🎨 On this day in 1842, one of Russia's most powerful and internationally acclaimed painters Vasily Vereshchagin was born.
A fearless chronicler of the battlefield, he combined artistic mastery with an unflinching eye for truth. His canvases — both haunting and humane — rejected romantic notions of glory, revealing instead the stark realities of conflict. A pacifist by conviction, Vereshchagin depicted the world as he witnessed it.
Vereshchagin's art was admired and debated far beyond Russia. His works were exhibited in London throughout the 1870s and 1880s, with British critics praising his realism and moral force.
During his travels through India under British rule, Vereshchagin captured unforgettable scenes such as Blowing from Guns in British India — a daring condemnation of colonial violence that resonated across Europe.
A fearless chronicler of the battlefield, he combined artistic mastery with an unflinching eye for truth. His canvases — both haunting and humane — rejected romantic notions of glory, revealing instead the stark realities of conflict. A pacifist by conviction, Vereshchagin depicted the world as he witnessed it.
Vereshchagin's art was admired and debated far beyond Russia. His works were exhibited in London throughout the 1870s and 1880s, with British critics praising his realism and moral force.
During his travels through India under British rule, Vereshchagin captured unforgettable scenes such as Blowing from Guns in British India — a daring condemnation of colonial violence that resonated across Europe.
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🎙 Excerpt from Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's interview with Ultrahang Youtube Channel (Moscow, 26 October 2025)
💬 Zelensky and his entourage, including Macron, Starmer, Merz and others, are still saying that Russia must withdraw from Ukraine to 1991 borders. They gathered in London for the Coalition of the Willing meeting and Starmer, while addressing the media before the event, said that President Putin is the only one who doesn't want peace.
This statement deserves some explanation. President Putin supported the deal between the Ukrainian government and the opposition in 2014, immediately after the coup. President Obama called him and asked him not to block the deal. Putin responded, "If the legitimate president is signing something with the opposition, how can I block him?"
And then you know what happened. The coup and the Europeans' explanation that democracy can be tricky. They did not lift a finger to stop the putschists, even though they knew full well that they had come to power under neo-Nazi banners.
Then, in 2015, came the Minsk agreements. We negotiated the Minsk agreements. We were prepared to implement them. Later, Ukraine and the Europeans said that they had never intended to do this. They just needed to buy some time.
In April 2022, a few weeks after the special military operation began, the Ukrainians requested negotiations. We agreed. We held several rounds of negotiations in Belarus and then moved to Istanbul. In Istanbul, the Ukrainian delegation presented a document outlining the principles to be incorporated into a treaty. We accepted this document. It was initialed. Then the then UK prime minister, Boris Johnson, said to the Ukrainians: "Don't do this. Continue to fight Russia until we defeat them".
☝️ So, when Starmer claims that Putin is the only one against negotiations, he should bear in mind his predecessor, Boris Johnson. He should also remember those in Germany and France who signed the Minsk agreements, but then admitted a few years later that they had never intended to do so, despite it being endorsed by the UN Security Council.
Read in full
💬 Zelensky and his entourage, including Macron, Starmer, Merz and others, are still saying that Russia must withdraw from Ukraine to 1991 borders. They gathered in London for the Coalition of the Willing meeting and Starmer, while addressing the media before the event, said that President Putin is the only one who doesn't want peace.
This statement deserves some explanation. President Putin supported the deal between the Ukrainian government and the opposition in 2014, immediately after the coup. President Obama called him and asked him not to block the deal. Putin responded, "If the legitimate president is signing something with the opposition, how can I block him?"
And then you know what happened. The coup and the Europeans' explanation that democracy can be tricky. They did not lift a finger to stop the putschists, even though they knew full well that they had come to power under neo-Nazi banners.
Then, in 2015, came the Minsk agreements. We negotiated the Minsk agreements. We were prepared to implement them. Later, Ukraine and the Europeans said that they had never intended to do this. They just needed to buy some time.
In April 2022, a few weeks after the special military operation began, the Ukrainians requested negotiations. We agreed. We held several rounds of negotiations in Belarus and then moved to Istanbul. In Istanbul, the Ukrainian delegation presented a document outlining the principles to be incorporated into a treaty. We accepted this document. It was initialed. Then the then UK prime minister, Boris Johnson, said to the Ukrainians: "Don't do this. Continue to fight Russia until we defeat them".
☝️ So, when Starmer claims that Putin is the only one against negotiations, he should bear in mind his predecessor, Boris Johnson. He should also remember those in Germany and France who signed the Minsk agreements, but then admitted a few years later that they had never intended to do so, despite it being endorsed by the UN Security Council.
Read in full
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🎙 Key takeaways from Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's remarks at the high-level plenary session of the 3rd Minsk International Conference on Eurasian Security (Minsk, 28 October 2025)
• An overwhelming majority of NATO and EU countries are refusing to recognise an objective truth – the era of Western dominance has come to an end [...] This is what sets apart Russia and our partners, as well as all those Eurasian countries which are convinced in the need to ensure unwavering compliance with the principles of sovereign equality and indivisible security for all, not just the chosen ones.
