Bell-ringing as Honor and Responsibility: Dino Dolušić among the people who carry the Rijeka Carnival
Rijeka is, as of February 3, 2026, already deep in the carnival rhythm: after a series of events that opened the season, the city is approaching its most visible point – the International Carnival Parade, which, according to the official program, is announced for February 15 at noon on Korzo. In that noise, color, and crowd, the sound of the bell-ringers' bells remains one of the most striking signs that the carnival in Rijeka is more than just fun: it is a tradition that is passed on, preserved, and reinterpreted, and often a platform for community work.
Among the groups that have become part of the recognizable image of the Rijeka Carnival, the Zamet Bell-ringers (Zametski zvončari), originating from the Zamet area, hold a special place, today firmly inscribed in the identity of the city and its carnival customs. One of the long-standing members is Dino Dolušić, a bell-ringer who describes tradition as a value that must not be merely "performed," but lived.
"Being a bell-ringer means carrying tradition, but also responsibility. It is an honor, but also an obligation to the community and to those who created this tradition before us, as well as to the generations to come," says Dolušić, summarizing in one sentence what many in carnival groups feel: the bell is carried on the body, but also in the mind.
If you are planning to come to Rijeka these days for carnival events, it is practical to check
accommodation in Rijeka during the carnival in time, because as the main parades approach, the interest of visitors from other regions also intensifies.
Zamet Bell-ringers: a tradition that grew with the neighborhood and the city
Zamet, as a Rijeka neighborhood with a strong local identity, has been building its carnival story for decades. According to records on the activities of the Zamet masqueraders and bell-ringers, it is an organized group that nurtures the customs of its region and binds them to togetherness, neighborhood solidarity, and recognizable rounds (ophodi). In publicly available historical overviews, it is emphasized that masquerading in this area has been remembered "since long ago," while the modern Zamet Bell-ringers are linked to the year 1968, when young men spontaneously gathered and, in bell-ringing uniforms, started through Zamet and its surroundings; from that initial impulse, an association and a recognizable group gradually developed.
Dolušić describes this development simply, without romanticizing, but with a clear emphasis on continuity: the organization changed, activities expanded, but the key message remained the same – driving away the bad and bringing in the good, with people as the center of everything. In practice, this means that bell-ringing is not a private hobby, but a public role that is clearly seen and heard during the carnival weeks.
In Rijeka's carnival image, bell-ringers have a special place because they represent part of the wider Kvarner tradition of ringing and rounds, which is recognized at the international level through the inscription of the Kastav area bell-ringers' annual carnival pageant on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The Zamet Bell-ringers are not necessarily the same as the UNESCO Kastav group, but they share the cultural space and symbolism of ringing as a ritual, and the audience in Rijeka perceives them precisely as a strong sign of a "living" carnival.
For those who want to experience the program up close, especially when events spread to multiple locations and neighborhoods, it is useful to consider
accommodation near the event venues in Rijeka, especially if you plan to visit the Zamet area along with the central programs on Korzo.
"A bell-ringer is not an individual": discipline and collective as a condition of tradition
When asked what makes a good bell-ringer, Dolušić does not talk about the costume or endurance as the main thing, although both physical readiness and fitness are necessary. His answer points toward discipline and collective spirit: a bell-ringer is part of a group, and the group is what conveys the message to the public. In this sense, it is wrong to observe bell-ringing as an individual performance, because the sound and impression are created by joint movement, rhythm, and agreement.
Such an approach is also seen in the preparations. Carnival does not happen "from today to tomorrow," but requires months of planning: from agreements on performances and rounds to logistics, from communication with organizers to activities that are not necessarily visible to spectators. It is exactly here that Dolušić draws a parallel between tradition and social responsibility: when a group behaves as a collective that counts on one another, it is easier to turn the whole story toward those who need help.
Police calling and carnival role: the same idea of serving others
Dino Dolušić is recognized in public not only as a bell-ringer. He is a police officer of the Primorje-Gorski Kotar Police Administration and the chief of the Krk Police Station, and at the same time, he is active in humanitarian work related to voluntary blood donation within the police community. In conversations about the carnival, his roles often overlap at one point: responsibility.
"I believe that the police calling continues even after official hours, that is, it continues through concrete acts of helping others," he emphasizes, connecting professional service and civil engagement without big words. In this context, the carnival story gains an additional dimension: bell-ringers are not just guardians of tradition, but also people who take on visible and invisible obligations toward the community.
It is particularly significant that voluntary blood donation in Rijeka and the Primorje-Gorski Kotar County is carried out through collaborations between institutions and civil organizations: the police active of voluntary blood donors participates in actions organized with the City Red Cross Society of Rijeka, and field reports show that such actions are regular and bring together both employees and citizens. Dolušić has also been personally connected to blood donation for a long time; media records also mention his jubilee of multiple donations, which in such communities is not perceived as a statistic, but as a permanent habit of helping.
