Meeting of the Board of Trustees of the RGSC in Serbia Held in Belgrade

Белград. Фото: pixabay.com
Белград. Фото: pixabay.com

On February 19, Belgrade hosted a meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Russian Geographical Society Center (RGSC) in Serbia. The participants of the event discussed the results of the Center's work in 2020 and plans for 2021.

A cooperation agreement between the Russian and Serbian Geographical Societies was signed in 2014. In October 2016, the opening ceremony of the RGS Center in Serbia took place, in which the President of the Republic, Tomislav Nikolić, took part. In February 2017, the Board of Trustees of the Center was formed, which included representatives of the business and creative intelligentsia of Serbia, in particular, the world famous film director Emir Kusturica.

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Фото предоставлены Центром РГО в Сербии
Фото предоставлены Центром РГО в Сербии

The meeting was chaired by the head of the Board, Dušan Bajatović. The head of the Center, Vice-President of the Serbian Geographical Society Miroljub Milinčić made a keynote speech, that drew the attention of those present to the fact that, despite the difficult epidemiological situation in Serbia caused by the COVID-19 virus pandemic, the RGSC successfully continued its activities during 2020.

Among the main results of the Center's work were the organization and holding in Serbia of exhibitions of works by the winners of the photo competition of the RGS "The Most Beautiful Country", the international educational event the Geographical Dictation, as well as the restoration and improvement of military memorials of Soviet soldiers who died in the battles for the liberation of Yugoslavia during the Second World War. In addition, significant attention of the RGSC was paid to publishing activities. In 2020, were published such books as "Russian Cultural Heritage in Serbia", the Russian language textbook for adults "The best of luck!" and , the book "Stories of brotherly love of two peoples" dedicated to the 75th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War.

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Фото предоставлены Центром РГО в Сербии
Фото предоставлены Центром РГО в Сербии

Miroljub Milinčić said that in 2021 it was planned to hold a photo competition on the topic "Russian cultural heritage in the Balkans" that would include participants not only from Serbia, but also from other countries of the region, as well as, if the epidemiological situation allows, the organization of summer field practice for the Russian children at the base of the Faculty of Geography, University of Belgrade. In addition, the Center is planning to begin work on the creation of a geographical information system about Russian historical, cultural and economic objects in Serbia.

On February 12, 2021, by the Decree of the President of the Russian Federation, for their great contribution to the study and preservation of the Russian cultural heritage, the rapprochement and mutual enrichment of the cultures of the peoples of Russia and Serbia, Dušan Bajatović and Miroljub Milinčić were awarded the Pushkin Medal.