Дорогие, любимые женщины! Поздравляем с #8Марта! 💐

#МеждународныйЖенскийДень #МЖД2026

🇷🇺 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

⚡️ 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.

🇷🇺 #CrimeaIsRussia

1️⃣2️⃣ years ago – on March 18, 2014 – President of Russia Vladimir Putin, Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Crimea Sergey Aksyonov, Chairman of the State Council of Crimea Vladimir Konstantinov and Head of Sevastopol Alexey Chaly signed the Agreement on the Accession of the Republic of Crimea in the Russian Federation and on Forming New Constituent Entities within the Russian Federation.

🗳 This historic moment was preceded by the all-Crimean referendum (March 16, 2014), in which an overwhelming majority of voters (96.77%) supported Crimea’s accession to the Russian Federation. In Sevastopol, 95.6% voted in favour of reunification with Russia.

The outcome of the referendum is an essence a just and long-awaited joint decision for both the people of Crimea and all citizens of our country.

🇷🇺 The long-awaited reunification of the peninsula with Russia became a milestone event in modern history – for Crimeans and for all citizens of our country – embodying the right of peoples to self-determination, as enshrined in the UN Charter.

Over the past 12 years, our opponents have made numerous attempts to punish Crimeans for their free choice – for their return to their home harbour. The residents of the peninsula have withstood not only water, energy, food and transport blockades, but also sanctions pressure and legal aggression unleashed by the Kiev regime with the support of NATO countries.

💬 Address by President of Russia Vladimir Putin (March 18, 2014):

“In the hearts and minds of people, Crimea has always been and remains an integral part of Russia. This conviction, grounded in truth and justice, has been unwavering – passed down from generation to generation – beyond the reach of time or circumstance.

The overwhelming majority of Crimeans and the absolute majority of citizens of the Russian Federation support the reunification of the Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol with the Russian Federation”.

Since reunification with the Russian Federation, life in Crimea has improved significantly. Transport and engineering infrastructure has been comprehensively modernized:

• In 2018, the Crimean Bridge was opened – a unique project and a powerful symbol of Crimea’s reunification with Russia;
• A new Simferopol International Airport and the modern Tavrida highway have been built;
• The Balaklavskaya (Sevastopol), Tavricheskaya (Simferopol district) and Saky thermal power plants have been commissioned, ensuring the peninsula’s energy independence;
• Large-scale construction of gas infrastructure, including the Krasnodar Territory-Crimea gas pipeline;
• Housing construction is expanding;
• Social infrastructure – including sports facilities – is being actively developed;
• Agriculture is growing, including winemaking, while the resort and tourism sector has significantly strengthened its position.

It is precisely these successes of Crimea and Sevastopol that provoke hostility, expressed in continued aggression by the Kiev regime and those backing it.

💬 Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on the 10th anniversary of the “Crimean Spring” (March 16, 2024):

“The question of who Crimea and Sevastopol belong to is closed.
The peninsula is an integral part of the Russian Federation”.

It can be stated with confidence that any attempts by adversaries to question Crimea’s status only underscore their detachment from reality – only cementing Crimeans’ confidence in their historic decision.

Russia and Crimea – one shared, indivisible destiny ❤️🇷🇺

#TogetherForever

🚀 March 18 stands as one of the most significant dates in the history of space exploration – and in human history as a whole.

#OTD in 1965, Soviet cosmonaut Alexei Leonov became the first human ever to perform a spacewalk.

Stepping out of the Voskhod-2 spacecraft, piloted by Pavel Belyaev, into near-Earth space, Leonov added yet another milestone to the achievements of national cosmonautics.

The extravehicular activity lasted 23 minutes and 41 seconds, including 12 minutes and 9 seconds spent in the vastness of open space.

💬 Recalling that historic moment while speaking from the Mausoleum rostrum in Moscow, Leonov said:

“As I exited the airlock, I felt an intense stream of light and heat, like the flare of electric welding. Above me was a black sky and bright, unblinking stars. The Sun looked like a blazing disc of fire”.

🎖 For the successful completion of the mission and the courage and heroism displayed, Lieutenant Colonel Alexei Leonov was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, along with the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star medal.

Today, spacewalks are an essential part of crewed missions to the International Space Station – enabling scientific research, maintenance work, installation of new equipment on the station’s exterior, deployment of small satellites, and much more.

All of this became possible thanks to the immense efforts and teamwork of Soviet specialists and enterprises, as well as the personal courage and outstanding training of our legendary pioneer cosmonauts.

#OurHeroes

⚡️ Russia's Foreign Ministry statement on developments in the Persian Gulf

Moscow is seriously concerned over the ongoing armed confrontation in the Persian Gulf and the risks of escalation.

The scale of damage to energy and other critical infrastructure in Iran and neighboring Arab states continues to grow.

🔉 Audio statement by Maria Zakharova (in Russian)

We call for an immediate cessation of hostilities resulting from the unprovoked aggression by the US and Israel against Iran.

