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 List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...

(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 language, Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe, Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Bas ...

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 consecutiv ...

(1510–1538), the mother of Russian emperor

Ivan the Terrible Ivan IV Vasilyevich (russian: Ива́н Васи́льевич; 25 August 1530 – ), commonly known in English as Ivan the Terrible, was the grand prince of Moscow from 1533 to 1547 and the first Tsar of all Russia from 1547 to 1584. Ivan ...

(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 Habsburg monarchy (german: Habsburgermonarchie, ), also known as the Danubian monarchy (german: Donaumonarchie, ), or Habsburg Empire (german: Habsburgerreich, ), was the collection of empires, kingdoms, duchies, counties and other polities ...

(the Serbian Grenzers), settled in Russia's military frontier region of New Serbia (with the centre in

Novomirgorod Novomyrhorod ( uk, Новомиргород; ro, Novomîrhorod; russian: Новоми́ргород) is a city in Novoukrainka Raion, Kirovohrad Oblast (region) of central Ukraine, in the southern part of the Middle Dnieper area. It hosts the ad ...

, mainly in the territory of present-day

Kirovohrad Oblast Kirovohrad Oblast ( uk, Кіровоградська область, translit=Kirovohradska oblast; also referred to as #Nomenclature, Kirovohradschyna — uk, Кіровоградщина) is an administrative divisions of Ukraine, oblast (prov ...

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 o ...

, and

Peter Tekeli Peter Tekeli (russian: Петр Авраамович Текели, Serbian: Петар Поповић Текелија or ''Petar Popović Tekelija'',''Popović'' is often omitted. hu, Tököly-Popovics Péter) (1720–1792) was a Russian genera ...

, 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 peo ...

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 g ...

Peter Ivelich Count Peter Ivanovich Ivelich or Peter Ivelich IV (Russian: Пётр Ивелич, also known as Pyotr Ivanovich Ivelich IV; 1772 - after 1851) was a Serb Montenegrin who ranks among the most important Russian generals who fought during the Napole ...

Nikolay Vuich Nikolay Vasilyevich Vuich (also spelled Nikolaj Vasiljevič Vujič or Nikolaj Vasiljević Vujić; russian: Никола́й Васи́льевич Ву́ич; 1765–27 March 1836) was an Imperial Russian general who fought in the Russo-Swedis ...

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 The French invasion of Russia, also known as the Russian campaign, the Second Polish War, the Army of Twenty nations, and the Patriotic War of 1812 was launched by Napoleon Bonaparte to force the Russian Empire back into the continental block ...

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 transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...

, 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 The Hero of Socialist Labour (russian: links=no, Герой Социалистического Труда, Geroy Sotsialisticheskogo Truda) was an honorific title in the Soviet Union and other Warsaw Pact countries from 1938 to 1991. It repre ...

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 ''The Motherland Calls'' ( rus, Родина-мать зовёт!, Rodina-mat' zovyot!, t=Homeland-Mother Is Calling!) is the compositional centre of the monument-ensemble "Heroes of the Battle of Stalingrad" on Mamayev Kurgan in Volgograd, R ...

, which was the largest statue in the world at the time of its construction.

Notable people

Nobility and military personnel

, 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 Peter I ( – ), most commonly known as Peter the Great,) or Pyotr Alekséyevich ( rus, Пётр Алексе́евич, p=ˈpʲɵtr ɐlʲɪˈksʲejɪvʲɪtɕ, , group=pron was a Russian monarch who ruled the Tsardom of Russia from t ...

who conducted important diplomatic negotiations in Constantinople, Rome, and Beijing BildTekeli

Dmitry Horvat Dmitry Leonidovich Horvat (July 25, 1858, Kremenchug, Poltava Governorate, Russian Empire – May 16, 1937, Beiping) was a Russian lieutenant general, a railway engineer by training, over the years led various sections of the railways of the Ru ...

, 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 Jovan Samuilović Horvat de Kurtič, also referred to as Ivan Horvat ( sr-Cyrl, Јован Самуиловић Хорват de Куртич, also referred to as ; also known as Jovan Horvat ( sr-Cyrl, Јован Хорват), Ivan Khorvat (russia ...

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, Done ...

between the

Bakhmut Bakhmut ( uk, Ба́хмут, ) is a city in the Donbas and the administrative centre of Bakhmut Raion in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine. It is located on the Bakhmutka River, about 89 km north of Donetsk city, the administrative center of the o ...

and

Luhan River The Luhan or Lugan ( uk, Лугань, Luhan, russian: Лугань, Lugan; also known as Luhanka or Luganka, ) is a river in Ukraine, a right tributary of the Seversky Donets, in the basin of the Don. It is long, and has a drainage basin of .

Rajko Depreradović Rajko Depreradović also spelled Rajko Preradović (c. 1710 – after 1764) was a leader of colonists who settled free lands in what is now known as Donbas that were offered for settlement in 1752 to Serbs, Vlachs and other Balkan people of the Chr ...

one of the founders of

in the early 1750s *

Jovan Šević Jovan Šević or Ivan Šević ( sr-Cyrl, Јован Шевић, russian: Иван Егорович Шевич; died ) was an 18th-century military officer of Serb origin. He reached the rank of lieutenant colonel in the Serb militia forces in the ...

one of the founders of Slavo-Serbia *

, General-in-Chief of the Russian army *

Andrei Miloradovich Andrei Stepanovich Miloradovich (Russian: Андре́й Степа́нович Милора́дович; 1727–2 May 1796) was a Russian military leader, statesman and lieutenant general. He is the father of general Mikhail Miloradovich. B ...

, 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