The Director of the Office for Public and Cultural Diplomacy of the Government of the Republic of Serbia, Arno Gujon, stated yesterday in Paris, on the occasion of the commemoration of 100 years of Serbian studies in France, that learning the Serbian language is key to a better understanding of Serbia and the Serbian people in France.
-The study of Serbian enabled an understanding of our people, history, and culture, which significantly contributed to bringing closer two traditionally close and allied peoples. Today, the need for knowledge of the Serbian language is still present so that foreigners can get to know Serbia directly and not through often distorted media reports – Gujon said at a round table as part of the 17th International Congress of Slavists, which gathered more than 1,000 experts from 45 countries.
Gujon recalled that Serbian is present at universities in Paris, Strasbourg, Bordeaux, Marseille, and Grenoble, and he emphasized that thanks to dedicated professors and lectors, it is not only a subject but also a bridge to getting to know Serbian culture, literature, and tradition.
-Until the establishment of the department for the Serbian language at a French university at the beginning of the 20th century, the image of Serbs and Serbia was imposed by Vienna and Berlin, because due to the lack of knowledge of the language, the Serbian people were little known in France – said Gujon, who is leading the commemoration of the centennial of the study of the Serbian language in France.
After the round table, Gujon participated in the ceremonial donation of Serbian books to the Slavic Library at the Sorbonne. Among the donated works is a Monograph on 100 years of Serbian studies in France.
The library’s collection includes works from classics to contemporary authors, providing students with the opportunity to better get to know Serbian literature and culture.
-When I started learning the Serbian language, I had great difficulty finding suitable literature and literary works in Serbian in France. That is why filling the Serbian literary collection in the Slavic Library at the Sorbonne is very important for all who want to discover the richness of Serbian literature and improve their knowledge of the Serbian language – Gujon stated.
In the residence of the Serbian embassy in Paris, a Serbian evening will be held for the congress participants and influential French people who promote Serbia in that country, with a performance by music virtuoso Slobodan Trkulja.
The International Congress of Slavists is held every five years, and the last one was held in Belgrade. It is the most significant and largest scientific event dedicated to Slavic languages, literature, and culture.
Within this prestigious event, an entire session was dedicated to Serbia and the 100th anniversary of the study of the Serbian language and culture in France, which has expanded to Francophone countries over time.
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Source: Blic, Photo: Printscreen Instagram @arno.gujon