“The Serbs also suffered”: an exhibition dedicated to the Day of Remembrance of the Victims of NATO’s Aggression on Yugoslavia opened in Belgorod

On March 26 in the hall of the museum-diorama “Battle of Kursk. Belgorod direction" the exhibition "(Un)Merciful Angel" opened. The exhibition was organized by the Institute of Serbian Language and Communications of the BSTU named after V. G. Shukhov with the support of the government and the Ministry of Culture of the Belgorod region, as well as the Serbian Embassy in Russia.

The exhibition is dedicated to the 25th anniversary of the tragic events in Serbia and Montenegro. There, from March 24 to June 10, 1999, the North Atlantic Alliance conducted an air force operation called “Merciful Angel”. 30 reproductions of photographs by Serbian photojournalist Martin Tsandir demonstrate the consequences of NATO bombings and convey the emotions of the suffering population.

The photographs presented in the Belgorod museum were brought from the funds of the state archive of Vojvodina, an autonomous region located in the north of Serbia. They were brought to the regional center by the director of the archive, Dr. Nebojsa Kuzmanovic. In his opinion, the exhibition should show to people living in Belgorod oblast that the Serbs also suffered from NATO actions.

“These photographs show all the torture and sorrow that our people suffered from this aggression,” Kuzmanovic shared with BelPressa through a translator, director of the Institute of Serbian Language and Communications Victoria Ryapukhina. – And also all our courage. Thousands of us went out onto the bridges to avoid their bombing, sang songs there, and the planes turned away.”

Another reason for his visit was the desire to support Belgorod residents, to share their experience of experiencing and combating negativity.

 At the moment the museum does not let visitors in due to the current situation. However, everything can change, and those who wish will be able to come to the exhibition. It will work for 14 days.

 Previously, people of Belgorod oblast were supported by residents of Kherson, the Republic of Bashkortostan and the Crimea.