There is a community of

Serbs The Serbs ( sr-Cyr, Срби, Srbi, ) are the most numerous South Slavic ethnic group native to the Balkans in Southeastern Europe, who share a common Serbian ancestry, culture, history and language. The majority of Serbs live in their na ...

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eig ...

(russian: Сербы в России; sr, Срби у Русији, translit=Srbi u Rusiji), also known as Russian Serbs (russian: Российские сербы; sr, Руски Срби, translit=Ruski Srbi), which includes Russian citizens of ethnic Serb descent or

Serbia Serbia (, ; Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin and the Balkans. It shares land borders with Hungar ...

n-born people residing in the country.

History

Middle Ages

After the Ottoman invasion of Serbia in the 14th century, Serbian refugees found refuge in Russia.

Lazar the Serb Lazar ( sr, Лазар, russian: Лазарь), also known as Lazar the Serb or Lazar the Hilandarian (fl. 1404), was a Serbian Orthodox monk-scribe and horologist who invented and built the first known mechanical public clock in Russia in 1404. ...

(built the first mechanical public clock in Russia) and

Pachomius the Serb Pachomius the Serb (russian: Пахомий Серб, sr, Пахомије Србин), also known as Pachomius Logothetes, russian: Пахомий Логофет, el, Παχώμιος Λογοθέτης) was a 15th-century Serbian hagiographer ...

(hagiographer and translator) were some of the notable Serbs in Russian medieval history.

Elena Glinskaya Elena Vasilyevna Glinskaya (russian: Елена Васильевна Глинская; 1510 – 4 April 1538) was the Grand Princess consort of Russia, as the second wife of Grand Prince Vasili III and de facto regent of Russia for 5 consecuti ...

(1510–1538), the mother of Russian emperor Ivan the Terrible (r. 1547–84), was maternally Serbian. The Orthodox worship of

Saint Sava Saint Sava ( sr, Свети Сава, Sveti Sava, ; Old Church Slavonic: ; gr, Άγιος Σάββας; 1169 or 1174 – 14 January 1236), known as the Enlightener, was a Serbian prince and Orthodox monk, the first Archbishop of the autocephalou ...

was established in Russia in the 16th century.

Russian Empire

In the 1750s, in a re-settlement initiated by

Austrian Austrian may refer to: * Austrians, someone from Austria or of Austrian descent ** Someone who is considered an Austrian citizen, see Austrian nationality law * Austrian German dialect * Something associated with the country Austria, for example: ...

Colonel Ivan Horvat, a vast number of Orthodox Serbs, mostly from territories controlled by the Habsburg monarchy (the Serbian Grenzers), settled in Russia's military frontier region of New Serbia (with the centre in Novomirgorod, mainly in the territory of present-day

Kirovohrad Oblast Kirovohrad Oblast ( uk, Кіровоградська область, translit=Kirovohradska oblast; also referred to as Kirovohradschyna — uk, Кіровоградщина) is an oblast (province) of Ukraine. The administrative center of the ...

Ukraine Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...

), as well as in

Slavo-Serbia Slavo-Serbia or Slaveno-Serbia ( uk, Слов'яносербія, Slov'ianoserbiia; russian: Славяносербия, Slavyanoserbiya; sr, Славеносрбија / or / ; Slavonic-Serbian: Славо-Сербія or Славено-Се� ...

(now mainly the territory of the

Luhansk Oblast Luhansk Oblast ( uk, Луга́нська о́бласть, translit=Luhanska oblast; russian: Луганская область, translit=Luganskaya oblast; also referred to as Luhanshchyna, uk, Луга́нщина) is the easternmost oblast ...

of Ukraine). In 1764, both territorial entities were incorporated in Russia's

Novorossiya Governorate Novorossiya Governorate (russian: Новороссийская губерния, Novorossiyskaya guberniya, New Russia Governorate; uk, Новоросійська губернія), was a governorate of the Russian Empire in the previously O ...

