KOTELNIKOV: RISING INTEREST IN RUSSIAN CULTURE

BANJA LUKA, NOVEMBER 28 /SRNA/ – Igor Kotelnikov, founder of the Association of Russians in Republika Srpska "Romanovi," told SRNA that interest in Russian culture, tradition, and language was increasing in the entity.

Kotelnikov stated that the "Romanovi" Association works actively to preserve the identity of the Russian community through cultural events, humanitarian projects, and free Russian language courses. He pointed out that in BiH, laws regulating the status of national minorities are still not fully implemented, particularly regarding their representation in institutions. "The law on the Council of Ministers, for example, stipulates that one ministerial position or a position of secretary general should belong to a national minority, but this is not the case. Even the Council of Ministers violates its own law," Kotelnikov said in a SRNA podcast. He stressed the importance of support from local communities, where positive examples exist, and noted that only about 12,000 members of national minorities live in Republika Srpska, of whom around 250 are Russians. Kotelnikov discusses the relationship between Republika Srpska and the Russian Federation as well, and reveals that his family has lived in the region for more than a century. The new episode of the podcast featuring Kotelnikov will be available to users of the SRNA service tomorrow from 10:00 a.m., as well as on the agency's YouTube channel and social media platforms.