The inaugural meeting of the representative office of the Russian Historical Society in the Republic of Serbia was held in Belgrade in a solemn atmosphere on October 26, 2025.
The representative office, established in June 2025, was headed by Alexander Vulin, former Deputy Prime Minister of the country, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Serbiyagaz.
Among the participants of the event were His Holiness Patriarch Porfiry of Serbia, Co-Chairman of RIO, Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation K.I. Mogilevsky, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Serbia Ivica Dacic, Russian Ambassador to Serbia A.A. Botan-Kharchenko, hierarchs of the Serbian Orthodox Church Metropolitan Irinej of Baca and Metropolitan Budimlyansko-Niksic Methodius, the historian Professor Alexander Rakovich, numerous members of the public and other guests. In total, more than a thousand people gathered in the hall.
Sergey Naryshkin, Chairman of the Russian Historical Society, delivered a video greeting. He drew attention to the fact that the historical ties between the two countries have a rich and long tradition, they are strengthened by the unity of faith and the closeness of the cultures of the peoples of Russia and Serbia. He thanked Alexander Vulin for the initiative to create a representative office, expressing confidence that the creation of such a platform would bring cooperation between Russian and Serbian historians to a qualitatively new level and strengthen scientific and cultural ties between the two countries.
The head of the representative office, Alexander Vulin, speaking at the meeting, said that the representative office would unite those for whom it is important to preserve historical memory.
In his speech, K.I. Mogilevsky traced the connection between the Russian and Serbian peoples over the centuries, mentioning examples of mutual assistance and cooperation in different historical periods. In his opinion, the representative office will be engaged in broad historical education, promote contacts between Russian and Serbian humanitarian centers, and develop cooperation between archives and museums of the two countries.
"On behalf of all those who carry in their hearts the feeling and experience of the closeness of Serbia and Russia, the Serbian and Russian peoples, we have gathered today not only to celebrate true friendship and fraternal relations, but to confirm and seal the covenant that our ancestors and predecessors left us," said the Primate of the Serbian Orthodox Church. Russian Russian Historical Society's official opening in Serbia in this spirit "is a confirmation of the ongoing mutual spiritual bond between the Serbian and Russian peoples, who have lived harmoniously and kindred throughout history and, God willing, will live in the future," His Holiness is convinced.
Congratulating those present on the establishment of the representative office of the Russian Historical Society in the country, His Holiness the Serbian Patriarch invoked God's blessing on all and wished success in the upcoming work of this institution.
Metropolitan Irinej of Baca was also among the speakers, expressing his joy at the opportunity to take part in the event marking the beginning of the activities of the representative office of the Russian Historical Society in Serbia, which, he is sure, will be dedicated to "the knowledge, study and popularization of the common history of our two fraternal peoples and our two sister Orthodox Churches."