. Serbs continued to settle in Russian lands, and many, such as

Sava Vladislavich Count Sava Lukich Vladislavich-Raguzinsky (russian: Са́вва Луки́ч Рагузи́нский-Владиславич; sr, Сава Владиславић Рагузински, ''Sava Vladislavić Raguzinski''; 16 January 1669 – 17 June ...

Nikolay Depreradovich Nikolai Ivanovich Depreradovich (russian: Депрерадович, Николай Иванович; sr, Никола Прерадовић; Novorossiya, Imperial Russia, 23 October 1767 – St. Peterburg, Imperial Russia, 16 December 1843) was ...

, and Peter Tekeli, became high ranking generals and imperial nobility. During the

Napoleonic Wars The Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815) were a series of major global conflicts pitting the French Empire and its allies, led by Napoleon I, against a fluctuating array of European states formed into various coalitions. It produced a period of Fren ...

, many

Russian generals Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including: *Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries * Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and pe ...

were either Serbian-born or of Serbian descent, including

Georgi Emmanuel Count Georgi Arsenyevich Emmanuel (Russian: Георгий Арсеньевич Эммануэль) (13 April 1775–26 January 1837) was a Russian general of Serbian origin who participated in the Napoleonic Wars. He was promoted to major ge ...

, Peter Ivelich, Nikolay Vuich,

Ivan Shevich Ivan Egorovich (Georgievich) Shevich (Russian: Иван Егорович Шевич; sr, Јован Шевић; 1754–4 October 1813) was a Russian-born Serb nobleman who was one of the leading fighting-generals, and one of the bravest, in the ...

, and multiple others. The most esteemed Serb in the service of the Russian Empire at the time of the Napoleonic Wars was Count

Mikhail Miloradovich Count Mikhail Andreyevich Miloradovich (russian: Граф Михаи́л Андре́евич Милора́дович, sh-Cyrl, Гроф Михаил Андрејевић Милорадовић ''Grof Mihail Andrejević Miloradović''; – ...

, a leading commander during the French invasion of Russia and governor-general of

Saint Petersburg Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...

Soviet Union

Throughout the existence of the

Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...

, many Serbs in Russia continued to play prominent roles in society. Notable figures at the time include Admiral of the Fleet and

Hero of the Soviet Union The title Hero of the Soviet Union (russian: Герой Советского Союза, translit=Geroy Sovietskogo Soyuza) was the highest distinction in the Soviet Union, awarded together with the Order of Lenin personally or collectively for ...

Nikolai Kuznetsov and renowned sculptor and Hero of Socialist Labour

Yevgeny Vuchetich Yevgeny Viktorovich Vuchetich (–12 April 1974) (russian: Евгений Викторович Вучетич; uk, Євген Вікторович Вучетич, ''Evhen Viktorovych Vuchetych'') was a prominent Soviet sculptor and artist. He is ...

, responsible for The Motherland Calls, which was the largest statue in the world at the time of its construction.

Notable people

Nobility and military personnel

* Ivan the Terrible, Tsar of All-Russia from 1547 to 1584. *

, Grand Princess consort of Moscow and Regent of Russia in the 16th century *

, Serbian diplomat, count, and merchant-adventurer in the employ of Peter the Great who conducted important diplomatic negotiations in Constantinople, Rome, and Beijing BildTekeli

* Dmitry Horvat, Imperial Russian lieutenant-general and great-grandson of Jovan Horvat, the founder of New Serbia in Imperial Russia *

Semyon Zorich Count Semyon Zorich (1743–1799) was an Imperial Russian lieutenant-general and count of the Holy Roman Empire, born in Serbia, who served Imperial Russia against the Prussians and Turks. A member of the Russian court, he was presented to Empress ...

