RGS Science Education Program Held In Serbia

From August 14 to 20, young Russian specialists took part in a rich science education program prepared by the Center of the Russian Geographical Society in Serbia. The delegation visited important sites related to the Russian and Soviet heritage of the 19th and 20th centuries, and also got acquainted with the natural and cultural attractions of the country.

The RGS team included young scientists from Udmurtia, Stavropol Territory, Nizhny Novgorod and Moscow Regions. Throughout the program, they were accompanied by the representatives of the RGS Center in Serbia, headed by Professor of the Geographical Faculty of the University of Belgrade Miroljub Milinčić, Serbian students, and university graduates conducting geographical research.

On August 14, the delegation visited the Oplenac complex in the south of the country. The guests visited St. George’s Church (the tomb of the princely and royal dynasty of Karađorđević), the Museum of Natural History in Svilajnac, as well as the Museum of Local History in Kruševac, and the monument to Prince Lazar.

The second day of the program began with a visit to the third largest city in Serbia – Niš. Here, the delegation visited the Skull Tower museum (a symbol of the fight of the Serbs against Turkish invaders); a monument to the Russian volunteers who died in the war of 1876 in Aleksinac; the Holy Trinity Church in the village of Gornji Adrovac, built in honor of the Russian volunteer Nikolai Rayevsky (1839-1876); as well as a monument to the soldiers of the Red Army who died as a result of the US air raid in 1944.

At the end of the day, the Russians took part in the opening of the exhibition "The Most Beautiful Country" in the Cultural Center of the city of Brus. The event was attended by First Secretary of the Russian Embassy in Serbia Natalia Klishchenkova, representatives of the municipality and educational organizations of the city, local residents.

The next day, the delegation visited places of great importance for the Serbian Orthodox Church: the Studenica Monastery, included on the UNESCO World Heritage List; and the Žiča Monastery in the vicinity of the historical region of Raška. The participants of the program also visited the resort town of Jošanička Banja, famous for its thermal springs, and the memorial complex located here dedicated to the Serbian heroine of the First World War Milunka Savić.

On August 17, the delegation went to the Jelovarnik waterfall, the third highest in Serbia, in Kopaonik National Park and climbed by cable car to the top of the mountain range of the same name. The day ended with a return to the Jošanička Banja and a rest at the thermal spring.

The next day, the team visited St. Luke Monastery in the village of Bošnjane and the monument to the participants of the battle near the village of Varvarin. In the evening, the delegation arrived in Belgrade, where the grand opening of the exhibition "The Most Beautiful Country" took place at the Russian House (Russian Center for Science and Culture). Famous Serbian violinist Sonja Kalajić and clarinetist Dražen Tikveša performed at the event. At the end of the evening, the young scientists from Russia were presented with souvenirs from the Geographical Faculty of the University of Belgrade.

Over the weekend, the RGS delegation went to Mount Avala, where there is a monument to an Unknown Hero, a monument to Soviet war veterans, as well as a TV tower restored after the NATO bombing. This 203 m high structure offers a beautiful view of the city.

The program participants also visited the memorial to the Liberators of Belgrade in the city center, and the Russian necropolis in the New Cemetery. In the evening, the guests were shown the Church of St. Sava, the largest Orthodox church in the Balkans, as well as the Zemun District, formerly a separate Austro-Hungarian city.