Greek photojournalist Dimitri Messinis worked in a besieged Sarajevo. He revisited the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina. On that occasion, he told Klix.ba how he met a girl he recorded in 1992 and his love for our city.
From 1978 to 2014, Messinis worked as a photojournalist for many Greek and foreign media outlets, including the European Pressphoto Agency (EPA) and the Associated Press (AP).
This photojournalist recorded many war happenings in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Serbia, North Macedonia, Lebanon, Afghanistan, and Yemen. However, special memories tie him to Sarajevo, where he returned once again.
Messinis Says Sarajevo Is a Phenomenon
“I was deeply moved when I passed through the Sarajevo Tunnel. It was an unusual feeling. I toured the city, walked through Grbavica, and remembered some locations where I took photographs during the siege. I was sad and happy at the same time. I am happy to see that people are now living normal lives in this city. I took some photos for myself. I photographed the Markale market now, at peace, filled with fresh fruit, vegetables, and flowers,” he said.
As a photojournalist, Messinis recorded many moments filled with tears, sadness, and longing through his lenses. It makes him especially emotional to see people in Bosnia and Herzegovina living peacefully and happily.
“I am happy to see these people united, to see my friends and colleagues in this city. I met some of my colleagues 30 years later. I am happy to see that they are alive. Sarajevo is a phenomenon because here you can see a Catholic church, a mosque, and an Orthodox church, all in one place. It fills my heart,” he said.
Comparing the once-besieged Sarajevo to the city today, Messinis emphasizes that much has changed for the better.
“Everything changed. Now you can see people laughing. While I was photographing many war events, people’s faces were filled with sadness, but I am happy to record their smiles after everything that happened,” he said.
He met a girl he photographed in Sarajevo in 1992
A few years ago, Messinis presented an exhibition in Greece regarding the besieged Sarajevo. What grabbed special attention at the exhibition was the photo of the girl and her mother, covered in tears, saying farewell to her father, who stayed to defend Sarajevo.
The photograph was taken in November 1992, and Messinis explained that four years ago, a girl from the photo, Maša, accidentally found it and recognized herself.
“That was the first photo I took in this city, on my first stay in this city. I saw buses transporting women and children. Maša was crying, I took a photo, I didn’t know anything about her. Four years ago, I posted her photo and received a message from her, saying it was her and her mom in the picture. When we met, she started crying, and I asked her why she was crying when she managed to survive. Maša told me that while looking at a photo, she realized that was the moment she saw her father, who was standing beside me as I was taking the photo. She never saw him again because he was murdered in the war, two months after the photo was taken. All these situations left a truly special trace,” he said.
This situation reminded him of why he began taking photos in the first place. Also, Messinis emphasized he enjoyed his recent stay in Sarajevo and that he will return. Although he photographed war happenings across the world, he emphasized one thing common to all.
“I think I will come to Sarajevo again, quicker than I planned. Taking photographs throughout my life, I realized that what iscommon to all my photos is people, their struggles, and survival in all circumstances. When it comes to my plans for the upcoming period, I certainly plan to return to Sarajevo and most probably organize another exhibition in this city,” Messinis told Klix.ba.