• Russia and our allies cannot be blamed for undermining and then terminating, i.e. burying, international arms control agreements in recent years. NATO has not halted its expansion effort, even for a moment, despite the assurances provided back in the day to the Soviet leaders not to move east even by an inch.
• They [NATO countries] planned and provoked the conflict in Ukraine, which dealt a final blow to the Euro-Atlantic Security model, which used to rely on NATO, the OSCE and the European Union.
• It is the European members of NATO that are prolonging the Ukraine conflict by funnelling weapons into the Kiev regime and providing it with financial and political support. Most European leaders are trying hard to dissuade the US administration from the idea of reaching a settlement in Ukraine by addressing the root causes of the conflict through negotiations.
• We have no intention to attack any member of NATO or the EU. We are willing to formalise this statement in the future security guarantees for this part of Eurasia, which the EU leaders are avoiding on a truly collective basis.
• Present-day elites in the EU and NATO have sought to isolate those attempting to pursue an independent policy, prioritising national interests and common sense. This has made meaningful dialogue with most of them a far-fetched proposition.
• Russia favours a situation in which each state is recognised as having an equal right to choose how to ensure its security, whether through military-political neutrality or participation in alliances. But this right cannot be exercised in isolation from the principle that [...] no country should strengthen its security at the expense of others.
Read in full
• An overwhelming majority of NATO and EU countries are refusing to recognise an objective truth – the era of Western dominance has come to an end [...] This is what sets apart Russia and our partners, as well as all those Eurasian countries which are convinced in the need to ensure unwavering compliance with the principles of sovereign equality and indivisible security for all, not just the chosen ones.
• Russia and our allies cannot be blamed for undermining and then terminating, i.e. burying, international arms control agreements in recent years. NATO has not halted its expansion effort, even for a moment, despite the assurances provided back in the day to the Soviet leaders not to move east even by an inch.
• They [NATO countries] planned and provoked the conflict in Ukraine, which dealt a final blow to the Euro-Atlantic Security model, which used to rely on NATO, the OSCE and the European Union.
• It is the European members of NATO that are prolonging the Ukraine conflict by funnelling weapons into the Kiev regime and providing it with financial and political support. Most European leaders are trying hard to dissuade the US administration from the idea of reaching a settlement in Ukraine by addressing the root causes of the conflict through negotiations.
• We have no intention to attack any member of NATO or the EU. We are willing to formalise this statement in the future security guarantees for this part of Eurasia, which the EU leaders are avoiding on a truly collective basis.
• Present-day elites in the EU and NATO have sought to isolate those attempting to pursue an independent policy, prioritising national interests and common sense. This has made meaningful dialogue with most of them a far-fetched proposition.
• Russia favours a situation in which each state is recognised as having an equal right to choose how to ensure its security, whether through military-political neutrality or participation in alliances. But this right cannot be exercised in isolation from the principle that [...] no country should strengthen its security at the expense of others.
Read in full
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Forwarded from Russian MFA 🇷🇺
#InMemoriam
🌐 96 years ago, on October 29, 1929, Yevgeny Primakov was born – an eminent Soviet and Russian statesman, brilliant diplomat and Arabist.
He is among the world's greatest statesmen and diplomats of the XX-XXI centuries, known as a consistent supporter of the principles of realism and pragmatism, a staunch defender of Russia’s national interests, who laid the conceptual foundations for the formation of a polycentric world.
• Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia (1996-1998)
• Prime Minister of Russia (1998-1999)
• Chairman of the Council of the Union of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union (1989-1990)
Russia’s foreign policy underwent radical transformation when Mr Primakov took office as Foreign Minister.
With NATO focused on expansion and ignoring Moscow’s interests, continuing rapprochement with the West seemed unfeasible. Under Primakov’s guidance, Russia pursued an independent foreign policy, aiming for equitable and mutually beneficial cooperation with a wide range of partners.
✈️ The legendary “Atlantic U-turn” on March 24, 1999 is among the most widely known foreign policy episodes involving Yevgeny Primakov. On March 24, 1999, while in route to the United States, he learned of NATO’s bombing of Yugoslavia and ordered his plane turn back mid-flight, returning to Moscow. This act symbolized re-evaluating relations with the West marking Russia’s transition to a multi-vector foreign policy.
Primakov foresaw the rise of new centres of economic growth and political influence around the world and, in this sense, predicted the realities of multipolarity. The format he created, Russia-India-China, served as a precursor to BRICS, a genuine embodiment of multipolar diplomacy.
💬 From Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s answer to a question from Vremya news show on Channel One (October 29, 2019):
In 2019, on the 90th anniversary of this outstanding Russian diplomat, a monument honouring him as a statesman and patriot was unveiled across from the Foreign Ministry.
The memory of Yevgeny Primakov lives on in the hearts of several generations of scholars, journalists, and public officials.
