When he ended his competitive career in 2003, Sergej continued to train dance couples, and those who are familiar with his work introduce him as the man who has “infected” Sarajevo with salsa.

Sergej Milicija has been living in our city for 13 years.

He first heard about Sarajevo in 1992 when our country was engulfed in the flames of war and no good news was being sent to the world from BiH. After living for some time in Slovenija, in 2001 he received a call from the Astorija Dance Club in Sarajevo, which arranged for him to become their trainer for young dance couples.

He was shocked when he first came to Sarajevo, for there were still visible traces of the war all over town. However, even upon his first contact with Sarajevans, he realized that he had fallen in love with our city. He was fascinated by the sense of humor, openness and kindness of the people he first met.

He hadn’t expected Sarajevo to be full of so many mosques, but he really liked it. He says that this is precisely what makes it so different from the rest of Europe. He also likes the city’s rather eclectic architecture, where various styles can be often seen interlacing with one another.

Sergej has made many friends here. While he considers the ease with which Sarajevans communicate, their casualness and excellent sense of humor as virtues, as for weaknesses, he would cite the tendency to not forgive success and the fact that in Sarajevo, people don’t recognize “star status”.

What surprised him most were the customs associated with Islam, which he had never had an opportunity to encounter. While at first all of the customs related to Bajram celebrations were very new and interesting to him, he now proudly asserts that he also celebrates and he does so as if it were his own holiday.

Sergej has come up with his own little rituals here in our town. Since he travels quite often, whenever he gets back from a trip he goes out with friends to a restaurant and enjoys the pleasant atmosphere over wine. He usually goes to Park Prinčeva, Pivnica, Mala Pivnica and Piccolo Mondo. Another ritual is a walk along Wilson’s Promenade and coffee at Aquarius.

- What makes Sarajevo so different from my hometown, Kharkov, is the size, because Sarajevo is compact and everything is relatively close. Also, since Kharkov is an industrial city, the air is far more polluted than here, says Sergej. He also praises the fact that in Sarajevo the lovely mountains are within easy reach of the city.

When asked what he would consider advantages and disadvantages of living in Sarajevo, he replied that the greatest disadvantage is also its greatest advantage, which is that quite a lot of time is needed to get out of the country.

- While it can sometimes be frustrating that you need three hours to reach the border, at the same time, it allows you to enjoy an easy drive and gorgeous nature, he insists.

For Sergej, the symbols of Sarajevo are multi-ethnicity and multiculturalism and he would recommend a first-time visitor to take in Baščaršija and then go to the Avaz Twist Tower, where one can enjoy an incredible panorama of the city.

For lunch, he says that Park Prinčeva is a must, but for an evening out, the best choice is Aquarius Vils. He also stresses that one has to try BiH’s culinary specialties, such as ćevapi, burek and Bey’s soup.