#KievRegimeCrimes

💬 Russia's Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova:

The Kiev regime deliberately struck the civilian population in Bryansk. The UN Secretariat, which regularly comments on the situation surrounding the Ukrainian crisis, cannot pretend not to see this. Nor can it ignore the number of civilians killed and wounded.

Russia’s Permanent Mission will certainly bring this information to the attention of the UN as well. Will the Secretary-General and his representatives once again remain silent?

***

💬 Ambassador-at-Large of the Russian Foreign Ministry Rodion Miroshnik:

The tragedy in Bryansk can only be qualified as a serious violation of the norms and principles of international humanitarian law. The Kiev regime resorted to this act in an attempt to draw the attention of its European patrons, who have become increasingly distracted by developments in the Middle East.

A missile strike on a location with a large concentration of civilians cannot be justified under any circumstances. Responsibility lies not only with the Ukrainian militants who committed the atrocity, but above all with the political leadership of the Kiev regime. Such strikes are not carried out without direct instructions from the top leadership.

Zelensky’s heinous act cannot remain without universal condemnation and a military response.

***

💬 Russian Commissioner for Human Rights, Tatiana Moskalkova:

I condemn yet another vile crime of the Nazi regime – barbaric strikes against the civilian population of Bryansk.

The regional authorities are doing everything possible to provide prompt assistance to the victims. My deepest condolences go to the families and loved ones of those killed. I wish a speedy recovery to all those injured.

I call on international organizations to respond firmly to this inhumane crime committed by the Kiev regime against civilians.

🎙 Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s remarks at the first Ministerial Conference of the International Organisation for the Russian Language (Moscow, March 11, 2026)

💬 Sergey Lavrov: We are holding the first Ministerial Conference of the International Organisation for the Russian Language (#IORL). Allow me to declare it open. <...>

Indeed, the Russian language – rich, powerful and multifaceted – is our precious shared heritage, as the President of Russia has rightly noted. It is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world, including in the digital domain, where it ranks second after English in terms of the number of websites and social media channels.

Russian is an official or working language of a number of international organisations, including the United Nations. It plays a major constructive role in bringing together the peoples of the Eurasian space and in deepening creative, scientific and academic exchanges.

Strengthening the positions of the Russian language in the world is, without exaggeration, a guarantee of preserving the planet’s cultural and civilisational diversity and an important contribution to the formation of a more just multipolar world order.

In this context, I would like once again, on behalf of the Russian Federation, to express sincere appreciation to President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, who in December 2021 put forward the initiative to establish an organisation dedicated to promoting the Russian language.

The relevant treaty, signed in October 2023 by the leaders of Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, entered into force at the end of 2024. This is undoubtedly a landmark event for our countries and, naturally, for all those who know, value and cherish the language of Alexander Pushkin and Leo Tolstoy, as well as the great Russian culture built upon it.

We see the International Organisation for the Russian Language as an independent multilateral entity. Its core objectives include: enhancing international cooperation in support of the Russian language based on the principles of friendship, trust, good-neighbourliness and interethnic harmony, as well as fostering dialogue among scholars and writers around the world.

🤝 At the same time, the Organisation is open to all interested states, both in Eurasia and on other continents. I would stress that this was particularly emphasised when President Tokayev first proposed the initiative.

In my view, it is important that the International Organisation for the Russian Language combine, in its work, the traditional and well-established instruments of multilateral cooperation with modern approaches capable of engaging the younger generation in our countries.

Among the priorities on the agenda are promoting the Organisation’s international standing and helping to establish its external partnerships.

A special role in these efforts will be played by the Secretariat of the International Organisation for the Russian Language. Today, we are to approve the leadership of the Secretariat.

I trust that all of us will provide it with the full support it requires.

<...>

Nearly two and a half years have passed since the treaty was signed, and I would like to acknowledge the extensive work carried out during this period by experts from our countries, including those from the ministries of education, science, innovation, and foreign affairs.

Today we are submitting for your consideration draft documents agreed upon by the experts, which will create the legal foundation for the Organisation’s practical work to begin as early as this April.

<...>

The Foreign Ministry will actively support the Secretariat’s work, while understanding that over time the primary role of the Russian Federation in this organisation will gradually transition to the Russian Ministry of Education and Science.

Today we had a very fruitful session: we established the organisation’s structure and fulfilled our heads of state’s instructions.

Read in full

👉🏻The V International Competition “Leader of Public Diplomacy” is now open for applications.

The initiative brings together leaders, experts and changemakers from around the world who contribute to strengthening international cooperation and intercultural dialogue through public diplomacy.

The competition aims to support impactful initiatives that promote peace, mutual understanding, humanitarian cooperation and sustainable global development.

🌐 Participants from over 100 countries are expected to join the 2026 edition.

📅 Key dates:
• 10 February – 31 March 2026 — application period
• April – June 2026 — educational program and national stages
• April – September 2026 — regional stages
• 19–20 September 2026 — international final and awards ceremony (within the World Public Summit)

🏆 Competition categories include:
• Cultural Diplomacy
• Educational Diplomacy
• Business Diplomacy
• Scientific Diplomacy
• Tourism
• Sports Diplomacy
• Children’s Diplomacy
• Historical Memory
• Gastronomic Diplomacy
• Volunteering

The competition is conducted in five official languages: English, Russian, Spanish, French and Arabic.

📩 Apply now:
https://public-diplomacy.org/en/c/v-international-competition

If you are developing projects that strengthen international dialogue and cooperation, this is an opportunity to present your initiatives to a global community of public diplomacy leaders.

