Serbian Patriarch Porfirije attends opening ceremony of Russian Historical Society Belgrade branch

DECR Communications Service, 27.10. 2025.

On October 26, Belgrade hosted the inaugural meeting of Belgrade-branch of the Russian Historical Society, which was established in June 2025 and is headed by Aleksandar Vulin, former Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Serbia and chairman of the Supervisory Board of Srbijagas.

Among those attending the ceremony were His Holiness Patriarch Porfirije of Serbia; Mr. Konstantin I. Mogilevsky, co-chairman of the Society and Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation; Mr. Ivica Dačić, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior of the Republic of Serbia, H.E. Alexander Botsan-Kharchenko, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to the Republic of Serbia; Serbian Orthodox hierarchs Metropolitan Irinej of Bačka and Metropolitan Methodius of Budimlje-Nikšić; Prof. Aleksandar Raković of the Institute for Recent History of Serbia; numerous members of the public; and other guests. Gathering in the hall were over one thousand people.

Mr. Sergei Ye. Naryshkin, chairman of the Russian Historical Society, addressed the gathering with a video message, saying that the historical ties between Russia and Serbia have a rich and long history. They are strengthened by the unity of faith and the closeness of cultures of peoples. He thanked Mr. Vulin for his initiative that has led to the founding of the representative office and expressed confidence that it will take cooperation between Russian and Serbian historians to a qualitatively new level and strengthen scientific and cultural ties between the two countries.

Mr. Vulin said that the representative office will unite those valuing the preservation of historical memory.

In his address, Mr. Mogilevsky traced the connection between the Russian and Serbian peoples over the centuries, citing examples of mutual assistance and cooperation in various historical periods. He believes the representative office to deal with historical education, facilitate contacts between Russian and Serbian humanitarian centers, and develop cooperation between the archives and museums of the two countries.

The Primate of the Serbian Orthodox Church welcomed the audience on behalf of all those who bear in their hearts the centuries-old feeling and experience of the closeness between the Serbian and Russian peoples. His Holiness said, “We have gathered here today not only to celebrate true friendship and brotherly relations, but to reaffirm and seal the covenant left to us by our ancestors and predecessors. In this spirit, the ceremonial opening of the representative office of the Russian Historical Society in Serbia is a confirmation of the continuous spiritual bond between the Serbian and Russian peoples, who have lived in harmony and kinship throughout history and will, God willing, continue to live so in the future."

His Holiness Patriarch Porfirije extended congratulations to all those present on the founding of the representative office of the Russian Historical Society in Serbia, invoked God's blessing on them and wished them success in future work.

Metropolitan Irinej of Bačka was also among the speakers. He expressed his joy over the opportunity to participate in the ceremony being held on the occasion of the establishment of the Russian Historical Society and, in effect, the beginning of its activity that will be dedicated to "discovering, studying and promotion of the common history of our brotherly nations and our two sister Orthodox Churches.”

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Serbian Patriarch Porfirije attends opening ceremony of Russian Historical Society Belgrade branch

Patriarch

Department Chairman

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Patriarch

Department Chairman

Sermons