BiH Ambassador to Hungary Biljana Gutić Bjelica said that the event Serbian Days – Month of Serbian Culture in Hungary, to start on 12 September, was of great importance for the Serbian people and dedicated to Serbian culture and spirituality.

Gutić Bjelica stated that this event was being held for the second consecutive year, tending to become traditional, organized by the Eparchy of Buda and under the auspices of the President of the Republic of Srpska, Milorad Dodik, who would open the Serbian Days again this year.

She recalled that holding of such an event for a month had been initiated by President Dodik and His Eminence Metropolitan Lukijan of Buda.

– This event’s importance for the Serbian community is huge, because it is an opportunity to gather our people and artists from different areas from the Republic of Srpska and Serbia. The goal is to present the Serbian people in various cultural, artistic and scientific fields in a series of meaningful programs in the fields of spirituality, culture and science – noted Gutić Bjelica.

According to her, the Serbian community in Hungary is very consolidated, there are Nikola Tesla Elementary School and Gymnasium with a long tradition, attended also by children from the Republic of Srpska.

She said that this event was welcomed with a lot of attention and positive reactions by the host country, Hungary, and enjoyed maximum support by the presence of high-ranking officials.

– We are very glad and honored that Hungarians, regardless of whether they know the Serbian language or not, are visiting this event, and the interest of the Hungarian public is the result of several factors – first of all, Serbs have been present in these areas since the 17th century, but according to some historical findings even as early as from the time of St Sava. What is of particular importance is that they have preserved the language, script, religion, culture and tradition – said the BiH ambassador to Hungary.

She recalled that, according to the 2011 Hungarian Constitution, Serbs were one of the 13 recognized national minorities, meaning they were entitled to self-government, worship and school in their mother tongue, as well as a representative in the Hungarian Parliament.

– In addition to all that and certainly noteworthy, we have excellent political and economic relations with the Government of Hungary, which had been initiated by an exceptional personal understanding between President Dodik and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán – said Gutić Bjelica.

She stated that for the Republic of Srpska, the most significant at this event was the exhibition of stone paintings Heroes of Herzegovina dedicated to the famous 1875 Nevesinje Rifle insurgents, to be opened on 24 September in Budapest.

The opening of the event Serbian Days – Serbian Culture Month in Hungary is planned for 12 September at 18:00, with the exhibition Uroš Predić in Szentendre opening in the Szentendre Serbian Church Museum.

The promotion of the Optacija documentary film and opening of the exhibition about Hungarian Serbs opting for the Kingdom of SCS (1923-1924) will take place on 14 September at 18:00 in Tekelianum in Budapest.

The concert of the In honorem sancti servitii symphonic orchestra will be held on 22 September in honor of the 40th anniversary of the archbishopric service of Metropolitan Lukijan of Buda, with the performances by Isidor Bajić Youth Philharmonic (Novi Sad), Sveti Stefan Dečanski Choir and Orfelin Vocal Studio (Novi Sad) under the direction of Professor Tamara Adamov Petijević in the Vigado Concert Palace in Budapest starting at 19:00.

The exhibition Nevesinje rifle – portraits of the insurgents, by Biljana Ristić, dedicated to the Herzegovina Uprising of 1875, known as the Nevesinje Rifle, will open on 24 September in the Tekelianum Library at 19:00.

DIS Youth Theater from Banja Luka will present itself to the audience on 4 October with the play Mali vitez at the Serbian Theater in Hungary from 19:00.