“Serb Days – Month of Serb Culture in Hungary” begins

The “Serb Days – Month of Serb Culture in Hungary” will officially open tomorrow in Szentendre, organized by the Eparchy of Buda and under the patronage of Milorad Dodik, President of Republika Srpska, who will officially inaugurate this significant event for the Serb people.

The opening of “Serb Days” is scheduled for 6:00 PM, with the exhibition “Uroš Predić in Szentendre” taking place at the Serb Church Museum.

Visitors will be introduced to paintings by Uroš Predić, owned by the Eparchy of Buda, along with an accompanying photo-documentary exhibition.

On September 14, at 6:00 PM, a screening of the documentary film “Optation” and the opening of an exhibition on the optation of Serbs from Hungary to the Kingdom of SHS (1923-1924) will be held at Tekelijanum in Budapest. This institution was founded by Sava Tekelija in 1838 to educate poor and outstanding Serb students from across Serb-inhabited areas.

As part of the program, a symphonic orchestra concert, “In horem sancti servitii,” will be held on September 22 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the archbishopric service of Metropolitan Lukijan of Buda. The concert will feature the Isidor Bajić Youth Philharmonic (Novi Sad), the St. Stefan Dečanski Choir, and the Orfelin Vocal Studio (Novi Sad), under the direction of Professor Tamara Adamov Petijević.

The concert will take place at the Vigado Concert Hall in Budapest, starting at 7:00 PM.

The exhibition “Nevesinje Rifle – Portraits of Insurgents,” by Biljana Ristić, dedicated to the Herzegovina Uprising of 1875, will open on September 24 at 7:00 PM at the Tekelijanum Library.

The DIS Youth Theater from Banja Luka will present the play “Little Knight” on October 4 at the Serb Theatre in Hungary, headquartered in Budapest, starting at 7:00 PM.

The art colony exhibition “Krug” and the closing of the “Serb Days” event are planned for October 5 at 7:00 PM in the Krug Gallery in Tekelijanum. Representatives of the Eparchy of Buda and the embassies of BiH and Serbia in Hungary will address the audience.

HIEROMONK VARNAVA: THE EPARCHY OF BUDA IS DEDICATED TO CULTURAL DIPLOMACY, DODIK’S VISIT IS OF GREAT IMPORTANCE

Hieromonk Varnava Knežević, secretary of the Eparchy of Buda, stated earlier to Srna that the visit of Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik is of particular importance, as he is always a welcome guest in Hungary.

Hieromonk Varnava emphasized that, with the blessing of Metropolitan Lukijan, the Eparchy of Buda has focused on cultural diplomacy, believing that such activities open doors for Serbs in the European Union, where they are often neglected or misrepresented.

“We strive to use events like this to show the world that we are not what they may think. Our culture is rich, and our tradition is significant not only for Republika Srpska and Serbia, our homeland countries but also beyond. This is why we have this event here in the friendly country of Hungary,” said Hieromonk Varnava.

GUTIĆ BJELICA: THE INITIATORS OF “SERBIAN DAYS” WERE PRESIDENT DODIK AND METROPOLITAN LUKIJAN

Biljana Gutić Bjelica, BiH Ambassador to Hungary, previously told Srna that the “Serb Days – Month of Serb Culture in Hungary” is of great significance for the Serb people and is dedicated to Serb culture, tradition, and spirituality.

Gutić Bjelica noted that the event, organized by the Eparchy of Buda and under the patronage of Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik and the Ministry of Culture of Serbia, is being held for the second year in a row, with the goal of becoming a traditional event.

She recalled that the idea for this month-long event was initiated by President Dodik and His Eminence, Metropolitan Lukijan of Buda.

“The significance of this event for the Serb community is enormous, as it provides an opportunity to bring together our people and artists from various fields from Republika Srpska and Serbia. The aim is to showcase the Serb people through a series of spiritual, cultural, and academic programs in various artistic and scientific fields,” emphasized Gutić Bjelica.

She added that the Serb community in Hungary is well-established, with a primary school and the Nikola Tesla Gymnasium, which has a long tradition and is attended by children from Republika Srpska.

She also noted that the host country, Hungary, welcomes this event with great attention and positive reactions, and the presence of high-ranking officials provides full support to the month-long “Serb Days” event.

Source: RTRS