The book launch of the publication entitled Znano budi – zapisi u srpskim rukopisima Sentandrejske zbirke [So that it may be known – Annotations in the Serbian manuscripts of the Szentendre Collection] by Milesa Stefanović-Banović PhD was held at the Serbian Ecclesiastical Museum on Saturday, 19 November. Following the welcome speech of the Director of the Museum, Kosta Vuković, the book was discussed by His Excellency Lukijan, Bishop of Buda, Dragana Radović PhD, Director of the Institute of Ethnography of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Ivana Bašić PhD, Research Fellow at the Institute of Ethnography of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Nikola Drobnjaković, Editor of Bernar Publishing House, Tomislav Jovanović PhD, from the Faculty of Humanities of the University of Belgrade, as well as by the author herself, in front of a large audience. The participants of the event emphasised the importance of Milesa Stefanović-Banović’s many years of research activities, as well as her interdisciplinary approach, enabling her to offer insights into the significance of the annotations found in the Serbian manuscripts of the Szentendre Collection by drawing on cultural, linguistic and discourse-based analysis. As the author put it, annotations tend to be less obvious ‘treasures’, hiding inside books and frequently functioning as primary historical sources on the creation of a particular manuscript, as well as containing important information on language development and the associated impact on a particular culture.
The same evening also served as the setting for the awards ceremony for the Silver Medallion of the Gallery of Matica Srpska. The prize was handed over to Lukijan, Bishop of Buda, by Tijana Palkovljević-Bugarski Phd, Director of the Gallery. The occasion for the award was provided by the jubilee of the Gallery of Matica Srpska, which celebrated the 175th anniversary of its foundation this October. The full event was also attended by Her Excellency Biljana Gutić Bjelica, Ambassador of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Dr Vladimir Roganović, Director of the Office for Cooperation with Churches and Religious Communities of the Republic Serbia, Ivana Kunc, First Counsellor of the Embassy of the Republic Serbia, representatives of the clergy of the Orthodox Eparchy of Buda, numerous guests and representatives of the media.