Travel Russia Today

Touching down at Sarajevo’s small airport, my mind was flooded with images from news reports from some 15 years ago. How can one forget the horrific scenes of destroyed neighborhoods and entire villages, mass graves, and starving and desperate women and children fleeing their homes in search of safety from the devastation of the Bosnian war?

For many of us, the persisting memories of the brutal war between 1992 and 1995 are the last and only impression we have from Bosnia – Herzegovina, a small Balkan country which was once part of the Yugoslav Federation but declared independence after its break-up in 1991. Is the war officially over? Are foreign visitors safe? Is the countryside still in ruins and strewn with mine fields?

The war has been over for over 15 years now and my recent visit to Bosnia-Herzegovina was a true eye-opener and a pleasant surprise. I encountered warm and friendly people, beautiful mountains and unspoiled countryside, centuries-long and eventful history, diverse culture, and wonderful local food and wine. The capital city of Sarajevo is a surprisingly cosmopolitan place with lively sidewalk cafes and restaurants (which are packed on a sunny day), the picturesque Miljaka river flowing through town, and a curious mixture of Ottoman, Austro-Hungarian, and Socialist architecture. Even though the city has undergone extensive rebuilding since the end of the war, bullet and shrapnel holes can still be seen on many façades. Of course, each one of our Bosnian hosts had their own personal accounts of the Siege of Sarajevo which took place between April 1992 and February 1996. These vivid and heartbreaking stories of immense hardship, tragedy, survival, and hope are what made each one of these encounters a unique and unforgettable experience.

Under the Dayton Peace Agreement which ended the Bosnian War, the country was split into the Republika Srpska and the Bosnian - Croat Federation - two relatively autonomous entities with their own governments, parliaments, and presidencies.

Following the October 4th general elections, it is now clear that Bosniaks are willing to seek compromise and more moderate political line while Bosnian Croats and Serbs preferred to (once again) support more or less radical nationalist and separatist parties. Is there a hope for a multiethnic Bosnia-Herzegovina, or will the country remain divided and in a political gridlock? Let us all hope for the best as the people of Bosnia-Herzegovina deserve nothing less.