Russia, together with China, Türkiye and other like-minded partners, stands ready to facilitate a settlement and help resolve existing differences through political and diplomatic means, with a view to achieving long-term, sustainable stabilisation in the region, taking into account the interests of all states concerned.

We consistently advocate creating conditions for peaceful coexistence, security and good-neighbourly relations between the Arab countries, with which we maintain friendly ties, and Iran.

❗️ We emphasise that the first step must be an immediate end to the US and Israel’s military venture.

In this context, we note the thoughtful and balanced article by Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Sultanate of Oman, published in The Economist on March 18, 2026.

The proposals outlined in the article are largely in line with our own vision of establishing a security architecture in the Middle East and the Persian Gulf based on a balance of interests among all regional states. We share the Omani Minister’s view on the need to launch an inclusive regional dialogue aimed at reaching agreements on confidence-building and transparency measures in the field of nuclear energy, as well as mutual security guarantees.

👉 Russia has for several years been promoting an initiative to develop a concept of collective security in the Gulf, aimed at establishing lasting peace and cooperation among all littoral states.

We remain ready to continue providing constructive assistance in resolving the conflict and overcoming existing contradictions in the Middle East through political and diplomatic means, including by fostering conditions for joint efforts towards a sustainable settlement based on a balance of the legitimate interests of all countries in the region.

🗓 On March 20, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov held a traditional meeting with the ambassadors of #ASEAN member states accredited in Moscow.

In the context of the 35th anniversary of Russia-ASEAN relations that this year marks, the sides engaged in a substantive discussion on advancing #RussiaASEAN strategic partnership across a wide range of areas, including countering common challenges and threats, trade and investment, high-tech and knowledge-intensive industries, digitalisation, energy, and the expansion of business and youth contacts.

The main focus was on putting together anniversary events and agreeing upon a new medium-term policy document.

A thorough exchange of views on international and regional priorities reinforced the importance of Russia-ASEAN dialogue for building stable security and cooperation architecture in the Asia-Pacific region based on respect for international law, equality, and openness.

Prospects for aligning integration processes in Eurasia, strengthening ASEAN-EAEU and ASEAN-SCO cooperation, as well as establishing contacts on the ASEAN-BRICS track, were highlighted.

🤝 The meeting was held in a traditionally friendly atmosphere.

#HistoryOfDiplomacy

📜 They say diplomacy has been a male-only profession. While in reality women have had a major role in foreign policy throughout history. In fact, diplomacy acquired a female dimension as early as in the 10th century when Princess Olga established ties with the Byzantine Empire. In the 18th century, for almost half a century, during the reigns of Elizabeth (Yelizaveta) Petrovna, Anna of Russia (Anna Ioannovna), and Cathrine the Great, women largely defined Russia’s foreign policy. They performed their diplomatic duties by corresponding not only with foreign monarchs, but also with the leading thinkers of their time.

However, diplomatic service remained mostly dominated by men for quite a long time with very few women in official diplomatic roles until the 20th century. In this context, the story of our country’s first female ambassador, Alexandra #Kollontai, has special significance, and was also revolutionary.

📅 Born on March 31, 1872, Alexandra Kollontai benefited from homeschooling and was brilliantly educated. She became fluent in French, German, English and Finnish, and since a young age took a keen interest in social and political matters, with Nikolay Chernyshevsky, Alexander Herzen and Western socialists among her favourite authors.

Already a prominent member of the revolutionary movement, after the 1917 October Revolution, Alexandra Kollontai was appointed the People's Commissar for Welfare of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic to become the world’s first female minister.

☝️ Kollontai was proactive in fighting for women’s rights and championed their economic empowerment, access to education and marital equality. It is thanks to her that expecting mothers obtained a leave from work during pregnancy and childbirth. She also was the one who initiated the effort to create a network of nurseries and kindergartens.

In 1922, Alexander Kollontai was appointed Soviet Minister Plenipotentiary to Norway, which created an international sensation. Before that, not a single European country offered a woman the possibility to have a high diplomatic rank of this kind. During her assignment to Norway, Alexandra Kollontai succeeded in securing the recognition of the Soviet state by Norway. It is on her watch that the two countries signed a trade agreement and organised the delivery of 400,000 tonnes of Norwegian herring to the USSR.

Kollontai continued her successful diplomatic career in Sweden where she served as USSR’s Plenipotentiary Ambassador and Envoy from 1930 to 1945, and helped improve the USSR’s relations with Sweden.

❗️ It was in September 1944 that Kollontai, already 72 years old, received a mission to make Finland withdraw from the war. She was to play one of the key roles during the talks. On September 19, 1944, Finland signed the Moscow Truce with the Soviet Union after cancelling its alliance with Germany and agreeing to a series of territorial concessions.

💬 Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov made the following statement on this stage in her career during the ceremony to unveil Alexandra Kollontai’s memorial plaque:

One of the real achievements of this remarkable woman was that she took part in negotiations that led to Finland’s withdrawal from the war in 1944, which helped free up troops and send them to other fronts, saving lives of many Soviet soldiers.

