History Education in Europe

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

History Education in Europe HISTORY EDUCATION IN EUROPE: TEN YEAR COOPERATION BETWEEN THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION AND THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE Strasbourg 1 2 HISTORY EDUCATION IN EUROPE: TEN YEAR COOPERATION BETWEEN THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION AND THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE 3 The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official views and policy of the Council of Europe. 4 CONTENTS Prefaces by: ...............................................................................................................7 Mr Gabriele MAZZA, Director of School, Out-of-School and Higher Education, Council of Europe. Professor Andrey FURSENKO, Minister of Education and Science of the Russian Federation. Academician Alexander CHUBARYAN, Director of the Institute of World History, Russian Academy of Sciences. Introduction by Ms Tatiana MINKINA-MILKO, Programme Manager, History Education Division, Council of Europe.......................................................13 Chapter 1 .................................................................................................................21 Cooperation between the Russian Federation and the Council of Europe in the preparation of the standards in history teaching for schools in Russia. Assessment of skills acquire by pupils when learning history, by Professor Ludmila ALEKSASHKINA, Institute of Content and Methods in Education, Russian Academy of Education, Moscow. Chapter 2 .................................................................................................................36 Cooperation between the Russian Federation and the Council of Europe in the preparation of new history textbooks, by Professor Ludmila ALEKSASHKINA, Institute of Content and Methods in Education, Russian Academy of Education, Moscow. Chapter 3 .................................................................................................................57 Cooperation between the Russian Federation and the Council of Europe in the initial and in-service training of history teachers, by Dr Alexey KRUGOV, Vice-Rector, Stavropol State University. Chapter 4 .................................................................................................................84 Cooperation between the Russian Federation and the Council of Europe in the framework of regional and multilateral projects in history teaching, by Mr Vladimir BATSYN, Education Consultant, Moscow. 5 Appendix ..................................................................................................................122 List of activities organised in the framework of cooperation with the Council of Europe in the Russian Federation within bilateral and regional cooperation programmes from 1996 to 2006. -6- Preface by Mr Gabriele Mazza Director of School, Out-of-School and Higher Education Council of Europe This publication analyses the experience and results achieved over ten years of co-operation between the Council of Europe and the Russian Federation in history teaching in schools. As early as March 1996, when the Russian Federation became a member of the Council of Europe, issues connected with history teaching were already being considered a priority. Indeed, much attention had been given to this subject ever since the Council of Europe had been founded, and an expression of the importance of learning about the past in order to build the future of our continent can be found in such a fundamental document as the text of the European Cultural Convention of 1954. The Council of Europe has always considered history teaching as a subject with unique value and one which cannot be replaced by any other discipline. But just what makes history teaching essential? Firstly, it gives the young generation an opportunity to travel in a historical space while learning a great deal from previous experience, which results in an ability to better understand and evaluate present-day political and social processes. Historical knowledge, and not least an understanding of history, helps to develop such important skills as critical thinking, open-mindedness, an ability to reach independent conclusions and tolerance. As a result, young people are better prepared to cope with life in present-day society, to understand the value of cultural diversity, and to be willing to communicate with representatives of different cultures, religions and linguistic groups. Furthermore, historical knowledge can help young people to feel that they are not only citizens of their own countries, but also representatives of the European continent and even of the world as a whole. These are essential competences for citizens of democratic societies; they are essential elements of the democratic culture without which democratic societies cannot function and thrive. The views of the Council of Europe on history teaching are reflected in such documents as the Recommendation on history teaching adopted by the Parliamentary Assembly in 1996, and the Recommendation Rec (2001) 15 on history teaching in twenty-first-century Europe adopted by the Committee of Ministers in 2001. Both of these Recommendations reflected the changes that had taken place in the late 1990s, when many European countries were going through a period of transition. After the fall of the Berlin Wall, the notion of Europe changed, as it marked the starting point for the creation of a so-called Greater Europe. -7- The first Recommendation stresses that history teaching should be free of political and ideological influences; politicians have their own interpretation of history and history should not be used as an instrument for political