🌐 96 years ago, on October 29, 1929, Yevgeny Primakov was born – an eminent Soviet and Russian statesman, brilliant diplomat and Arabist.
He is among the world's greatest statesmen and diplomats of the XX-XXI centuries, known as a consistent supporter of the principles of realism and pragmatism, a staunch defender of Russia’s national interests, who laid the conceptual foundations for the formation of a polycentric world.
• Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia (1996-1998)
• Prime Minister of Russia (1998-1999)
• Chairman of the Council of the Union of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union (1989-1990)
Russia’s foreign policy underwent radical transformation when Mr Primakov took office as Foreign Minister.
With NATO focused on expansion and ignoring Moscow’s interests, continuing rapprochement with the West seemed unfeasible. Under Primakov’s guidance, Russia pursued an independent foreign policy, aiming for equitable and mutually beneficial cooperation with a wide range of partners.
✈️ The legendary “Atlantic U-turn” on March 24, 1999 is among the most widely known foreign policy episodes involving Yevgeny Primakov. On March 24, 1999, while in route to the United States, he learned of NATO’s bombing of Yugoslavia and ordered his plane turn back mid-flight, returning to Moscow. This act symbolized re-evaluating relations with the West marking Russia’s transition to a multi-vector foreign policy.
Primakov foresaw the rise of new centres of economic growth and political influence around the world and, in this sense, predicted the realities of multipolarity. The format he created, Russia-India-China, served as a precursor to BRICS, a genuine embodiment of multipolar diplomacy.
💬 From Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s answer to a question from Vremya news show on Channel One (October 29, 2019):
Yevgeny Primakov assumed office at the Foreign Ministry at a time when our relations with nearly all other countries were chilled. He had to act in constrained conditions marked exclusively by pro-Western inertia. As a visionary, he knew that a policy can only be sustainable if it takes modern day realities into account. He predicted the realities of a multipolar world with new centres of economic growth, financial might and, consequently, political influence.
In 2019, on the 90th anniversary of this outstanding Russian diplomat, a monument honouring him as a statesman and patriot was unveiled across from the Foreign Ministry.
The memory of Yevgeny Primakov lives on in the hearts of several generations of scholars, journalists, and public officials.
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🎙 Excerpt from President Vladimir Putin's remarks during his visit to Pyotr Mandryk Central Military Clinical Hospital (Moscow, 29 October 2025)
💬 Overall, the situation in the zone of the special military operation is developing favourably for us. We are advancing on all fronts and conducting active operations.
In two locations, Kupyansk and Krasnoarmeisk, the enemy has been surrounded and blocked from moving further [...]
What our soldiers and officers are doing today is the most important task facing the country: ensuring its security and the long-term safety of our people. Equally important is that while addressing these urgent current challenges, we are not forgetting about improving and strengthening our strategic potential.
A new, state-of-the-art, unlimited-range nuclear-powered missile Burevestnik has recently been tested. It has undeniable advantages [...] The main advantage lies in the small nuclear propulsion unit. It is comparable in power to a nuclear submarine reactor, but it is a thousand times smaller.
We will be able to use it not only in defence but also in the national economy, including in solving the issue of energy supply in the Arctic and the lunar exploration programme. Thus this breakthrough strengthens both Russia's defence capability and the overall scientific and industrial potential for the future [...]
⚡️ Yesterday another test was successfully conducted: one more test of the Poseidon underwater unmanned vehicle, also equipped with a nuclear power unit. For the first time, we successfully launched it from a submarine by activating its booster engine, and then started the nuclear reactor [...]
The Poseidon surpasses all existing systems in speed and operational depth and currently has no equivalent and there will be none any time soon. The are also no interception methods.
Read in full
💬 Overall, the situation in the zone of the special military operation is developing favourably for us. We are advancing on all fronts and conducting active operations.
In two locations, Kupyansk and Krasnoarmeisk, the enemy has been surrounded and blocked from moving further [...]
What our soldiers and officers are doing today is the most important task facing the country: ensuring its security and the long-term safety of our people. Equally important is that while addressing these urgent current challenges, we are not forgetting about improving and strengthening our strategic potential.
A new, state-of-the-art, unlimited-range nuclear-powered missile Burevestnik has recently been tested. It has undeniable advantages [...] The main advantage lies in the small nuclear propulsion unit. It is comparable in power to a nuclear submarine reactor, but it is a thousand times smaller.
We will be able to use it not only in defence but also in the national economy, including in solving the issue of energy supply in the Arctic and the lunar exploration programme. Thus this breakthrough strengthens both Russia's defence capability and the overall scientific and industrial potential for the future [...]
⚡️ Yesterday another test was successfully conducted: one more test of the Poseidon underwater unmanned vehicle, also equipped with a nuclear power unit. For the first time, we successfully launched it from a submarine by activating its booster engine, and then started the nuclear reactor [...]
The Poseidon surpasses all existing systems in speed and operational depth and currently has no equivalent and there will be none any time soon. The are also no interception methods.
