Against the backdrop of alarming political news from Serbia, the question reasonably arises: will this fraternal country also follow the path of “color” revolutions and consign centuries of close friendship to oblivion? For now, we can talk about this situation theoretically - while representatives of the older generation are alive, they know first-hand about our country and love Russia with all their souls. However, is there a future for Russian-Serbian relations in the form in which they exist now, when a new generation of Serbs who studied at Western universities grows up? Will we end up with a second Ukraine?
There is a future, but only in one case - if Russia pays more attention to the development of not only political relations, but also, first of all, economic and humanitarian ones.
There is a very great interest in our country in Serbia. President Vladimir Putin enjoys enormous authority - he is almost like a superhero here. However, for all their love, the Serbs know almost nothing about Russia. A couple of times a year people go to concerts of Russian groups and performers, for example, the Moiseev Ensemble or the Alexandrov Choir. At school, within the framework of world literature, they will hear the names of great Russian writers and poets. Perhaps they will recognize some artists, especially those who are appreciated in Europe - the same Kandinsky or Chagall.
Those who studied Russian in secondary schools will know a little more. That's all! Most of the population has never been to either the USSR or Russia. They live at the mercy of the stereotypes “vodka, snow, bears, nesting dolls.”
If young people are interested in their “big brother,” it is only superficially. Few people know that there are quotas, grants and scholarships for Serbs in Russian universities. But so far, the number of those who have chosen our country to continue their education is several times smaller than those who went to study in the West.
This is not the first year I have been involved in Russian-Serbian relations, and I often hear questions from local residents like: “why doesn’t Russia conduct active propaganda here?”; “Why are there so few events for students, schoolchildren, and cultural events?” And it’s difficult for me to answer this question.
There are, of course, Russian-Serbian projects, student exchanges, and individual enthusiasts in both countries, but this is extremely limited: support is needed at the state level. “Public diplomacy” alone will not be able to solve the global problem of educating a new generation.
And although the “Russia House” operates in Belgrade, this is not enough even for the capital: it is difficult to lure young people there. It is necessary to apply new formats of work, to use those platforms, including the Internet, that are popular with the younger generation, will fill the educational niche and will be accessible to everyone.
We need to talk about educational opportunities, about scientific centers, about Russian schools where children learn robotics and 3D modeling (most Serbs, alas, still believe that science in Russia is stuck at the level of the 70s, and are not aware of the scientific potential that has been created in recent years).
And then we will no longer be treated simply as a beloved neighbor. And they will strive as a strategic partner in all areas of activity.
In order not to be unfounded, I will cite the opinions of the residents of Serbia themselves.
Ivan Sekulovich, employee of the Russian-Serbian company:
“I believe that Russian-Serbian relations should develop much more dynamically, especially in the areas of economics, business and education. These areas are interconnected. In the field of higher education, there are many universities from Western Europe and North America present in Serbia. Together with our universities, they conduct joint courses and educational programs. In Serbia there are universities and students who want to receive such an education in Russian universities, but, nevertheless, there are practically no Russian universities in Serbian education. I am sure that the work of the Russian Center for Science and Culture “Russian House” in the field of promoting educational programs of Russian universities in Serbia is very important and should be more dynamic, especially in establishing contacts and conveying information to interested institutions, students and schoolchildren.”
Sinisa Atlagic, Associate Professor, Head of the Center for Russian Studies, Faculty of Political Science, University of Belgrade:
“I can speak on behalf of the entire university, and this is also my impression and opinion. I see that our young people do not know much about Russia. I always repeat - people know that there is some kind of Russia, that we are brothers, that this is a distant and cold country. They know that there is some kind of Moscow, St. Petersburg, Sochi. And they know about Sochi thanks to the Olympics. And that's all, unfortunately. I must emphasize: it seems to me that more has been done recently than was previously done in the field of propaganda. There are organizations of young people who cooperate with your state institutions, such as Rossotrudnichestvo. And it seems to me that this was not at this level before. But still, this is not enough, more is always possible. But still, the situation today gives me strength. Although in general I am not satisfied - I want more intensive cooperation.
In the case of cooperation between Russia and Serbia, first of all, money is needed. I can’t say that there are none at all - there are companies that finance some projects: the same NIS (Oil Industry of Serbia), Serbia Gas, and others. But there is no permanent funding. And this is the biggest problem. Of course, I’m not saying that people should be financed just because they love Russia, but money should be given specifically for projects. If it were permanent, there would be a lot more projects.
The most “thin” place in Russia is the youth. This is where the biggest work must be done. We want to conduct a sociological study and survey at the Center. This is one of our Center’s projects to understand what they think about Russia, what ideas they have about it. It is very important".