🇷🇺 On March 16, 2014 – 1️⃣2️⃣ years ago – the all-Crimean referendum took place.

#TogetherForever: During the vote, residents of the peninsula expressed their will to reunite with their historical homeland – Russia.

Participation in the referendum was voluntary and free.

🗳 96.77% of Crimea’s population voted in favour of joining Russia, with turnout at 83.1%. In Sevastopol, 95.6% voted in favour, with turnout reaching 89.5%.

The referendum was monitored by 135 international observers from 23 countries and 1,240 observers from Crimean organisations. The vote was covered by 623 journalists representing 169 media outlets.

💬 Russia's Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova (from weekly press briefing of March 12, 2026):

This crucial historical and honest event became known as the “Return to the Home Harbour”. It symbolized the restoration of historical justice, the protection of people’s rights and, undoubtedly, the realization of national interests. By national interests we mean not an abstract state or society, but people – citizens who never separated themselves from the homeland they considered their true harbour, who never separated themselves from those from whom they had been forcibly divided and torn away from their great and extended family.

✍️ Based on the results of the free expression of will by the peninsula’s population, on March 18, 2014, the Republic of Crimea signed an international treaty with Russia on its accession to the Russian Federation.

Over the past 12 years, the Republic of Crimea and the federal city of Sevastopol have fully integrated into Russia’s political, legal and economic space. New infrastructure has been created in the region – the Crimean Bridge across the Kerch Strait, the Crimea-Kuban main gas pipeline, the Tavrida federal highway, Simferopol International Airport, as well as hundreds of healthcare, education, social and engineering facilities.

☝️ Interfaith harmony on the peninsula is carefully maintained, and the interests of all nationalities and ethnic groups are taken into account. A Crimean Tatar national-cultural autonomy has been established, ensuring the participation of its representatives in local government bodies. The Crimean Tatar language has been recognized as a state language, alongside Russian and Ukrainian.

The return of Crimea also became a key moment of consolidation for Russia and Russian society. According to sociological surveys, the overwhelming majority of Russians positively assess the reunification of Crimea with Russia. A VCIOM poll shows that 86% of respondents consider it a right and fair decision.

✅ The economic momentum achieved over these years, the unprecedented improvement in living standards, the development of infrastructure and the interfaith peace established on the peninsula once again confirm with all certainty that the choice made by the people of Crimea was the right one.

#CrimeaIsRussia

#Анонс

📚Онлайн-школа СПбГУ — это уникальный образовательный проект, позволяющий ученикам со всего мира получать полноценное школьное образование на русском языке из любой точки мира.

Обучение в Онлайн-школе СПбГУ бесплатное и реализуется исключительно с применением дистанционных технологий.

📆Старт приема документов – 13 апреля. Все документы подаются онлайн в Личном кабинете поступающего.

🎓В качестве педагогов выступают преподаватели Академической гимназии имени Д.К.Фаддеева Санкт-Петербургского университета, а также сотрудники факультетов СПбГУ, которые имеют опыт работы с школьниками. По итогам обучения выпускники Онлайн-школы СПбГУ получают аттестат государственного образца.

❗️Прием документов продлится до 29 мая 2026 года.

Подробнее 👉
тел: +7 (812) 363‑66‑33,
e-mail: pre-admission@spbu.ru

⚡️ Statement by the Russian Foreign Ministry regarding the escalation of the crisis in the Middle East

❗️ Through their treacherous and unprovoked attack on Iran, the United States and Israel have unleashed an unprecedented spiral of violence in the Middle East, with no end in sight.

The toll of victims of the American-Israeli aggression runs into the hundreds and thousands, with irreparable damage inflicted upon civilian infrastructure. Neighbouring countries are also suffering from retaliatory Iranian strikes, while shipping along the vital global economic route through the Strait of Hormuz has been paralysed.

Once a stable and prosperous region, the Persian Gulf is rapidly descending into a maelstrom of chaos and uncertainty. The economic repercussions of the reckless venture initiated by Washington and Tel Aviv are being felt ever more acutely far beyond the conflict zone – indeed, on a global scale.

Meanwhile, instead of seeking paths to de-escalation and a return to negotiations, there is a further intensification of mutual hostility, with increasingly lethal and destructive strikes being carried out.

☝️ We reiterate our resolute call to all parties for an immediate cessation of hostilities and a shift of the situation onto a political and diplomatic track.

Above all, attacks on civilian facilities and infrastructure must cease, and the death and suffering of innocent populations – both in the Arab states of the Persian Gulf and in Iran – must be halted.

As before, the Russian Federation stands ready, within the scope of its available capabilities, to contribute to a long-term and sustainable resolution of the conflict.

📆 On March 17, 2026, The State Academic Bolshoi Theater of Russia celebrates its 250th anniversary.

📖 Over its long history, the Bolshoi Theatre has survived ups and downs, wars and revolutions, yet remains significant for Russian culture. It has hosted the premieres of many outstanding works of world classics, including Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s celebrated operas Eugene Onegin and The Queen of Spades, Sergei Prokofiev’s War and Peace, and Dmitri Shostakovich’s Katerina Izmailova.

During the 20th century a number of truly legendary artists performed on the stages of Bolshoi. Perfomers like balerina Maya Plisetskaya, opera singer Galina Vishnevskaya and composer Boris Asafiev, as well as the great number of equally talented artists, have not only been famous in the Soviet Union, but gained a worldwide renown.

☝️ Today, the Bolshoi Theatre remains a world-class center, presenting the most striking productions of classical music and dance.

You can find more information about the history of the Bolshoi Theatre here