, Imperial Russian lieutenant-general and count of the Holy Roman Empire * Jovan Horvat founded New Serbia by the right bank of the

Donets River The Seversky Donets () or Siverskyi Donets (), usually simply called the Donets, is a river on the south of the East European Plain. It originates in the Central Russian Upland, north of Belgorod, flows south-east through Ukraine (Kharkiv, Don ...

between the Bakhmut and Luhan River. Facial_Chronicle_-_b

* Rajko Depreradović one of the founders of

in the early 1750s * Jovan Šević one of the founders of Slavo-Serbia * Peter Tekeli, General-in-Chief of the Russian army * Andrei Miloradovich, 18th century general and statesman *Count

Marko Ivelich Count Marko Konstantinovich Ivelić (1740–1825) was a Serbian born Russian general from Risan who rose to prominence in Russian military service during the reign of Emperor Nicholas I of Russia and Prince-Bishop Petar I Petrović-Njegoš of Mon ...

, 18th and early 19th century general *Count

, a general prominent during the

, best known for defeating

Joachim Murat Joachim Murat ( , also , ; it, Gioacchino Murati; 25 March 1767 – 13 October 1815) was a French military commander and statesman who served during the French Revolutionary Wars and Napoleonic Wars. Under the French Empire he received the ...

. *

, general in the Napoleonic Wars *Count

, general of the Napoleonic Wars *

Ivan Adamovich Ivan Stepanovich Adamovich (russian: Иван Степанович Адамович; 1752–1813) was a highly-decorated Russian general who fought at the Battle of Borodino, commanding the 1st Corps of the Reserve Army. Ivan Adamovich fou ...

, general of the Napoleonic Wars * Nikolay Bogdanov, general of the Napoleonic Wars * Peter Mikhailovich Kaptzevich, general of the Napoleonic Wars *Baron

Ilya Duka Baron Ilya Mikhailovich Duka (russian: Илья Михайлович Дука; 1768–28 February 1830) was a Russian general in the Napoleonic Wars. Biography Ilya Mikhailovich Duka came from a Serbian family that emigrated to Russia, establish ...

, general who fought in the Napoleonic Wars *

, general of the Napoleonic Wars * Peter Ivelich, general of the Napoleonic Wars * Nikolay Vuich, general of the Napoleonic Wars *

Ivan Yankovich Ivan Fedorovich Yankovich de Mirievo (before 1777–6 June 1811) was an Imperial Russian soldier who saw service in the Napoleonic Wars. Yankovich was born sometime before 1777, the son of renowned educational reformer Teodor Janković de Mir ...

, general of the Napoleonic Wars * Jeremija Gagić, diplomat in the service of the Russian Empire, ennobled by Nicholas I *

Dejan Subotić Dejan Ivanovich Subotich (also spelled Dejan Subotić and Dean Subbotich; 7 May 1852 – 1920) was a Russo-Serbian military and state leader, military governor of Russian Dalian (''Primorye oblast''; 1897–1898);Transcaspian Oblast (''Zakaspiy ...

, a Serbo-Russian military and state leader * Nikolai Dimitrievich Dabić, Vice-admiral of the Russian Imperial Navy, died in 1908 from wounds sustained in the

Russo-Japanese War The Russo-Japanese War ( ja, 日露戦争, Nichiro sensō, Japanese-Russian War; russian: Ру́сско-япóнская войнá, Rússko-yapónskaya voyná) was fought between the Empire of Japan and the Russian Empire during 1904 and 1 ...

* Marko Vojnović, Admiral of the Russian Imperial Navy, one of the founders of the Black Sea Fleet * Jovan Albanez, commander of the Serbian Hussar Regiment. *

Anto Gvozdenović Anto Gvozdenović (Serbian Cyrillic: Анто Гвозденовић; 26 January 1853 – 2 September 1935) was a Montenegrin, Russian, and French general, a member of the Imperial Russian Privy Council, and a diplomat and statesman.

, Russian commander and ambassador. * Simeon Piščević, Austrian and Russian general major. *

Mikhail Mirkovich Mikhail Fyodorovich Mirkovich (September 17, 1836 – March 24, 1891) was an Imperial Russian regimental commander and ethnographer. He participated in the wars in Poland and against the Ottoman Empire. He is the son of Fedor Yakovlevich Mirkovich. ...

