"I can finally say what I've felt for a long time: I'm a Serbian!" Thiago gets our passport

Photo: Private archive

"I have been and always will be a Brazilian, but I can finally say with all my heart that I'm also what I've felt like for a long time - a Serbian." These are the first words spoken by Brazilian Thiago Ferreira (28) after he was handed a red Serbian passport in Belgrade yesterday.

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In this way, the state of Serbia paid back to a young man who promotes a country that is not his homeland, but one he loves it as if he was born here.

He came to Serbia from the far away Rio de Janeiro ten years ago thanks to his love of a girl. The relationship did not last, but the young Brazilian soon fell in love again - this time with the country of his ex-girlfriend.

"When I arrived in Serbia at the age of 18, I didn't know much about life, but I soon became sure that I had discovered my life's calling, to change the way people perceive Serbia. Today, at the age of 28, I've done a lot, but I have a feeling that I only just started," Thiago tells Telegraf.

He graduated from the Faculty of Tourism and joined the organization "Serbia for the Youth," thanks to which he managed to teach not only foreigners but also Serbians to get to know and love this country.

"Our content is adapted to both young and old, we organize excursions and offer active holidays, climb peaks, take walks, cruise rivers and lakes," says this young man and recommends to everyone to spend this summer in their country because of coronavirus.

Photo: Private archive

"I suggest my five favorite destinations, Kamena Gora near Prijepolje, Golubac, Zagajicka Brda in Deliblato Sands, Stara (Old) Mountain, and Brezovica," was Thiago's advice.

And he will become a Serbian son-in-law

He admits that coronavirus thwarted his own plans because he was to get married to a Serbian woman in April.

"I had to postpone the wedding to my Bojana for until September because of the epidemic, because I want to organize a proper Serbian party," says Thiago, who during his time in Serbia learned traditional local dances, and writes exclusively using Cyrillic.

Photo: Private archive

Before Thiago, the only (Brazilians) to be given the red passport were football players Evandro Goebel of Red Star and Cleverson Cordova Cleo of Partizan.

The Serbian government approved Thiago's admission to Serbian citizenship at the end of February, but due to the epidemic, the young Brazilian had to wait a while to pick up his new passport and ID card.

(D.K.)