PORTRAITS OF GREAT FIGURES AND THE GREAT ATLAS OF SERBIA TO BE SENT TO ALL ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS IN SRPSKA

BANJA LUKA, SEPTEMBER 15 /SRNA/ - All elementary schools in Republika Srpska will receive sets of portraits of prominent figures in Serbian literature and history, as well as The Great Atlas of Serbia, Republika Srpska President Siniša Karan said today.

Karan said the initiative was a joint effort by the Official Gazette of Republika Srpska and the Official Gazette of Serbia, aimed at passing on the messages of freedom, unity, and national identity to younger generations. "It is important that we pass on to our younger generations all the powerful messages of this, one of the most significant joint holidays of Serbia and Republika Srpska," Karan told reporters in Banja Luka. He stressed that throughout history, the Serb people had fought wars of liberation and defense, and that the existence of Republika Srpska today is the result of generations' struggle for freedom. "We exist today precisely because of that struggle for freedom and unity," Karan stressed. Karan said it is important for younger generations to understand the importance of historical memory and the significance of Republika Srpska and Serbia, and that such projects help strengthen ties among the Serb people. "Over all these years, through various systems, efforts were made to erase and undermine the unity of the Serb national and political identity. Several years ago, our struggle to preserve the unity of the Serb people found its modern political expression, which is not directed against anyone, but aims to strengthen our overall identity through the Declaration of the All-Serb Assembly," Karan said. He stressed the importance of using such projects to show younger generations that Republika Srpska and Serbia are the result of the sacrifices made by generations of the Serb people. "It is important for them to see that Republika Srpska did not come as a gift, that no one gave it to us," Karan said, adding that Republika Srpska is the only framework for the freedom of the Serb people. Acting Director of the Official Gazette of Republika Srpska Miloš Lukić said that 19 representative portraits and The Great Atlas of Serbia would be delivered to all elementary schools in Srpska, reaching around 100,000 pupils. Lukić said that the portraits were created by artists from the Academy of Arts in Belgrade and produced in A1 format, with each one featuring an integrated QR code allowing pupils to learn more about the figures depicted. "Through the portraits of the great figures of our literature, pupils will be able to discover the unique spirit and soul of our people, as described by writers such as Branko Ćopić, Petar Petrović Njegoš and Miloš Crnjanski. The freedom we enjoy today is the result of the struggle of our heroes throughout history," Lukić said. He added that The Great Atlas of Serbia will introduce pupils to Serbia's regions and cities, and it also contains QR codes with additional information and interesting facts. Lukić announced that the distribution of the portraits and atlases to elementary schools will begin tomorrow and that they should be delivered to all schools in Republika Srpska by the end of next week. He reminded that this is the second phase of the initiative, following the previous distribution of 36 portraits of prominent figures in Serbian science and the arts to all schools.