, military general and ethnographer *Nazary Alexandrovich Karazin, an Imperial Russian officer, came from a family of Greek and Serbian origin. *

Vasily Karazin Vasily Nazarovich Karazin (russian: Васи́лий Наза́рович Кара́зин; ukr, Василь Назарович Каразін; 30 January 1773 – 4 November 1842) was a Russian and Ukrainian Enlightenment figure, intellectual ...

later worked on educational reforms and founded The Ministry of National Education in

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War. ...

. He is also the founder of

Kharkiv Kharkiv ( uk, wikt:Харків, Ха́рків, ), also known as Kharkov (russian: Харькoв, ), is the second-largest List of cities in Ukraine, city and List of hromadas of Ukraine, municipality in Ukraine. *Alexander Knyazhevich, Finance Minister of Imperial Russia, 1858–1862 * Dmitry Knyazhevich, soldier and Olympic fencer *

Nikolay Gerasimovich Kuznetsov Nikolay Gerasimovich Kuznetsov (russian: Никола́й Гера́симович Кузнецо́в; 24 July 1904 – 6 December 1974) was a Soviet naval officer who achieved the rank of Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union and served as ...

, Admiral of the fleet of the Soviet Union *

Natalia Poklonskaya Natalia Vladimirovna Poklonskaya (russian: Наталья Владимировна Поклонская, Natal'ya Vladimirovna Poklonskaya, links=yes (); uk, Наталія Володимирівна Поклонська, translit=Nataliia Volo ...

, Deputy of the State Duma of the

Russian Federation Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eig ...

Clergy

John of Shanghai and San Francisco Saint John of Shanghai and San Francisco (russian: Иоанн Шанхайский и Сан Францисский, Ioann Shankhayskiyi i San Frantsiskyi; secular name Mikhail Borisovich Maximovitch, russian: Михаил Борисович Ма ...

Eastern Orthodox Eastern Orthodoxy, also known as Eastern Orthodox Christianity, is one of the three main branches of Chalcedonian Christianity, alongside Catholicism and Protestantism. Like the Pentarchy of the first millennium, the mainstream (or " canonical ...

ascetic and hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia *

John of Tobolsk John of Tobolsk (1651–1715) was born as Ioann Maksimovich Vasilkovskiy in Nieżyn, in the Czernihow Voivodeship of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. He was the only one of the seven sons of Maksym Wasylkowski Maksymowicz to enter the ser ...

, Metropolitan of

Tobolsk Tobolsk (russian: Тобо́льск) is a town in Tyumen Oblast, Russia, located at the confluence of the Tobol and Irtysh rivers. Founded in 1590, Tobolsk is the second-oldest Russian settlement east of the Ural Mountains in Asian Russia, an ...

, who became a saint * Nikodim Milaš, Bishop of Dalmatia and expert in canon law who studied at the Kievan Theological Academy, among other institutions of learning. *

, one of the earliest inventors of clocks. *

, Serbian and Russian hagiographer. * Simeon Končarević Orthodox bishop

Sportspeople

Aleksandra Krunić Aleksandra Krunić ( sr-Cyrl, Александра Крунић; born 15 March 1993) is a Serbian professional tennis player. She has won one singles title and six doubles titles on the WTA Tour along with one singles title on WTA 125 tournament ...

, professional tennis player *

Vesna Dolonc Vesna Ratkovna Dolonc (Serbian Cyrillic and russian: link=yes, Весна Ратковна Долонц; née Manasieva, Манасиева; born 21 July 1989) is a retired Serbian tennis player. She earned career-highs of 84 in singles and 93 ...

, professional tennis player Silver 2-ruble coin commemorating the 100th anniversary of the birth of Yevgeny Vuchetich

* Dmitry Knyazhevich, Olympic fencer and military general

Admirals

* Marko Voinovich *

* Nikolai Kuznetsov * Nikolai Dimitrievich Dabić

Other

Andrej Dudrovich Andrej Dudrovich ( rus, Андрей Иванович Дудрович; 1783–1830) was a Imperial Russia, Russian philosopher, professor and president of Kharkov University during the Age of Enlightenment. Biography Andrej Dudrovich was born in ...

