Abstract
<jats:p>The article examines the historical memory of Russian-Serbian relations as a complex combination of stable cultural practices and changing official narratives. This approach is especially significant for the study of foreign-policy rhetoric, Orthodox ties, literary exchange, and the memory of Russian emigration in the Balkans. The purpose of the study is to determine whether the cultural substrate of Russian-Serbian relations is preserved during periods when the official narrative breaks down, and what mechanisms ensure its stability. The source base includes materials from the Archive of Foreign Policy of the Russian Empire, the Russian State Historical Archive, the Archives of Yugoslavia, and the State Archive of Serbia, as well as published documents and data from contemporary sociological surveys. The study uses the historical-comparative method, elements of source analysis, and cross-verification of Russian, Serbian, and Yugoslav materials. The authors show that the cultural substrate includes liturgical continuity, literary tradition, and the biographical memory of the diaspora, whereas the official narrative is created by state actors and depends on the political situation. The Soviet-Yugoslav split of 1948 serves as the most convincing example: the official narrative was dismantled within a few weeks, while the main elements of the cultural substrate were preserved. Special attention is paid to the current state of historical memory, in which the intensive political use of the image of “centuries-old friendship” may weaken living cultural ties. The study proves that the long-term stability of Russian-Serbian relations rests not only on diplomatic formulas, but above all on independent cultural practices that require support, the development of real humanitarian contacts, and protection from excessive politicization.</jats:p>