As a diplomat, Alexandra Kollontai focused on understanding people and their motives instead of just living by the protocol. She stood out for her humane attitude and flexibility, and the ability to find compromises even in the tensest situations.

Alexandra Kollontai has proven that women can succeed as diplomats even in a conservative international environment. She came to symbolise the way the social status of women evolved in the world, and inspired many generations of women to become diplomats.

✈️ On 27 March, Ambassador of Russia to Singapore Sergey P. Ganzha held a meeting at the Embassy with Vladimir I. Fonarev, Deputy Head of the Federal Service for Supervision of Transport, who visited Singapore to participate in the meeting of the ICAO Task Force on the Universal Security Audit Programme under the Continuous Monitoring Approach.

✈️27 марта с.г. Посол России в Сингапуре С.П.Ганжа встретился в Посольстве с В.И. Фонаревым, заместителем Руководителя Федеральной службы по надзору в сфере транспорта, который посетил Сингапур для участия в заседании Целевой группы ИКАО по Универсальной программе проверок по авиационной безопасности в рамках Механизма непрерывного мониторинга.

🎥On March 27, the Embassy hosted a special screening of the Russian film “Matthew Passion” for students of FluRus Academy, a newly opened Russian language school in Singapore.

The film follows a young seminary graduate on his journey to find a wife, offering a glimpse into contemporary Russian culture and traditions.

The evening brought together FluRus Academy students and Russian language enthusiasts in a warm and welcoming atmosphere, complemented by traditional Russian pirozhki and sweets.

As one of its first community events, this screening reflected the Academy’s focus on combining language learning with cultural experiences, with more initiatives to come in the future. Further information about FluRus Academy and its upcoming events is available at flurus.com

О визите российских школьников в Посольство России в Сингапуре

19 марта учащиеся Школы №1529 имени А.С. Грибоедова посетили Посольство России в Сингапуре.

В рамках встречи школьники пообщались с Чрезвычайным и Полномочным Послом Российской Федерации в Сингапуре С.П. Ганжой, а также сотрудниками дипломатической миссии. В ходе беседы школьники познакомились с основными направлениями сотрудничества между Россией и Сингапуром, узнали о работе зарубежных представительств и перспективах построения карьеры в дипломатической сфере.


Visit of Russian School Students to the Embassy of Russia in Singapore

On March 19, students of School No. 1529 named after A.S. Griboedov paid a visit to the Embassy of Russia in Singapore.

During the meeting, the students spoke with Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to Singapore, Sergey Ganzha, as well as as well as with embassy officials. In the course of the discussion, the students learned about the key areas of cooperation between Russia and Singapore, gained insight into the work of overseas missions, and explored career opportunities in the field of diplomacy.

🗓️ 2 апреля Посол России в Сингапуре С.П.Ганжа провел встречу с директором Института Китая и современной Азии Российской академии наук (ИКСА РАН) К.В.Бабаевым.

Собеседники обсудили актуальные вопросы российско-сингапурских отношений, а также перспективы развития сотрудничества двух стран в области науки и образования.

🗓️ On April 2, Ambassador of Russia to Singapore, Sergey P. Ganzha, held a meeting with Kirill V. Babaev, Director of the Institute of China and Contemporary Asia of the Russian Academy of Sciences (ICCA RAS).

The parties discussed current issues in Russia-Singapore relations, as well as prospects for expanding bilateral cooperation in science and education.

🗓 On December 29, President of Russia Vladimir Putin signed a decree establishing April 19 as the Day of Remembrance for the Victims of the Genocide of the Soviet People, perpetrated by the Nazis and their accomplices during the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945.

The draft law to introduce this Day of Remembrance was developed by Russia's State Duma Committee on Defence in November 2025. The authors of the initiative proposed commemorating the victims on April 19, as on this date in 1943 the first legal act was issued that officially documented the Nazis’ policy of exterminating civilians in the occupied territories – Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR No. 39 “On punishment measures for Nazi villains guilty of killing and torturing the Soviet civilian population and captured Red Army soldiers, for spies, traitors to the motherland from among Soviet citizens and for their accomplices”.

Decree No. 39 laid the legal foundations for bringing to justice Nazi criminals and their accomplices, including Italian, Romanian, Hungarian and Finnish military personnel. Materials collected during investigations conducted on the basis of Decree No. 39 formed a key part of the evidentiary base at the Nuremberg Tribunal, the Khabarovsk Trial, and other judicial proceedings against war criminals from the Axis powers.

💬 Speaking at a meeting of Pobeda (Victory) Organizing Committee on July 2, 2020, Vladimir Putin noted:

“The Nazis planned to colonize the Soviet land, to kill or turn into slaves and to take away the languages and culture of all who lived here – the Slavs and people of other ethnicities. These crimes of the Nazis and their minions and the genocide against the peoples of the Soviet Union do not have a statute of limitations. This assessment must remain firm in our legislation and in the international law system”.

🕯 Losses caused by the actions of the Nazis and their accomplices during the Great Patriotic War amounted to no fewer than 27 million Soviet citizens, while the total estimated demographic losses of the USSR approached 50 million people.

#NoStatuteOfLimitations