Read in full
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#Announcement
📺 Don't miss Ambassador Andrei Kelin's upcoming interview with ITV News Europe Editor James Mates — airing tomorrow on ITV.
Key topics:
• Prospects for peace talks on Ukraine
• Western sanctions against Russia
• Russia-US strategic stability dialogue
• Eurasian security
Stay tuned!
📺 Don't miss Ambassador Andrei Kelin's upcoming interview with ITV News Europe Editor James Mates — airing tomorrow on ITV.
Key topics:
• Prospects for peace talks on Ukraine
• Western sanctions against Russia
• Russia-US strategic stability dialogue
• Eurasian security
Stay tuned!
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Forwarded from Russian MFA 🇷🇺
⚡️ Russia's Defence Ministry:
💬 Yesterday’s statement by Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Georgiy Tykhyi, prohibiting foreign and Ukrainian media from attempting to reach Ukrainian servicemen trapped in “pockets” through Russian-liberated territory, amounted to an official acknowledgment of the disastrous situation faced by the remnants of the Ukrainian armed forces in Krasnoarmeisk, Dimitrov, and Kupyansk.
By doing so, the official representative of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry effectively confirmed that there are no other routes for journalists or Ukrainian servicemen to enter or exit these “pockets” except through the Russian “humanitarian corridors”.
The ban on entering these areas via the corridors provided by the Russian Defence Ministry is necessary for the Kiev regime to conceal the real situation on the front line and to deceive both the international community and the people of Ukraine.
The ultimate goal of these actions is to preserve favourable conditions for the Kiev regime’s leadership to continue receiving and embezzling the financial resources supplied by its Western sponsors for the war against Russia.
💬 Yesterday’s statement by Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Georgiy Tykhyi, prohibiting foreign and Ukrainian media from attempting to reach Ukrainian servicemen trapped in “pockets” through Russian-liberated territory, amounted to an official acknowledgment of the disastrous situation faced by the remnants of the Ukrainian armed forces in Krasnoarmeisk, Dimitrov, and Kupyansk.
By doing so, the official representative of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry effectively confirmed that there are no other routes for journalists or Ukrainian servicemen to enter or exit these “pockets” except through the Russian “humanitarian corridors”.
The ban on entering these areas via the corridors provided by the Russian Defence Ministry is necessary for the Kiev regime to conceal the real situation on the front line and to deceive both the international community and the people of Ukraine.
The ultimate goal of these actions is to preserve favourable conditions for the Kiev regime’s leadership to continue receiving and embezzling the financial resources supplied by its Western sponsors for the war against Russia.
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🎙 Excerpt from Russian MFA Spox Maria Zakharova's weekly briefing on topical foreign policy issues (30 October 2025)
💬 We have taken note of an article by British independent journalist Kit Klarenberg. Citing declassified CIA documents, it details how MI6 provided financial, military, and other assistance to Nazi henchmen and Holocaust perpetrators – the so-called Forest Brothers and other paramilitary groups in Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia – after World War II.
Times change, but the Russophobic elements in the UK continue to pursue the same malign goals against Russia, using the same inhuman methods – supplying explosives and weapons, sponsoring assassinations and terrorist attacks and intimidating civilians. London's influence toolkit for dealing with those who oppose its neocolonial thinking and practices remains as ready as ever.
This malaise within the British political class appears to be incurable, only sprouting more terrible ulcers throughout British society.
How else can we explain the British leadership’s eagerness to act as patron to Vladimir Zelensky's neo-Nazi regime? Their methods of support, too, are unchanged: flooding the country with weapons and hardware, providing intelligence for sabotage and subversive actions deep inside Russia – far from the special military operation zone – and carrying out attacks on civilians, disinformation and staged provocations.
For their own selfish ends, the British are inciting the corrupt Kiev regime to fight on "to the last Ukrainian", whatever it takes.
Who dissuaded the Kiev regime from negotiating in the spring of 2022? The British – specifically, former PM Boris Johnson.
Those who receive such advice and "aid" from London would do well to remember the lessons of history. In their plans to contain and weaken Russia, British intelligence and politicians see their protégés as expendable, to be discarded as soon as they are no longer useful.
☝️ Another pertinent reminder from Klarenberg's work: despite being nurtured from abroad, the Forest Brothers were ultimately neutralised – a fate that awaits other destructive "projects" promoted by London.
Read in full
💬 We have taken note of an article by British independent journalist Kit Klarenberg. Citing declassified CIA documents, it details how MI6 provided financial, military, and other assistance to Nazi henchmen and Holocaust perpetrators – the so-called Forest Brothers and other paramilitary groups in Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia – after World War II.
Times change, but the Russophobic elements in the UK continue to pursue the same malign goals against Russia, using the same inhuman methods – supplying explosives and weapons, sponsoring assassinations and terrorist attacks and intimidating civilians. London's influence toolkit for dealing with those who oppose its neocolonial thinking and practices remains as ready as ever.
