1952 - 2020 : Aquarist and educator. The Godfather of aquaria in Slovenia.
In the memoriam of Bojan Dolenc
Dear Bojan,
from the moment you unexpectedly said goodbye, hot pain eats me. I didn't sleep well. I've been thinking about you. Been thinking about our paths together.
It started in the aquarist store. A scene of thirty years old is spinning in front of my eyes. You walked into the Tropic Zoo store on Gornji square in old Ljubljana. Me and my dad were there, I was a teenager, you two knew each other as an old aquarist acquaintance, and we met for the first time. We quickly exchanged a few words about the store that was newly opened and extremely well stocked for that time. I remember for the first time seeing amana shrimp, adult male Tropheus dubois and giant oscar. I also remember your sincere adversity over plastic spine (imitation of divers and shells that were driven by air bubbles) that spoiled some aquariums. Oh yeah you were the real one back then.
You kindly invited us to Bežigrad. It didn't have to be said twice that we met in your famous vivari at Bežigrajska Gymnasium. This was crazy! This was unforgettable! With every aquarium, bigger and bigger aquarist heaven opened for me. Discussions, African mouths - a lot of them! -, dwarf threads, inflatable and unforgettable peeled fish (Chelmon rostratus), this was a special rare thing that we only knew from books in those days. Terraries with geckons, indigenous lizards and crickets were just a period on i. For me it was science fiction, and you immediately grew into a vivaristic divinity in my eyes.
Hard times have come. You had to move out of Bežigrad High School. I helped carry heavy aquariums when we moved them to the street of Vide Pregarčevo in Moste. You were extremely grateful. Later I visited you regularly and felt the weight of life that was relentlessly testing you. You've been lonely and devastated many times, mad at everything. It seemed like you were lost in space when the sun was shining in your life. Tjaša gave you a new momentum, new energy, fresh wind has blown. You didn't hesitate, you crucified your wings and flew to new victories. They created a family, apart from your son from the first marriage, you got two more beautiful children. You were a proud father of three children.
Remembering trips together. On the Slovenian coast we watched the son-in-law near the drsti and chased the grandmothers parrot. We visited Alpenzoo in Innsbruck and the aquarium in Karlovec, where you were impressed as a small child in all your undamaged honesty. You have seen beauty in small things, in details, in inauguration, in spontaneity of natural choice and evolution. You were from the real test.
You were fascinated by the events in the background, where there was no pump and glitter, where everything wasn't arranged like from a box. As an expert, you knew that the biggest secrets were kept there. They grew live food there - your passion and treat, there were caviar - your mission, there were nano aquariums with unnoticed change - your fascination, that's where your dream world was actually spinning. There you were at home.
On some dusty shelf there was a scientific article about Gardski Lake, in which, among other things, water parameters were recorded. When Gernot (professional aquarium leader in Alpenzoo) noticed the vigorous touch of your eyes, he immediately knew he had a soulmate ahead of him. Professional texts have always been your inspiration. You caught them with a big spoon. You inspired us with passion and intimacy, with which you tirelessly read and analyzed them. With top summaries at high professional level, you informed us about the latest aquarsitics and ecology of inland and salt water.
Already in 1977 you published the book Sami we arrange the aquarium, one of the first aquarium books in Slovenian language. Aquazin - the first online portal in the field of Slovenian aquarist, but who doesn't know it, was your fourth child. You had an amazing sense of writing. You've been incredibly productive and persistent even if you got a little boot under your feet. In Proteus magazines, My Little World, My Dog and Finance and on many online portals and forums you published an enormous number of articles and news. Marko Zorko would say, ′′ Friend, hat and hair down!".
You founded a company Akva vita, aquaristics and terraristika d.o.o. where it writes perfectly, there is nothing else with the knowledge of aquarist that we have. You have developed your own tests for water, vitamins for aquarium fish, aquarium fish medicines and aquarium water preparations. You were the guardian of too many freshwater and sea aquariums. You wrote somewhere, Aquarium is not just a hobby, it is a lifestyle that in your case was held as permeable.
You hated kitsch, you hated unnatural, you hated genetic manipulation and inbreeding responsible for too many freaks and meanings that spoil modern aquaristics. You hated hybrids, you hated abuse of living beings for human greed. You uncompromisingly defended professional and ethical aquarist, based on natural laws and specific conditions as possible similar to those who rule in nature. You didn't compromise and you were right, how right!.
You plowed the ice and scratched a path that cannot be overlooked, nor repeated. You left your mark outside state borders too. You can be proud, your path wasn't easy, it was full of ups and downs, it was unique and unique, just like you and the natural wonders you dedicated your life to until the last day.
You became vegan from ethical and health incentives. You resisted abuse and abuse of animals on all levels. Healthy eating and veganism were another of your great passions. In this area, you've been many previously lost battles, but you've been steadfast and persistent, just like in aquarist.
Lately, you've been dedicated to dancing with a big grill. I couldn't wonder what passion you've been fitting into new and new dance feats. You were so engaged that you almost ran out of time for friends.
We talked over the phone many times, sometimes even live. When you were in a bad mood you ended quickly without saying goodbye. When you were in the mood, you talked and talked about all things possible. Mostly I was your listener, but sometimes you asked me for advice and I count that in particular great honor. When I think about what we were talking about, I find out that we didn't even talk much about aquarist. When you were especially in a good mood, you trusted me with any awkwardness or spiritual adventure from your life. We had a laugh from our heart. Your laugh was something special, it was your brand. Those who didn't know your laugh only knew a part of you. For the seemingly few robat and fast-paced image, there was an extremely vulnerable, unbelievable but honest, warm and kind personality.
The last time we spoke on the phone, you made me feel like you're going to die. I didn't believe it, like nobody probably believed it. Your body got tired literally overnight, tired of your big heart and finally stopped.
Dear friend Bojan Dolenc (officially Dolenec), I'm glad I met you. Our friendship lasted three decades, it had ups and downs, you finally let me close. You were a true friend so know that you are always welcome to me. I will miss you and I know I'm not the only one. May it be nice and comfortable wherever you are. Marko Zupančič
