The war in Ukraine opened the wounds of a well-known scenario in our country, and today they are even deeper in Sarajevo. Although our city suffered a 40-month siege and thousands of lives were lost, the luckiest ones continued to live. How, only they know.
Scenes from a country that is perhaps too close for this terrified people have recently been touring the world, and they reminded us of the circumstances under which we ourselves once lived. Reminded, we say, although some of us, unfortunately, never forget them. Especially today.
In the struggle for life without food, electricity, water, and while they try to take it away from you, the question arises whether those who watched it all, lost everything and survived, or those others, who are no longer among us, were happier. One thing is certain – no one gave this people the right to choose. One had to live. Those who tried to do so, tried in various ways and with all their might to keep a glimmer of sanity, and those who even in the most difficult moments had someone by their side were somewhat happier than the others.
We are sure that stories about love under the siege of Sarajevo would fill an entire library, and although the biggest one – Boško and Admira, that is, our “Romeo and Juliet”, was told to the whole world, some remained silent, perhaps even forgotten.
Today, the photographs are there as proof that they existed.
Although some still see them as scenes from Hollywood movies, the realization that they were much more than that – a part of real life – is even more significant.
Sarajevo during the siege was not an ideal place for two lovers. But it was loved even then. While shelling, running away, hiding, getting lost. While one was wounded, bleeding and crying. Some of the most beautiful stories were written with bloody hands. They were bought flowers, hugged and comforted. And when everything around was collapsing, love did not falter.
One story about love under the siege of Sarajevo was shared by the Guardian, and it is about the couple Ivona and Elvir Čelebičić, who met and fell in love on Valentine’s Day in 1994. She was Croatian, and he was Bosnian, and no one supported their relationship. However, despite everything, they decided to stay together.
“While most people wanted to leave Sarajevo, I went straight towards it. I didn’t think about the dangers, I just knew that Elvir was my soulmate, my other half. When I came out of the tunnel, Sarajevo lay before me – devastated, desperately sad , but mine,” said Ivona.
A few months later, they got married, and a year later Ivona discovered that she was pregnant. At that time, Elvir ended up in the hospital seriously wounded on the front line where he almost lost his leg, and the pregnant Ivona, walking six kilometers every day and avoiding grenades and snipers, visited him.
Under the siege, people lived with nothing, and in the last few weeks before their daughter was born, Ivona remembers that her neighbors tore up the floorboards of their homes to keep warm. Fortunately, a week after the birth of the girl, the Dayton Peace Accords were signed and this story got a happy ending.
The couple admitted that the destroyed Sarajevo of 30 years ago is a completely different place today. In the city center it is almost impossible to find the scars of war, only a few, but they are present in its people.
“That period has a special place in our hearts and will be there until our last breath,” they said.
The late Svetozar Pudarić and his wife Sandra also had their wedding under siege, who said “I do” at the Orthopedic Clinic.
“I really wanted it to happen in the Babića garden, but I think there will be a repeat of this celebration there, so I won’t miss this location,” said Sandra from her hospital bed, which was joined and marked for the newlyweds in the hospital during the ceremony them with the inscriptions “just married”, which means “just married”, Klix.ba writes.
E.Dz.