This malaise within the British political class appears to be incurable, only sprouting more terrible ulcers throughout British society.
How else can we explain the British leadership’s eagerness to act as patron to Vladimir Zelensky's neo-Nazi regime? Their methods of support, too, are unchanged: flooding the country with weapons and hardware, providing intelligence for sabotage and subversive actions deep inside Russia – far from the special military operation zone – and carrying out attacks on civilians, disinformation and staged provocations.
For their own selfish ends, the British are inciting the corrupt Kiev regime to fight on "to the last Ukrainian", whatever it takes.
Who dissuaded the Kiev regime from negotiating in the spring of 2022? The British – specifically, former PM Boris Johnson.
Those who receive such advice and "aid" from London would do well to remember the lessons of history. In their plans to contain and weaken Russia, British intelligence and politicians see their protégés as expendable, to be discarded as soon as they are no longer useful.
☝️ Another pertinent reminder from Klarenberg's work: despite being nurtured from abroad, the Forest Brothers were ultimately neutralised – a fate that awaits other destructive "projects" promoted by London.
Read in full
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Media is too big
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🎙 Watch Ambassador Andrei Kelin's interview with ITV News Europe Editor James Mates
Key talking points:
🟣 We have a long history of negotiations with Ukraine and we know that a simple ceasefire will achieve nothing because Ukraine will be very stubborn to negotiate further, encouraged by its allies not to do so. We had such a situation in April 2022, when we decided on a ceasefire. We even withdrew our contingent, which was not far from Kiev, as a sign of goodwill. But then former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson came and told Ukraine to fight.
🟣 Right now there is a large-scale encirclement around Pokrovsk and other cities and towns. We anticipate that it will be even more difficult for Ukrainian troops to hold their ground and avoid retreating in the coming weeks.
🟣 The United States has not conducted nuclear testing for 30 years. This [change of policy] would be a very serious step that would aggravate and escalate the situation, setting an example for others to resume nuclear testing.
🟣 We have suggested to the Americans to extend obligations in the strategic field for another year. So far, we haven't got a definitive answer as to whether or not they are prepared to do that. Experts say that we should initially prolong our obligations in this area and then enter into new negotiations. It is a possibility.
🟣 China is a serious strategic partner of ours. We have developed a very good friendship, and we stand shoulder-to-shoulder with China on many issues [...] If there is a rapprochement between the US and China, we do not mind — it can only be for the better.
Watch the interview on our YouTube channel
Key talking points:
Watch the interview on our YouTube channel
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⚓️ On 1 November 1899, the Russian cruiser Varyag first touched the waters — a ship destined to become one of the most storied vessels in Russia's naval history.
Launched in the Philadelphia shipyards, the Varyag gained immortal fame during the Russo-Japanese War when, surrounded by an overwhelming enemy fleet in the Battle of Chemulpo Bay in 1904, her crew chose to scuttle their ship rather than surrender. That act of defiance, immortalised in Russian song and legend, came to embody unyielding courage in the face of certain defeat.
Raised and refitted by Japan, the Varyag later returned to Russian hands during the First World War and was sent to Liverpool for repairs. But amid the chaos of revolution, her fate took another turn. When the new Soviet authorities refused to honour Imperial debts, Britain sold the ship to Germany. In 1920, during her final tow northwards, the Varyag met her end once more — wrecked off the coast of the Scottish village of Lendalfoot.
Today, a bronze memorial cross rises above that windswept shore, unveiled in 2007 to honour the ship and her crew. In its foundation lie capsules of Russian soil — a final link between the cruiser's homeland and the foreign coast where her voyage concluded. Though long lost to the waves, the Varyag endures as a bridge between nations and a testament to courage, duty, and sacrifice.
Launched in the Philadelphia shipyards, the Varyag gained immortal fame during the Russo-Japanese War when, surrounded by an overwhelming enemy fleet in the Battle of Chemulpo Bay in 1904, her crew chose to scuttle their ship rather than surrender. That act of defiance, immortalised in Russian song and legend, came to embody unyielding courage in the face of certain defeat.
Raised and refitted by Japan, the Varyag later returned to Russian hands during the First World War and was sent to Liverpool for repairs. But amid the chaos of revolution, her fate took another turn. When the new Soviet authorities refused to honour Imperial debts, Britain sold the ship to Germany. In 1920, during her final tow northwards, the Varyag met her end once more — wrecked off the coast of the Scottish village of Lendalfoot.
Today, a bronze memorial cross rises above that windswept shore, unveiled in 2007 to honour the ship and her crew. In its foundation lie capsules of Russian soil — a final link between the cruiser's homeland and the foreign coast where her voyage concluded. Though long lost to the waves, the Varyag endures as a bridge between nations and a testament to courage, duty, and sacrifice.
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Forwarded from Генеральное консульство России в Эдинбурге
🗓️ On 1 November 1899, one of the most famous ships of the Russian Navy, the cruiser “Varyag”, was launched.