manipulation. Learning about history is one of several ways of gaining knowledge of one’s roots, as well as being a gateway to the experiences and richness of the past of other cultures. The second Recommendation on history teaching in twenty-first-century Europe further highlights the need to understand differences, realise the value of diversity, respect others, develop intercultural dialogue and build relations on the basis of mutual understanding and tolerance. Furthermore, the importance of history teaching was clearly affirmed, at the highest political level, at the Council of Europe’s Summits of Heads of State and Government. In Vienna in 1993 and again in Strasbourg in 1997, it was recalled that the main challenges facing Europelay in the spheres of education and culture. Finally, the Action Plan adopted at the Third Summit in Warsaw in May 2005 included history-teaching in its list of priorities for the Council of Europe in the coming years. Cooperation between the Council of Europe and the Russian Federation has been unfolding as a response to the declared needs of the Russian Federation and in conformity with the Organisation’s standards and principles relating to education as a whole and history teaching in particular. During a decade of collaboration, the Council of Europe and the Russian Federation established a solid partnership at all levels: the Federal Ministry of Education and Science and regional administrations, non-governmental organisations, a wide audience of history teachers and, more importantly, their pupils who were involved in the discussions on the most significant issues of present-day history teaching. Activities organised within the framework of this co-operation took place in different regions of the Russian Federation and always met with great support at all levels, including those of high political importance. The seminars were opened in Ekaterinburg in 1998 by Mr Eduard Rossel (Governor of the Sverdlovsk region) and in Karachevo-Cherkessiya in 2001 by Mr Vladimir Semenov (at that time President of the Republic of Karachevo-Cherkessiya). The participants in the seminars were welcomed by Mr Kirsan Illumdjinov (President of the Republic of Kalmikiya) in Elista in 2002, Mr Leonid Potapov (President of the Republic of Buryatiya in Ulan-Ude) in 2003, and Mr Alexander Akimov (Vice President of the Republic Saha Yakutiya) in 2005. Practically all activities were attended by the regional Ministers of Education and were widely covered by the mass media including television, major newspapers and specialised journals dealing with history education. When preparing the activities, the Secretariat was engaged in permanent consultations with the officials of the Federal Ministry and, more recently, held regular meetings with Mr Andrey Fursenko, Minister of Education and Science -8- of the Russian Federation, who provided much guidance and assistance in the development and extension of our co-operation. Some of the activities organised in the Russian Federation during this period involved representatives from other international organisations: long-term partners of the Council of Europe, such as UNESCO, the Georg Eckert Institute for International Textbook Research (Germany), as well as EUROCLIO, a non- governmental European organisation of history educators. From the beginning, the Council of Europe aimed to accumulate the experience in history education gained by different countries and to make it accessible to all member states and, primarily, to European history educators. The ten-year cooperation with the Russian Federation made it possible to amass different experiences from almost every region in Russia and build up a vivid picture of cultural diversity. This will now be very valuable in the development of future Council of Europe projects, particularly the new intergovernmental project “The Image of the Other in History Teaching”, which will
Recommended publications
  • Russia Country Report: Multicultural Experience in Education
    RUSSIA COUNTRY REPORT: MULTICULTURAL EXPERIENCE IN EDUCATION Leila Salekhova, Ksenia Grigorieva Kazan Federal University (RUSSIAN FEDERATION) Abstract The Russian Federation (RF) is a large country with the total area of 17,075,400 sq km. The RF has the world’s ninth-largest population of 146,600,000 people. According to the 2010 census, ethnic Russian people constitute up to 81% of the total population. In total, over 185 different ethnic groups live within the RF borders. Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, and Judaism are Russia’s traditional religions. Russia is a multinational and multicultural state. The large number of different ethnic groups represents the result of a complicated history of migrations, wars and revolutions. The ethnic diversity of Russia has significantly influenced the nature of its development and has had a strong influence on the state education policy. The article gives a detailed analysis of the key factors determining educational opportunities for different RF ethnic groups. A complicated ethnic composition of Russia’s population and its multi-confessional nature cause the educational system to fulfill educational, ethno-cultural and consolidating functions by enriching the educational content with ethnic peculiarities and at the same time providing students with an opportunity to study both in native (non-Russian) and non-native (Russian) languages. The paper provides clear and thorough description of Russian educational system emphasizing positive features like high literacy and educational rates especially in technical areas that are due to the results of the educational system functioning nowadays. Teacher education is provided in different types of educational institutions allowing their graduates to start working as teachers immediately after graduating.
