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KOD SARAJEVA PRONAĐENA MASOVNA GROBNICA: Sumnja se da su ondje pokopani Bošnjaci ubijeni 1992. godine

<para>The Haunting Remains of Sarajevo’s War-Ravaged Winter Olympics Venue</para>
<para>From an altitude of 1,600 feet on Mount Trebević, the sight of Sarajevo to the north is truly superb. However, the Bosnian capital is a long way off, and its bustling streets are a far cry from the scenery surrounding this vantage point. Here, decaying slabs of concrete wrestle with vegetation as nature attempts to reclaim a long-empty structure. The colorful designs of local graffiti artists also decorate the man-made construction – as do, upon closer inspection, the traces of war.</para>
<para>These are the ruins of Sarajevo’s 1984 Winter Olympics bobsleigh and luge track, and its bare bones tell a grim tale. The tens of thousands of excited, expectant spectators who turned up to watch a record-breaking number of competing countries are long gone. Today the site is only eerie and silent and acts as a stark reminder of the destruction wrought by conflict.</para>
<para>In 1978 it was decided that the 14th Winter Olympic Games would be held in Sarajevo, and the choice was a significant one. It was to be the inaugural winter Olympic competition to be staged in a Communist nation and represented a neutral location in a world still in the throes of the Cold War.
To transform the city into an Olympic hub, the hosts spent approximately $150 million – or the equivalent of around $347 million now – developing the necessary sporting structures, lodgings and transportation links.
To transform the city into an Olympic hub, the hosts spent approximately $150 million – or the equivalent of around $347 million now – developing the necessary sporting structures, lodgings and transportation links.
In the city itself, the five rings of the Olympics logo were placed on a central tower, and the Zetra facility was erected for skating events. Indeed, Sarajevans were very proud of their successful Olympic bid.
Forty-nine countries went on to field 998 male and 274 female athletes over the course of 39 events during the games. The 1984 Winter Olympics were hailed as an absolute triumph, and in Sarajevo they also showed to the world an encouraging representation of a city within a communist country.
Furthermore, the infrastructure built still served as a potential major draw for Sarajevo after the Winter Olympics had finished, with officials hoping that the city would become a top winter sports hub as a result. In fact, the bobsleigh and luge track was used to host later World Cup races. Fate, however, held a different hand in store for the then Yugoslavian city.
Furthermore, the infrastructure built still served as a potential major draw for Sarajevo after the Winter Olympics had finished, with officials hoping that the city would become a top winter sports hub as a result. In fact, the bobsleigh and luge track was used to host later World Cup races. Fate, however, held a different hand in store for the then Yugoslavian city.
The devastating Siege of Sarajevo lasted for three years and eight months, making it the most protracted attack of its kind in contemporary military history. And as the Bosnian Serb forces rained down shells and gunfire, the relics of the city’s more prosperous then recent past found themselves with a new role to play.
The devastating Siege of Sarajevo lasted for three years and eight months, making it the most protracted attack of its kind in contemporary military history. And as the Bosnian Serb forces rained down shells and gunfire, the relics of the city’s more prosperous then recent past found themselves with a new role to play.
WThe devastating Siege of Sarajevo lasted for three years and eight months, making it the most protracted attack of its kind in contemporary military history. And as the Bosnian Serb forces rained down shells and gunfire, the relics of the city’s more prosperous then recent past found themselves with a new role to play.
In the years that followed, Sarajevo attempted to move past the atrocities of the war and reconstruct its lost identity. Indeed, the majority of destroyed buildings in the city itself have been restored – but those structures used for the 1984 Winter Olympics were left to the ravages of time.
The scars of the siege can still be seen today at or near the bobsleigh and luge track. Bullet holes litter several edifices close to the site, while a bend in the track itself is pierced with small cavities formerly used for combat.
Nature is also taking back the landscape. Indeed, thick vegetation shrouds spots where some of the world’s greatest sportspeople once competed for gold and glory. Plus, a different kind of competitor has stepped in to claim the arena: Sarajevo’s graffiti artists – vying against one another to cover the dull, gray structures with their colorful tags and slogans.
Nature is also taking back the landscape. Indeed, thick vegetation shrouds spots where some of the world’s greatest sportspeople once competed for gold and glory. Plus, a different kind of competitor has stepped in to claim the arena: Sarajevo’s graffiti artists – vying against one another to cover the dull, gray structures with their colorful tags and slogans.
Perhaps lured by the haunting appearance of such destinations, travelers looking to go off the beaten track can reach the old Olympic venues of Sarajevo with little difficulty. The bobsleigh and luge track may be accessed by taxi from the city, while local buses drive right by the site of the ski jump on Mount Igman.
These days, though, the city of Sarajevo shows few signs of past war. The gunshot scars have been removed, and all the usual modern amenities of an urban center are on offer to locals and tourists alike. Besides, more than three decades after the Winter Olympics, plans are finally afoot to give the old games sites a new lease of life.
The youth games will see the city welcoming around 1,500 young competitors from 50 different nations as well as being a chance for Sarajevo to once again put itself on the world’s sporting map. For now, though, the ruins left behind of the 1984 Winter Olympics remain a moving monument to the destruction and futility of war.
©Marco Fieber/Exclusivepix media, Image: 244844921, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Profimedia, Exclusivepix</para>

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Sumnja se da su ondje pokopani Bošnjaci ubijeni 1992. godine

Sumnja se da su ondje pokopani Bošnjaci ubijeni 1992. godine

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Mladić je bio zastrašujuće nemilosrdan i okrutan

Mladić je bio zastrašujuće nemilosrdan i okrutan