On the first day of the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905, “Varyag” engaged in an unequal battle with a squadron of the Imperial Japanese Navy in an attempt to break a naval blockade and reach Port Arthur. During the battle, the ship suffered serious damage, but the crew did not waver under the barrage of enemy fire and chose to scuttle the cruiser to prevent it from falling into enemy hands.
📍Today, the memory of the legendary cruiser is immortalized not only in songs and books, but also in bronze. In 2007, a three-meter cross was erected in the Scottish village of Lendalfoot. Near this place the ship ran aground in 1920. Special capsules placed at its base contain soil from various parts of Russia, all connected in one way or another with the fate of the celebrated cruiser.
🕯 Denis Moskalenko, Consul General of Russia in Edinburgh, paid tribute to the heroism of the Russian sailors by laying a wreath at the “Varyag” monument.
On the first day of the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905, “Varyag” engaged in an unequal battle with a squadron of the Imperial Japanese Navy in an attempt to break a naval blockade and reach Port Arthur. During the battle, the ship suffered serious damage, but the crew did not waver under the barrage of enemy fire and chose to scuttle the cruiser to prevent it from falling into enemy hands.
📍Today, the memory of the legendary cruiser is immortalized not only in songs and books, but also in bronze. In 2007, a three-meter cross was erected in the Scottish village of Lendalfoot. Near this place the ship ran aground in 1920. Special capsules placed at its base contain soil from various parts of Russia, all connected in one way or another with the fate of the celebrated cruiser.
🕯 Denis Moskalenko, Consul General of Russia in Edinburgh, paid tribute to the heroism of the Russian sailors by laying a wreath at the “Varyag” monument.
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Forwarded from Russian MFA 🇷🇺
⚡️ Russia's Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova’s comment on the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists (2 November 2025)
💬 Observed on November 2, the International Day to End Impunity for #CrimesAgainstJournalists was established in 2013 by the 68th session of the #UNGA.
Its original objective consisted of alerting the international community to the importance of protecting media professionals from criminal and terrorist attacks, while also stressing the fundamental principle where no crimes against journalists would be left unpunished.
❗️ However, this initiative has not lived up to the expectations of its initiators. In fact, the situation in this domain has been steadily deteriorating for over ten years since this day was established.
While all countries seem to recognise the need to ensure safety for journalists’ work without any distinction, at least by paying lip service to this principle, many countries of the so-called collective West have made a new normal out of segregating media professionals as friends and foes. And they have no qualms subjecting those whom they view as foes to repression and threats of all kinds in an effort to cleanse the information space from undesirable perspectives.
In fact, this is also a form of lawlessness and arbitrary political practices — something those who established this international day wanted to end.
👉 You can find more details about these arbitrary actions on the main page of the Foreign Ministry’s official website in the section titled Foreign Reprisals against Russian Journalists and Media.
In doing so, the West believes in its exceptionalism and unaccountability, and goes as far as allow its puppets in Kiev to step up these activities by encouraging its terrorist actions. This sense of impunity for killing journalists and carrying out terrorist attacks against them has prompted the Kiev regime to perpetrate more bloody crimes with the backing of its Western curators.
Since the beginning of this year alone, at least six members of Russian media outlets have perished. Alexander Martemyanov, Alexander Fedorchak, Andrey Panov, Anna Prokofyeva, Nikita Goldin, and Ivan Zuev joined the long list of civilian victims who fell at the hands of the Ukrainian Nazis <...>.
Those tasked with ensuring that journalists stay safe and have a mandate to respond to any reported attacks against media professionals bear their share of responsibility for these atrocities. However, multilateral human rights structures such as the UNOHCHR, the UNESCO Secretariat, the OSCE and other entities have been camping on politically biased positions by intentionally turning a blind eye to the violent deaths of media representatives <...>.
The scandalous UNESCO Director-General’s Report on the Safety of Journalists and the Danger of Impunity for 2022-2023, published in December 2024, offers a telling example of how a selective approach to fulfilling this mandate can lead for deplorable consequences. This report knowingly ignores information about Russian journalists and frontline correspondents who were killed by the Ukrainian Banderites.
<...>
This report contained serious distortions in its assessments which undermined its reputation as a reliable and accurate source of information about the state of affairs in this domain, while also dealing a blow to the UNESCO Director General Audrey Azoulay’s reputation. We do hope that with the upcoming appointment of a new leader, UNESCO will be able to step up its efforts in protecting the safety of journalists by reaffirming its commitment to the basic principles of working in good faith in an equidistant and impartial manner.
☝️ We reaffirm our resolve to stand up and assert the professional rights of Russian media abroad, and will be consistent in our efforts to ensure that they can work safely anywhere in the world, while ensuring that those guilty of committing crimes against Russian journalists get the punishment they deserve.
Read in full
💬 Observed on November 2, the International Day to End Impunity for #CrimesAgainstJournalists was established in 2013 by the 68th session of the #UNGA.
Its original objective consisted of alerting the international community to the importance of protecting media professionals from criminal and terrorist attacks, while also stressing the fundamental principle where no crimes against journalists would be left unpunished.
