Serbian Cultural and Educational Society Prosvjeta was founded in 1902 with the main task of educating the Serbian people, fostering modern education and national culture. From this task arose Prosvjeta’s mission – to create a national intelligentsia, Serbian national consciousness and a social elite in BiH, in the final decades of Austro-Hungarian rule.

This year, Prosvjeta is celebrating its 120th anniversary, and its mission has not changed, except that it has expanded to cover the entire Serbian cultural and spiritual space and countries where the Serbian people live – from the motherland to the diaspora. The ceremonial academy on the occasion of the 120th anniversary of the Society was organized by the Banja Luka Prosvjeta city board.

The academy was attended by representatives of the republic and city authorities, the clergy, representatives of religious communities, representatives of the Bosniak cultural community Preporod, representatives of the University of Banja Luka, representatives of some of the other Prosvjeta boards (of the total of about 40) from the Republic of Srpska, BiH, Serbia, Montenegro, Austria.

The President of Matica Srpska from Novi Sad, professor Dragan Stanić, gave a welcome speech to the academy, as well as a member of the main board of the Society and representative of Viennese Prosvjeta, Srđan Mijalković: ‘The idea of Prosvjeta is one of the most significant and brightest ideas of the Serbian people in general, and its action in these 120 years has contributed and still contributes today to the cultural and spiritual unity of the Serbian people, wherever they live’, he said.

The guests were warmly greeted by the chairman of the board, Željko Vujadinović, who spoke about the 120 years of work and development of the Society, noting that in today’s times of general globalization, Prosvjeta strived to preserve and nurture the traditional identity values and characteristics of the people to which it belonged, and at the same time to develop them in accordance with certain achievements of contemporary cultural progress and social and societal mobility. The importance of Prosvjeta and its achievements was subject of an inspired oration by a member of the city board of Prosvjeta Banja Luka, historian Borivoje Milošević.

Charters and certificates of appreciation were presented at the academy to the institutions and individuals who had supported the activities of Prosvjeta in Banja Luka for the past ten years. Welcome speeches and orations at the academy presented the historical path of Prosvjeta, and indicated its importance for the enlightenment and national awareness-raising of the Serbian people in BiH and beyond.

A varied cultural and artistic program included a mix of old town dances, choral and piano performances of musical works, recitals and orations. The ceremonial academy was held in the large hall of the National Theater of the Republic of Srpska on 2 September 2022.

An exhibition was set up in the hall of the Republic of Srpska National Theater, showing the diverse activities of Prosvjeta city board Banja Luka.

The organization of the academy was impeccable owing to the hardworking members of Prosvjeta from Banja Luka, who filled the theater hall along with numerous guests. A cocktail party followed after the program, and socializing continued until the late hours.

Source and photo: Serbian Educational and Cultural Society PROSVJETA AUSTRIA