, Russian philosopher, professor and

Rector Rector (Latin for the member of a vessel's crew who steers) may refer to: Style or title *Rector (ecclesiastical), a cleric who functions as an administrative leader in some Christian denominations *Rector (academia), a senior official in an edu ...

of Kharkiv University. * Aleksej Jelačić, Russian-born Serbian historian. * Stefano Zannowich, Writer and adventurer, a contemporary of

Casanova Giacomo Girolamo Casanova (, ; 2 April 1725 – 4 June 1798) was an Italian adventurer and author from the Republic of Venice. His autobiography, (''Story of My Life''), is regarded as one of the most authentic sources of information about the c ...

. *

Atanasije Stojković Atanasije Stojković (September 20, 1773 in Ruma, Austrian Empire – September 25, 1832 in Kharkov, Imperial Russia) was a Serbian, Austrian and Russian writer, pedagogue, scholar, physicist, mathematician and astronomer of Serb origin. He is con ...

, Serbian writer and one of the first professors at

Kharkiv University The Kharkiv University or Karazin University ( uk, Каразінський університет), or officially V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University ( uk, Харківський національний університет імені ...

. He is considered the founder of the Russian

meteoritics Meteoritics is the science that deals with meteors, meteorites, and meteoroids. It is closely connected to cosmochemistry, mineralogy and geochemistry. A specialist who studies meteoritics is known as a ''meteoriticist''. Scientific research in ...

. *

Miloš Marić Miloš Marić (Serbian Cyrillic: Милош Марић; born 5 March 1982) is a Serbian football midfielder. Career He was released by Olympiacos in summer 2007. He rejoined to his former coach Trond Sollied at K.A.A. Gent. On 9 January 2010 ...

, biologist and head of the department of

histology Histology, also known as microscopic anatomy or microanatomy, is the branch of biology which studies the microscopic anatomy of biological tissues. Histology is the microscopic counterpart to gross anatomy, which looks at larger structures vi ...

Saratov State University Saratov Chernyshevsky State University (russian: Саратовский государственный университет имени Н. Г. Чернышевского, СГУ, transcribed as SGU) is a major higher education and research inst ...

. Brother of

Mileva Marić Mileva Marić ( sr-cyr, Милева Марић; 19 December 1875 – 4 August 1948), sometimes called Mileva Marić-Einstein ( sr-cyr, Милева Марић-Ајнштајн, Mileva Marić-Ajnštajn), was a Serbian physicist and mathematicia ...

. *

Teodor Filipović Teodor Filipović ( sr-Cyrl, Теодор Филиповић; 1778–1807), Serbian writer, jurist, philosopher and educator, also known by his pseudonym Božidar Grujović. Biography Teodor Filipović was born in the town of Ruma in Srem, then pa ...

, Serbian writer and one of the first professors at Kharkiv University. *

Gligorije Trlajić Gligorije ( sr, Глигорије) is a masculine given name. It may refer to: * Gligorije Elezović (1879–1960), Serbian historian * Gligorije Trlajić (1766–1811), Serbian writer, poet, polyglot and professor {{given name See also * Grigor ...

, Serbian writer, poet, polyglot and professor of law at the universities of St. Petersburg and Kharkiv * Teodor Janković-Mirijevski, educational reformer *

, a prominent Soviet sculptor and artist, known for his heroic monuments. * Ognjeslav Kostović Stepanović, Serbian inventor who also lived in Russia. *

Dositej Obradović Dositej Obradović ( sr-Cyrl, Доситеј Обрадовић; 17 February 1739 – 7 April 1811) was a Serbian writer, biographer, diarist, philosopher, pedagogue, educational reformer, linguist, polyglot and the first minister of education ...

, Serbian writer and philosopher who resided in Imperial Russia for a short period in the second half of the 18th century. * Milla Jovovich, Hollywood actress * Đorđe Lobačev (1909-2002), Russian and Serbian comic strip author and illustrator

References

Sources

*Atnagulov, R.E.I., 2017. Demographic characteristics of the Serbs in Russia. Nasleđe, Kragujevac, 14(37-1), pp. 27–31. * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Serbian Russians

Immigration to Russia