❗️ However, this initiative has not lived up to the expectations of its initiators. In fact, the situation in this domain has been steadily deteriorating for over ten years since this day was established.
While all countries seem to recognise the need to ensure safety for journalists’ work without any distinction, at least by paying lip service to this principle, many countries of the so-called collective West have made a new normal out of segregating media professionals as friends and foes. And they have no qualms subjecting those whom they view as foes to repression and threats of all kinds in an effort to cleanse the information space from undesirable perspectives.
In fact, this is also a form of lawlessness and arbitrary political practices — something those who established this international day wanted to end.
👉 You can find more details about these arbitrary actions on the main page of the Foreign Ministry’s official website in the section titled Foreign Reprisals against Russian Journalists and Media.
In doing so, the West believes in its exceptionalism and unaccountability, and goes as far as allow its puppets in Kiev to step up these activities by encouraging its terrorist actions. This sense of impunity for killing journalists and carrying out terrorist attacks against them has prompted the Kiev regime to perpetrate more bloody crimes with the backing of its Western curators.
Since the beginning of this year alone, at least six members of Russian media outlets have perished. Alexander Martemyanov, Alexander Fedorchak, Andrey Panov, Anna Prokofyeva, Nikita Goldin, and Ivan Zuev joined the long list of civilian victims who fell at the hands of the Ukrainian Nazis <...>.
Those tasked with ensuring that journalists stay safe and have a mandate to respond to any reported attacks against media professionals bear their share of responsibility for these atrocities. However, multilateral human rights structures such as the UNOHCHR, the UNESCO Secretariat, the OSCE and other entities have been camping on politically biased positions by intentionally turning a blind eye to the violent deaths of media representatives <...>.
The scandalous UNESCO Director-General’s Report on the Safety of Journalists and the Danger of Impunity for 2022-2023, published in December 2024, offers a telling example of how a selective approach to fulfilling this mandate can lead for deplorable consequences. This report knowingly ignores information about Russian journalists and frontline correspondents who were killed by the Ukrainian Banderites.
<...>
This report contained serious distortions in its assessments which undermined its reputation as a reliable and accurate source of information about the state of affairs in this domain, while also dealing a blow to the UNESCO Director General Audrey Azoulay’s reputation. We do hope that with the upcoming appointment of a new leader, UNESCO will be able to step up its efforts in protecting the safety of journalists by reaffirming its commitment to the basic principles of working in good faith in an equidistant and impartial manner.
☝️ We reaffirm our resolve to stand up and assert the professional rights of Russian media abroad, and will be consistent in our efforts to ensure that they can work safely anywhere in the world, while ensuring that those guilty of committing crimes against Russian journalists get the punishment they deserve.
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🇷🇺 Russia marks National Unity Day on 4 November.
Commemorating one of the defining moments in its history, this date honours the resolve of the Russian people who, more than four centuries ago, united to end the Time of Troubles — a period of foreign occupation and deep internal discord.
Under the leadership of Kuzma Minin and Prince Dmitry Pozharsky, ordinary citizens rose to defend their homeland, restore stability and lay the foundations of a renewed Russian state.
Today, Unity Day celebrates not only that historic victory, but also the enduring values it represents — devotion to the Motherland, respect for ancestral heritage and the collective strength of Russia's diverse, multi-ethnic people.
Commemorating one of the defining moments in its history, this date honours the resolve of the Russian people who, more than four centuries ago, united to end the Time of Troubles — a period of foreign occupation and deep internal discord.
Under the leadership of Kuzma Minin and Prince Dmitry Pozharsky, ordinary citizens rose to defend their homeland, restore stability and lay the foundations of a renewed Russian state.
Today, Unity Day celebrates not only that historic victory, but also the enduring values it represents — devotion to the Motherland, respect for ancestral heritage and the collective strength of Russia's diverse, multi-ethnic people.
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Forwarded from Russian MFA 🇷🇺
🇷🇺 November 4 – National Unity Day – a defining moment in Russia's history, which predetermined its course for centuries to come.
On this day, 413 years ago, in 1612, the people’s militia led by Nizhny Novgorod elder Kuzma Minin and Prince Dmitry Pozharsky expelled the Polish-Lithuanian invaders from the Moscow Kremlin. This day became a symbol of the unity of the people – ready to rise in defense of their Motherland in the face of both foreign threats and internal struggles.
I. BACKGROUND
At the dawn of the 17th century, the Russian state entered one of the gravest crises in its history. Following the death of Tsar Fyodor Ioannovich (1557-1598), the last ruler of the Moscow branch of the Rurik dynasty, the country was left without a legitimate heir. The dynastic line that had ruled Rus’ for seven centuries was severed.
The absence of a lawful monarch sparked a wave of impostors. One after another, men emerged claiming to be the “miraculously saved Tsarevich Dmitry”, the son of Ivan the Terrible who had died under mysterious circumstances in Uglich in 1591. There were at least four such pretenders – each backed by foreign powers, promising the Polish-Lithuanian elites influence and land in exchange for the Russian throne.