    [Show full text]
  • IQAS International Education Guide
    International Education Guide FOR THE ASSESSMENT OF EDUCATION FROM THE FORMER USSR AND THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION Welcome to the Alberta Government’s International Education Guides The International Qualifications Assessment Service (IQAS) developed the International Education Guides for educational institutions, employers and professional licensing bodies to help facilitate and streamline their decisions regarding the recognition of international credentials. These guides compare educational systems from around the world to educational standards in Canada. The assessment recommendations contained in the guides are based on extensive research and well documented standards and criteria. This research project, a first in Canada, is based on a broad range of international resources and considerable expertise within the IQAS program. Organizations can use these guides to make accurate and efficient decisions regarding the recognition of international credentials. The International Education Guides serve as a resource comparing Alberta standards with those of other countries, and will assist all those who need to make informed decisions, including: • employers who need to know whether an applicant with international credentials meets the educational requirements for a job, and how to obtain information comparing the applicant’s credentials to educational standards in Alberta and Canada • educational institutions that need to make a decision about whether a prospective student meets the education requirements for admission, and who need to find accurate and reliable information about the educational system of another country • professional licensing bodies that need to know whether an applicant meets the educational standards for licensing bodies The guides include a country overview, a historical educational overview, and descriptions of school education, higher education, professional/technical/vocational education, teacher education, grading scales, documentation for educational credentials and a bibliography.
    [Show full text]
  • Second Report Submitted by the Russian Federation Pursuant to The
    ACFC/SR/II(2005)003 SECOND REPORT SUBMITTED BY THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION PURSUANT TO ARTICLE 25, PARAGRAPH 2 OF THE FRAMEWORK CONVENTION FOR THE PROTECTION OF NATIONAL MINORITIES (Received on 26 April 2005) MINISTRY OF REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION REPORT OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF PROVISIONS OF THE FRAMEWORK CONVENTION FOR THE PROTECTION OF NATIONAL MINORITIES Report of the Russian Federation on the progress of the second cycle of monitoring in accordance with Article 25 of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities MOSCOW, 2005 2 Table of contents PREAMBLE ..............................................................................................................................4 1. Introduction........................................................................................................................4 2. The legislation of the Russian Federation for the protection of national minorities rights5 3. Major lines of implementation of the law of the Russian Federation and the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities .............................................................15 3.1. National territorial subdivisions...................................................................................15 3.2 Public associations – national cultural autonomies and national public organizations17 3.3 National minorities in the system of federal government............................................18 3.4 Development of Ethnic Communities’ National
    [Show full text]
  • The Policy of Multicultural Education in Russia: Focus on Personal Priorities
    INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL & SCIENCE EDUCATION 2016, VOL. 11, NO. 18, 12613-12628 OPEN ACCESS THE POLICY OF MULTICULTURAL EDUCATION IN RUSSIA: FOCUS ON PERSONAL PRIORITIES a a Natalya Yuryevna Sinyagina , Tatiana Yuryevna Rayfschnayder , a Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration, RUSSIA, ABSTRACT The article contains the results of the study of the current state of multicultural education in Russia. The history of studying the problem of multicultural education has been analyzed; an overview of scientific concepts and research of Russian scientists in the sphere of international relations, including those conducted under defended theses, and the description of technologies of multicultural education in Russia (review of experience, programs, curricula and their effectiveness) have been provided. The ways of the development of multicultural education in Russia have been described. Formulation of the problem of the development of multicultural education in the Russian Federation is currently associated with a progressive trend of the inter- ethnic and social differentiation, intolerance and intransigence, which are manifested both in individual behavior (adherence to prejudices, avoiding contacts with the "others", proneness to conflict) and in group actions (interpersonal aggression, discrimination on any grounds, ethnic conflicts, etc.). A negative attitude towards people with certain diseases, disabilities, HIV-infected people, etc., is another problem at the moment. This situation also
    [Show full text]
  • Education in Russia: the Evolution of Theory and Practice Natalia Kuznetsova, Irina Peaucelle
    Education in Russia: The evolution of theory and practice Natalia Kuznetsova, Irina Peaucelle To cite this version: Natalia Kuznetsova, Irina Peaucelle. Education in Russia: The evolution of theory and practice. 2008. halshs-00586750 HAL Id: halshs-00586750 https://halshs.archives-ouvertes.fr/halshs-00586750 Preprint submitted on 18 Apr 2011 HAL is a multi-disciplinary open access L’archive ouverte pluridisciplinaire HAL, est archive for the deposit and dissemination of sci- destinée au dépôt et à la diffusion de documents entific research documents, whether they are pub- scientifiques de niveau recherche, publiés ou non, lished or not. The documents may come from émanant des établissements d’enseignement et de teaching and research institutions in France or recherche français ou étrangers, des laboratoires abroad, or from public or private research centers. publics ou privés. WORKING PAPER N° 2008 - 23 Education in Russia: The evolution of theory and practice Natalia Kuznetsova Irina Peaucelle JEL Codes: I21; Z1 Keywords: analysis of education, cultural economics, Russia PARIS-JOURDAN SCIENCES ECONOMIQUES LABORATOIRE D’ECONOMIE APPLIQUÉE - INRA 48, BD JOURDAN – E.N.S. – 75014 PARIS TÉL. : 33(0) 1 43 13 63 00 – FAX : 33 (0) 1 43 13 63 10 www.pse.ens.fr CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE – ÉCOLE DES HAUTES ÉTUDES EN SCIENCES SOCIALES ÉCOLE NATIONALE DES PONTS ET CHAUSSÉES – ÉCOLE NORMALE SUPÉRIEURE EducationinRussia:TheEvolutionofTheoryandPractice 1 NataliaKuznetsova Saint-PetersburgStateUniversity IrinaPeaucelle CNRS
    [Show full text]
  • A Short History of Russia (To About 1970)
    A Short History of Russia (to about 1970) Foreword. ...............................................................................3 Chapter 1. Early History of the Slavs, 2,000 BC - AD 800. ..........4 Chapter 2. The Vikings in Russia.............................................6 Chapter 3. The Adoption of Greek Christianity: The Era of Kievan Civilisation. ..........................................................7 Chapter 4. The Tatars: The Golden Horde: The Rise of Moscow: Ivan the Great. .....................................................9 Chapter 5. The Cossacks: The Ukraine: Siberia. ...................... 11 Chapter 6. The 16th and 17th Centuries: Ivan the Terrible: The Romanoffs: Wars with Poland. .............................. 13 Chapter 7. Westernisation: Peter the Great: Elizabeth.............. 15 Chapter 8. Catherine the Great............................................. 17 Chapter 9. Foreign Affairs in the 18th Century: The Partition of Poland. .............................................................. 18 Chapter 10. The Napoleonic Wars. .......................................... 20 Chapter 11. The First Part of the 19th Century: Serfdom and Autocracy: Turkey and Britain: The Crimean War: The Polish Rebellion................................................... 22 Chapter 12. The Reforms of Alexander II: Political Movements: Marxism. ........................................................... 25 Chapter 13. Asia and the Far East (the 19th Century) ................ 28 Chapter 14. Pan-Slavism.......................................................
