News Press – Why Serbia loves France and the French language so much – Republic of Serbia

“Our legendary tennis player Novak Djokovic speaks French whenever he has the opportunity”

Natasa Maric is Serbia’s ambassador to France, explains the depth of the ties between our two countries. She explains the desire of Belgrade, an associate member of the International Organization of La Francophonie, to become a full member.

Two of the most important French writers of the 19th century, Victor Hugo and Alphonse de Lamartine, met the Serbs, our history, our mentality and our aspirations. Their words about Serbia have become lasting testimonies and part of the common historical memory of the values ​​that the Serbian people have always embraced.

We know the plea of ​​Victor Hugo, For Serbia! which describes the horrors of the suffering of the peoples of the time. The courage and perseverance of our ancestors in their struggle for freedom in the 19th century were acclaimed throughout Europe by Lamartine, who, during a stay in Serbia, wrote: “I would like to fight with this people born for fruitful freedom”.

In the 20th century, the friendship between France and Serbia, evidenced in particular by their alliance during the Great War, gave new impetus to the dissemination of French-speaking values ​​and to the influence of French culture on artists, scientists and Serbian politicians.

In 1839 it was decided to teach French in all foreign language classes in middle school and high school in Kragujevac, the country’s capital at the time.

The most famous Serbian painters such as Sava Sumanovic and Marko Celebonovic, member of the French Resistance Movement, lived in France during the interwar period and were influenced by the French school, which left a strong imprint on their artistic work, which ranks among the most important creations of Serbian art.

Other eminent Serbian painters have followed in their footsteps such as Petar Lubarda, Ljubo Popovic, Petar Omcikus as well as the one who recently left us, Vladimir Velickovic, and who was the only artist from our region to become a member of the French Academy of Fine Arts. -arts, alongside the Serbian biologist Ivan Djaja, corresponding member of the French Academy of Sciences.

To read also: “Do the French really know Serbia?”

Through artistic and scientific works in which they have woven not only the knowledge acquired in France but also a strong love for it, they all continue to fulfill the mission they have given themselves for life: to spread the noble influence on generations of Serbs who, brought up in the spirit of freedom, equality and justice, also nurture the heritage of French values.

Serbia has a long tradition of learning French, which is also shown by the fact that at the suggestion of the educational authorities of the Principality of Serbia, as early as 1839 it was decided to teach French in all foreign language classes at secondary school and at the high school in Kragujevac, at the time the country’s capital.

At the beginning of the 20th century, the French Literary Society was founded in Belgrade, and Gaston Gravier, a French geographer and ethnologist, was appointed French-language reader at the University of Belgrade.

The beauty of the literary expression of the Serbian language has been presented to the French-speaking public by our great writers, whose works have been translated into French.

To date, a large number of primary and secondary schools have been established, some of which also provide bilingual education and which, including the French Lycée in Belgrade, are raising whole generations of young Serbs who speak French and who flourish professionally. throughout the French-speaking community.

Among the most famous is the “Vladislav Ribnikar” elementary school, named after the founder of the oldest Serbian daily “Politika”. The latter, before introducing the basics of modern journalism in Serbia, had studied at the Sorbonne.

Our attachment, of course, is not one-sided. The beauty of the literary expression of the Serbian language was presented to the French-speaking public by our great writers led by Danilo Kis, Branimir Scepanovic and Milorad Pavic, whose works have been translated into French and published throughout the French-speaking world.

Our relations, of course, are not only historical. It is enough to hear the first musical notes of our director Emir Kusturica and his group during concerts like the one held at Unesco in 2019, to feel the unique artistic energy of the double winner of the Palme d ‘gold.

Hundreds of thousands of Serbs imbibed French-speaking values, forming a lasting bond not only with France but with all other French-speaking nations.

The French and the Serbs share a common pleasure when they listen to the virtuoso Nemanja Radulovic who lives and works in Paris, but also the pride when our legendary tennis player Novak Djokovic speaks French whenever he needs it. ‘opportunity.

If these famous personalities constitute the fabric of our links, which gives them strength, they are hundreds of thousands of Serbs, ordinary citizens, who, exploring their path of life, have become imbued with French-speaking values, forming a lasting bond not only with France but with all the other French-speaking nations.

From the firmness of this link naturally stems our strategic determination to develop our status within the International Organization of La Francophonie to become a full Member State in the near future.

So I remain convinced that today, like almost 150 years ago, Victor Hugo would once again exclaim “For Serbia!”