The path to becoming a bell-ringer: from a childhood environment to a decision that changes the life rhythm
Dolušić openly says that as a boy he was not part of the bell-ringers, but that he grew up with the community in which carnival customs were lived as a normal part of the year. His "entry" into the carnival had, as he describes, a natural flow: with the arrival of children, he enrolled them in the association, and then he joined himself. This story is common in traditional groups – the family becomes a bridge between generations, and children are often the motive for parents to more actively take on the role of guardians of customs.
In this logic, bell-ringing stops being a "once a year" event and becomes a schedule in which meetings, preparations, performances, and humanitarian actions are planned. Dolušić does not describe this change as a sacrifice, but as an investment: once you enter a collective that functions as a small community, obligations are not perceived as a burden, but as part of identity.
If you are coming with your family and want to combine the carnival atmosphere with a calmer neighborhood experience, it is practical to look at
accommodation offers in Zamet and the surroundings, because part of the program and carnival "stations" are linked to neighborhood locations, while central events take place in the very center of the city.
Humanitarian work as part of identity: from kettles to hospital visits
The Zamet Bell-ringers are increasingly recognized in public for spreading carnival energy throughout the year. In practice, this means organizing events that have both a cultural and humanitarian character: from manifestations that gather the neighborhood, through sports and entertainment meetings, to actions in which funds are collected for the specific needs of the community.
In recent examples, donor competitions in cooking "kotlić" (stew) are mentioned as part of projects that observe Zamet "through the seasons," where the collected funds were directed toward equipping children's parks, including the procurement of aids adapted for children with developmental difficulties. Such actions confirm what Dolušić emphasizes: tradition does not have to be closed in the past, but can be a mechanism of solidarity today.
The humanitarian part of the story also has an emotional component, especially during the "Pust" (carnival) time. Visits to children in hospitals, visiting retirement homes, and similar actions are, according to Dolušić, not "secondary," but just as important as the performance in the parade. "If we manage to elicit even a little smile in difficult moments, we know we are doing the right thing," he points out, reminding that the bell in such situations is not just a symbol, but also a gesture of support.
What is understood today by the "modern" activities of bell-ringers
- organization of performances and rounds in agreement with local communities and carnival organizers
- humanitarian actions that collect funds for specific needs in the neighborhood and city
- collaborations with associations, cultural societies, and institutions in programs for children, families, and the elderly
- maintaining traditional elements while adapting to the safety and organizational standards of larger events
Rijeka Carnival 2026: key dates and why bell-ringing is important for the parade's identity
The official program of the Rijeka Carnival 2026 highlights two major parades as strong points of the season: the Children's Carnival Parade held on January 31 and the International Carnival Parade announced for February 15 at 12 p.m. on Korzo. It is precisely the international parade that gathers a large number of groups, allegorical floats, and participants from Croatia and abroad, and the bell-ringers have a special place in that mosaic because they bring an element of tradition that the audience recognizes even before they see them.
Ringing is, in a symbolic sense, the "language" of the carnival that is not translated: it is a rhythm, a warning, a call to gather, and a ritual sign that everyday life is turning upside down for a moment. In Rijeka's case, the bell-ringers are also a bridge between the city and the wider Kvarner area where carnival rounds are strongly rooted, which is why their presence is perceived as a confirmation of the carnival's authenticity, and not as a folkloric addition.
A message to the youth: tradition is not a museum object but a living story
Dolušić tells young people who are thinking about joining the bell-ringing tradition not to fear customs and to accept them with pride. In his interpretation, bell-ringers are not a "past" that should only be repeated, but a living story that continues – and not only in carnival days, but in the way the group relates to the community.
In Rijeka, where the carnival is perceived as city identity, such messages gain additional weight: preserving tradition is not a matter of nostalgia, but a decision to maintain the values of togetherness and solidarity in the public space. And when a very concrete readiness to help is added to those values – from humanitarian actions to blood donation and visiting those who need support the most – it becomes clearer why Dolušić calls bell-ringing both an honor and a responsibility.
Sources:- Visit Rijeka – official program of the Rijeka Carnival 2026 with key dates and times (link)
- HŽ Putnički prijevoz – notice on the International Carnival Parade on February 15, 2026, at 12 p.m. (link)
- City of Rijeka – overview of Zamet masqueraders and bell-ringers and local tradition in Zamet (link)
- HRT Magazin – text on the 50th anniversary of the Zamet Bell-ringers and their origin in 1968 (link)
- Novi list – report on voluntary blood donation actions and participation of police officers in Rijeka (January 2026) (link)
- Novi list – record of Dino Dolušić and multiple blood donations as part of actions in the Police Home in Rijeka (link)
- Riportal – example of a humanitarian action (donor kettle cooking) and the result of collecting funds for children's parks in Zamet (link)
- UNESCO – description of the bell-ringers' annual carnival pageant from the Kastav area as intangible cultural heritage (link)
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