2023 marks the 185th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Russia and Serbia. The opening of the Russian consulate in Serbia in 1838 is an important link in the history of relations between our countries, which over the centuries, despite episodes of strong cooperation, were limited by temporary missions.
One of such distinct pages of shared history is dedicated to the famous Serb from Herzegovina – Sava Vladislavić Raguzinski (1669–1738), counselor to Peter the Great, founder of the diplomatic service of the Russian Empire, a person who had a great influence on the further development of the foreign policy principles of the largest Orthodox monarchy in history, among whom the support of Slavic coreligionists in the Balkans always had a special place.
Among the Russian diplomats who worked in Serbia right after the establishment of diplomatic relations, the first consul in Kosovska Mitrovica, who should be highlighted, Grigoriy Shcherbina (1868–1903), earned great respect among the Serbs with his self-sacrificing work and tragically died as a result of an attack by an Albanian fanatic. In his will, the Russian consul pointed out: "Serbs in Kosovo should be protected, because Kosovo is Serbian."
