The Croatian National Theater in the center of Zagreb is one of the most important cultural institutions in the entire country. It is the pride of the Croatian elite. Everyone who is anyone in the capital will make sure to appear at all the important events at CNT, as it is affectionately called by its Croatian acronym. The sticker on all the entrances to the building is thus of special interest for anyone interested in Croatia. And especially its elite. Like in so many other public places around the world, it shows icons of all the things that cannot be taken into CNT. A diagonal red line crosses each icon. The icons are piled on top of each other. There is a dog crossed by a diagonal red line. There is an icecream cone crossed by a diagonal red line. There is a camera crossed by a diagonal red line. And so on, and so forth. But on top of the pile there is a pistol crossed by a diagonal red line. Which only goes to prove that CNT is about culture and nothing but culture.

Addendum I (January 27, 2008)

The last time I was in Zagreb, which was a few months ago, I checked the sticker on the entrances to the Croatian National Theater. I am not sure why I was compelled to check it, though. Perhaps I thought it was a joke of sorts that would be removed sooner or later. Or that someone of importance in Zagreb would eventually notice that the sticker was out of place on CNT’s entrances, which would ultimately result in its removal. But, no. Nothing has changed. The sticker is still there. And the pistol crossed by a diagonal red line still sits on top of the pile. Culture and nothing but culture, as ever.

Addendum II (June 29, 2009)

Today I checked the old sticker once again. It is still there. And I am still surprised by this very fact. For some reason, I cannot believe that no-one in the Croatian National Theater understands the obvious irony of it. This includes all the luminaries who visit it regularly, of course. It is clear that they have never been to a cultural establishment of the same status anyplace else in the world. For they would undoubtedly notice that a pistol crossed by a red line is emblematic of Croatia alone. As well as very revealing about the nature of this country. Come to think of it, I may be wrong about this. Perhaps such a sticker can be found in, say, Sierra Leone. And maybe even Kazakhstan or Tajikistan. After all, it is unlikely that Croatia is entirely alone on this planet when it comes to gun-totting elites.