Acknowledgements
The people without whom this project would not exist
"The soul of Belgrade, in the end, also lies in the feeling of home, in knowing that you will not be lost, for you are among your own, that you can always and at any time afford something small: love, a roof over your head, and a little of that much-needed company until dawn..."
(M. Kapor)
The "Russian Belgrade" project would have been impossible without the many years of research by a constellation of scholars who, with care, love and deep interest, carefully and meticulously studied the history of the Russian presence in the Balkans and in Belgrade in particular. We extend special gratitude to the researchers without whose work the realisation of this project would have been impossible:
- Irina Nikolaevna Antanasijević, Telegram channel
- Alexei Borisovich Arsenyev
- Milana Živanović
- Viktor Ivanovich Kosik
- Marina Yuryevna Sorokina, Telegram channel
- Alexei Yuryevich Timofeev
- Aleksandar Kadijević
- and many others…
We are also grateful to the scholarly and educational initiatives that continue to develop this theme, in particular the projects "Russian Balkans" and "Russian Scientific Institute", through which the study of the history of Russian emigration in the Balkans gains new resonance and a wide audience.
"Photographed from the air, this city would never attract the curious collector of beauty, however skilfully it may be depicted. Simply put, Belgrade is not photogenic! But precisely for this reason it will captivate you in a different way: it will awaken an almost physical pain of longing in those who have spent even a few days on its streets, just as a photograph of a former love can bring us to an agonising end"
(M. Kapor)
Special thanks for the visual part of the project: the photographs presented on the website were taken by Ekaterina Entina and Alexandra Charskaya.
We are deeply grateful to all the researchers whose meticulous work, unique gaze upon Belgrade, and sincere warmth toward its Russian heritage have helped to preserve and reflect upon this important part of the city's history.
"We will forever remain its willing captives, having chosen Belgrade from among all the countless city masterpieces as the one in which to live that one and only life granted to us"
(M. Kapor)