With my wife Dace we went through this side of the map again to share it with you and we arrived in Banja Luka, the most important city of the Republika Srpska, a place that is otherwise unknown on the other side of the map.

The Republika Srpska, with a population of 1.33 million, is a political entity in Bosnia and Herzegovina whose existence is little publicized relative to its actual importance.

Perhaps this is due to its close relations with Russia, of which it considers itself a historical ally. It is not strange that their flag has the same colors and can even be confused.

Since the Bosnian War in the 1990s, Russia has been an ally and protector of the Serbs in the Balkan region, supporting the Republika Srpska on several occasions.

In particular, Russia has expressed its support for the independence and sovereignty of the Republika Srpska, and has criticized the policies of the European Union and the United States in the region. In addition, Russia has provided economic and military support to the Republika Srpska.

The symbology, certain aesthetics in clothing, the use of Cyrillic instead of the Latin alphabet and the colors of the flag, make us feel that we are in a small Russia in the Balkans. But not everything remains on the surface.

In 2019, then-President Milorad Dodik awarded the Order of the Republika Srpska to Russian President Vladimir Putin in a ceremony at the Kremlin in Moscow.

The Order of the Republika Srpska is a decoration awarded to foreign citizens and leaders who have made a significant contribution to the Republika Srpska.

President Dodik defended the decision to award Putin the decoration, arguing that Russia has been an important ally of the Republika Srpska and that the relationship between the two countries is strategic and long-lasting.

The award was also interpreted as a gesture of support for Russia at a time when the country was facing international sanctions and tensions in its relationship with the European Union and the United States.

While Bosnian and Croat leaders in Bosnia condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Bosnian Serb leaders continued to seek closer ties with Moscow.

The Republika Srpska parliament approved a series of conclusions in June, one of them reaffirming a neutral position on what was called "the Russia-Ukraine conflict" and another rejecting sanctions against Russia.

Perhaps that is why many Russian products can be found in the windows of shops in Banja Luka.

The political situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina is so complex that we would need another video to talk about it. Suffice for the moment what these images reflect in comparison with those we registered in Sarajevo.

Traveling is hyper-living and we will continue touring this side of the map to share it with you.

#DelOtroLadoDelMapa #ViajarEsHipervivir
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🔎 I am Gustavo Llusá, Argentine, after traveling for several years in more than 60 countries, I settled in Latvia where I got married and learned to know another way of life, on the other side of the map.

#FromOtherSideOfTheMap
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