoes. On special occasions, such as a visit from Josip Broz Tito, Pioniri sometimes wore traditional costumes from their native regions of Yugoslavia.

Pioneers at the 1961 1st of May parade in Ljubljana

The organization was founded on December 27, 1942. It was a substructure within the League of Communist Youth and, after 1948, the League of Socialist Youth. It published Male novine. The organization was divided into younger pioneers (7–11 years) and older pioneers (11–15 years).[1]

Unlike other pioneer movements the full military salute was used, honoring the children and youth who fought as part of the Yugoslav Partisans of the Second World War.