Ukrainian cellist Denys Karachevtsev performs in Sarajevo

Ukrainian cellist Denys Karachevtsev performed an unannounced street concert in Sarajevo as part of the 8th Sarajevo Festival. Titled “Don’t Get Used to It: Sarajevo – Kharkiv,” the performance took place at locations of deep historical significance, including Ferhadija, the Vijećnica, and near the ‘Stadion’ and ‘Lav’ cemeteries.

The performance served as a symbolic link between the experiences of Sarajevo and Kharkiv. Karachevtsev played at the same sites where Bosnian musician Vedran Smajlović performed during the Siege of Sarajevo in 1992. Karachevtsev himself performed in Kharkiv in 2022 during Russian missile attacks.

His repertoire included improvisations and fragments from composers such as Z. Almaši, V. Rekalo, J. S. Bach, and G. Cassadó. During the event, Karachevtsev emphasized the shared resilience of the two cities and warned against the normalization of wartime violence, stating, “Do not get used to war, do not allow brutal force to become part of normal life.”