    [Show full text]
  • "The Greeks in the History of the Black Sea" Report
    DGIV/EDU/HIST (2000) 01 Activities for the Development and Consolidation of Democratic Stability (ADACS) Meeting of Experts on "The Greeks in the History of the Black Sea" Thessaloniki, Greece, 2-4December 1999 Report Strasbourg Meeting of Experts on "The Greeks in the History of the Black Sea" Thessaloniki, Greece, 2-4December 1999 Report The opinions expressed in this work are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy of the Council of Europe. CONTENTS INTRODUCTION..................................................................................................... 5 Introductory remarks by James WIMBERLEY, Head of the Technical Cooperation and Assistance Section, Directorate of Education and Higher Education.................................................................................................................... 6 PRESENTATIONS -Dr Zofia Halina ARCHIBALD........................................................................11 -Dr Emmanuele CURTI ....................................................................................14 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS Dr Constantinos CHATZOPOULOS..........................................................................17 APPENDIX I LIST OF PARTICIPANTS.........................................................................................21 APPENDIX II PROGRAMME OF THE SEMINAR.........................................................................26 APPENDIX III INTRODUCTORY PRESENTATION BY PROFESSOR ARTEMIS XANTHOPOULOU-KYRIAKOU.............................................................................30
    [Show full text]
  • The Influence of Dogma on the Evolution of the Russian Education System: a Study in Time Perspective
    THE INFLUENCE OF DOGMA ON THE EVOLUTION OF THE RUSSIAN EDUCATION SYSTEM: A STUDY IN TIME PERSPECTIVE by H. CHRISTINE PRICE submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF EDUCATION in the subject HISTORY OF EDUCATION at the UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AFRICA SUPERVISOR: PROFESSOR SL H VAN NIEKERK FEBRUARY 1995 DECLARATION I hereby declare that The influence of dogma on the evolution of the Russian education system: a study in time perspective is my own work and that all the sources which were used or quoted by me have been indicated and acknowledged by means of complete references . ... t~t t,. r~. ~ ~..... .... i. ~ ..l P.. ~.I..?.~ SIGNATURE DATE (Mrs H C Price) ii FOREWORD I would like to express my gratitude to my supervisor, professor S.L.H. Van Niekerk for her incisive criticism and comments. Her guidance and support have been invaluable. The following people have provided me with information which has given me greater insight into the Soviet education system, through their own experiences of it: • Evgeny, student, from Vladivostok, Russia • Janosh Skultety, retired engineer from Hungary • Rudmilo Jankovich, a student, from Rumania • Dr. V. Lebedev, cultural attache of the Russian Federation Thank you for being so generous with your time and for sharing what were often painful memories. I would also like to express my gratitude to Mr Rob Northey, editor of education reports of the Pretoria News for his comments on reportage of current changes in education in South Africa. Grateful thanks to my husband Patrick for his patience in helping with the technological aspects of word processing and printing.
    [Show full text]
  • Internationalization of Higher Education in Russia: Collapse Or Perpetuation of the Soviet System? a Historical and Conceptual Study
    Internationalization of Higher Education in Russia: Collapse or Perpetuation of the Soviet System? A Historical and Conceptual Study Author: Alexey Kuraev Persistent link: http://hdl.handle.net/2345/3799 This work is posted on eScholarship@BC, Boston College University Libraries. Boston College Electronic Thesis or Dissertation, 2014 Copyright is held by the author, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise noted. BOSTON COLLEGE Lynch School of Education Department of Educational Leadership and Higher Education Higher Education INTERNATIONALIZATION OF HIGHER EDUCATION IN RUSSIA: COLLAPSE OR PERPETUATION OF THE SOVIET SYSTEM? A HISTORICAL AND CONCEPTUAL STUDY Dissertation by ALEXEY KURAEV Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy May 2014 © Copyright by Alexey Kuraev 2014 Abstract Internationalization of Higher Education in Russia: Collapse or Perpetuation of the Soviet System? A Historical and Conceptual Study Alexey Kuraev - author Philip Altbach - dissertation director This study traces the policy and implementation of internationalization in the Russian higher education system from 1917 to the present. The analysis suggests that international academic policy has been applied by the Russian state continuously, though with radically differing emphasis and mechanisms, through the last hundred years. Chapter One presents the research questions, design and methodology of the study. Chapter Two reviews scholarly literature related to academic internationalization and situates this definition within the context of Russian higher education. Chapters 3-5 explore the role of international activities in Russian higher education during the seventy years of the Soviet era. Trends in Soviet academic international policy related to three major historical periods are discussed in this section: a) the initial Bolshevik program for global academic reform; b) Sovietization of higher education in the countries of Communist Bloc; and c) East-West international academic competition during the Cold War period.
