EXHIBITION "KING ALEXANDER I AND RUSSIAN EMIGRATION" AT THE WHITE PALACE

Belgrade, 16 December 2008. – On the occasion of 120 years since the birth of HM King Alexander I and 75 years since the foundation of the Russian Cultural Centre in Belgrade, the exhibition "HM King Alexander I and the Russian Emigration" of The Library Fund "Russian Diaspora” and Russian Cultural Centre in Belgrade was officially opened this evening at the White Palace.

On the behalf of Their Royal Highnesses Crown Prince Alexander II and Crown Princess Katherine the exhibition was opened by Mr. Dragomir Acović president of the Privy Council. Mr. Acović read Crown Prince Alexander’s letter and greeted all the guests pointing out the traditionally good relations between the Royal House of Karađorđević and the Tsars Russia. Mr. Vladimir Kutirin, director of the Russian Cultural Centre in Belgrade, Mr. Victor Moskvin, director of the Library Fund "Russian Diaspora” from Moscow and his deputy Mr. Alexander Fedotov, organizer of the exhibition also addressed the guests.

King Alexander I was considered to be the one of the biggest friends of Russians, given that a lot of emigrants moved to Serbia after the civil war and revolution in Russia due to the King’s especially favourable policy. A huge part of the Russian emigration saw in the young and capable King their protector and patron. The immigrants played a significant, strong and stimulating influence.

The goal of exhibition "King Alexander I and the Russian Emigration" is to represent all aspect of influence Russian emigrants, under patronage of King Alexander, made on Serbian culture, art, spirituality, science and education in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia in the 1920s and 1930s. The setting "King Alexander I and the Russian Emigration" includes photographs, work of art, archive documents, posters and material from The Library Fund "Russian Diaspora”, “State Archive of the Russian Federation, the Russian Fund for Culture, the Russian State Archive of Literature and Art, the Russian Military-Historical archive, Archive of Serbia, Archive of Yugoslavia, the National Library and National Museum of Serbia, the Serbian Academy of Science and Art, and private collections.

The exhibition will be displayed at the White Palace 17-26 December 2008. The exhibition is open everyday at these times: 10:00am, 12:00pm and 2:00 pm with prior announcement to the Office of Crown Prince Alexander II telephone (011) 306-4001. Besides the exhibition, visitors will also have the opportunity to tour the White Palace free of charge.