    [Show full text]
  • The Emergence of New States in Eastern Europe in 1918—Lessons for All of Europe
    The Emergence of New States in Eastern Europe in 1918—Lessons for All of Europe The Emergence of New States in Eastern Europe in 1918—Lessons for All of Europe Adam Balcer WiseEuropa Królewska Street 2/26 Warsaw 00-065, Poland Email: [email protected] Abstract: The year of 1918 was a crucial point in the history of Europe. Its importance does not only stem from the end of World War I, but also from the establishment of new states. Eastern Europe was particularly an arena where many new states emerged after the dissolution of tsarist Russia. The abovementioned process was correlated with the outcome of World War I (the defeat of the Central Powers on the Western Front and their victory on the Eastern Front against the tsarist Russia resulting in imposing their protectorate over Eastern Europe) but simultaneously it was infl uenced by the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution originating from a structural crisis of Russia. The legacy of nation-building processes, taking place in the period of 1917–1921 in the European part of the tsarist Russia— even when some of the states did not manage to survive— occupies a key role in the historical memories of those countries. The importance of this legacy originates from the fact that these states often constituted the most progressive nation-building eff orts in the world. The wider context of these developments and the important interlinkages existing between them are very often unfamiliar to many Europeans today. Despite that, the state-building attempts, undertaken in Eastern Europe between 1917 and 1921, had a huge impact on the trajectory of European history.
    [Show full text]
  • Russian Federation
    International Qualifications Assessment Service (IQAS) Government of Alberta COUNTRY EDUCATION PROFILE The Former USSR and the Russian Federation 2 Prepared by: International Qualifications Assessment Service (IQAS) Contact Information: International Qualifications Assessment Service (IQAS) 9th Floor, 108 Street Building, 9942 ­ 108 Street, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T5K 2J5 Phone: 1 (780) 427­2655 Fax: 1 (780) 422­9734 © 2007 the Crown in right of the Province of Alberta, International Qualifications Assessment Service (IQAS) 3 TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS........................................................................................................................ 4 LIST OF TABLES.................................................................................................................................. 7 LIST OF FIGURES.............................................................................................................................. 10 COUNTRY OVERVIEW..................................................................................................................... 11 HISTORICAL EDUCATION OVERVIEW........................................................................................ 17 EDUCATION IN THE FORMER USSR................................................................................................... 17 EDUCATION IN THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION AFTER 1991 .................................................................... 20 SCHOOL EDUCATION .....................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • The Balkans by Ulf Brunnbauer
    The Balkans by Ulf Brunnbauer This article begins – drawing on research on imaginations of the Balkans – with a critical discussion of the representation of the Balkans as a border region, as this holds the danger of essentializing the Balkans as at least partially a non-European region. The question should instead be asked whether large regions are not border regions because different networks of interaction and communication overlap in them. The following depiction of the history of the Balkans region from about 1450 to 1950 thematizes on the one hand the integration of the region into broad contexts of interconnection (e.g. imperial contexts), and on the other hand the establishment of (new) borders in the Balkans and the societal consequences of these. A longue durée factor in the history of the Balkans was the central importance of external factors for historical developments in the region. TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Introduction 2. Terminology 3. Historical Overview (ca. 1450–1950) 1. The Imperial Context 2. The Era of the Nation State 4. Spaces of Communication and Interaction 5. Conclusion 6. Appendix 1. Sources 2. Literature Indices Citation Introduction One standard work on the (political) history of the Balkan countries describes the region as follows: ▲1 An der Nahtstelle zweier Kontinente gelegen war die Balkanhalbinsel durch die Jahrhunderte den verschiedenartigsten äußeren Einwirkungen ausgesetzt gewesen. Sie ist als klassisches Übergangs- und Durchzugsgebiet in die Geschichte eingegangen, als eine Begegnungszone der Völker und Kulturen, an der in gleicher Weise der Okzident wie der Orient, die westlich-abendländische und die orientalische und asiatische Welt, der kontinentaleuropäische und der mediterrane Bereich Anteil haben.1 The Balkans is indeed a site of very varied cultural transfers (➔ Media Link #ab) and contacts, and with a high degree of linguistic and religious diversity.
    [Show full text]