II. THE TIME OF TROUBLES
False Dmitry I (1605-1606), who seized power with the support of Polish King Sigismund III, was quickly overthrown and killed. The throne then passed to Vasily Shuisky (1606-1610), a member of the Suzdal branch of the Rurik dynasty in Moscow, but his rule brought no peace. Soon another pretender, False Dmitry II (1607-1610), appeared and established his camp in Tushino near Moscow. The country found itself divided between two tsars, two governments, and two capitals.
Shuisky’s attempt to enlist Swedish support provoked open Polish intervention. Sigismund III’s troops besieged Smolensk and later entered Moscow. After Shuisky’s overthrow, power passed to the Boyar Duma (the Seven Boyars), who swore allegiance to Sigismund’s son Prince Władysław. A Polish garrison occupied the Kremlin, and Russia stood on the brink of losing its sovereignty altogether.
III. THE PEOPLE’S MILITIA
By early 1611, the lawlessness and violence of the Polish garrisons occupying Moscow and other cities provoked a surge of national outrage and resistance across the land. In Ryazan, the First People’s Militia was formed and attempted to liberate the capital. In the spring of 1611, it marched toward Moscow and even managed to seize part of the city. But internal divisions among its leaders, as well as a shortage of supplies and weapons, led to its failure.
After this setback, inspired by Patriarch Hermogenes’ call to unite in defense of faith and Fatherland, Nizhny Novgorod elder Kuzma Minin took the initiative to form the Second People’s Militia. Prince Dmitry Pozharsky was chosen as the military commander. By the summer of 1612, representatives of all Russian classes and regions had joined their ranks. That autumn, the militia reached Moscow, captured Kitay-Gorod after fierce battles, and forced the Polish garrison in the Kremlin to surrender.
IV. THE RESTORATION OF STATEHOOD
When the invaders were driven out of the capital, it was time to restore a united country. The Poles’ attempts to alter the course of history failed – thanks to the courage of the people and their heroes.
In early 1613, delegates from across Russia – nobles, clergy, townsmen, and Cossacks – gathered in Moscow for a Zemsky Sobor (National Assembly). After long debate, the choice fell upon sixteen-year-old Mikhail Fyodorovich Romanov. His election marked the end of the Time of Troubles and the beginning of a new royal dynasty under which the country regained long-awaited stability.
In Russia, National Unity Day has been celebrated for two decades – since 2005. The holiday, revived in memory of the 1612 feat, has rightfully taken its place in the national calendar as a symbol of unity and patriotism of Russia’s multiethnic people.
📜 Learn more about the holiday's history in our retrospective article
On this day, 413 years ago, in 1612, the people’s militia led by Nizhny Novgorod elder Kuzma Minin and Prince Dmitry Pozharsky expelled the Polish-Lithuanian invaders from the Moscow Kremlin. This day became a symbol of the unity of the people – ready to rise in defense of their Motherland in the face of both foreign threats and internal struggles.
I. BACKGROUND
At the dawn of the 17th century, the Russian state entered one of the gravest crises in its history. Following the death of Tsar Fyodor Ioannovich (1557-1598), the last ruler of the Moscow branch of the Rurik dynasty, the country was left without a legitimate heir. The dynastic line that had ruled Rus’ for seven centuries was severed.
The absence of a lawful monarch sparked a wave of impostors. One after another, men emerged claiming to be the “miraculously saved Tsarevich Dmitry”, the son of Ivan the Terrible who had died under mysterious circumstances in Uglich in 1591. There were at least four such pretenders – each backed by foreign powers, promising the Polish-Lithuanian elites influence and land in exchange for the Russian throne.
II. THE TIME OF TROUBLES
False Dmitry I (1605-1606), who seized power with the support of Polish King Sigismund III, was quickly overthrown and killed. The throne then passed to Vasily Shuisky (1606-1610), a member of the Suzdal branch of the Rurik dynasty in Moscow, but his rule brought no peace. Soon another pretender, False Dmitry II (1607-1610), appeared and established his camp in Tushino near Moscow. The country found itself divided between two tsars, two governments, and two capitals.
Shuisky’s attempt to enlist Swedish support provoked open Polish intervention. Sigismund III’s troops besieged Smolensk and later entered Moscow. After Shuisky’s overthrow, power passed to the Boyar Duma (the Seven Boyars), who swore allegiance to Sigismund’s son Prince Władysław. A Polish garrison occupied the Kremlin, and Russia stood on the brink of losing its sovereignty altogether.
III. THE PEOPLE’S MILITIA
By early 1611, the lawlessness and violence of the Polish garrisons occupying Moscow and other cities provoked a surge of national outrage and resistance across the land. In Ryazan, the First People’s Militia was formed and attempted to liberate the capital. In the spring of 1611, it marched toward Moscow and even managed to seize part of the city. But internal divisions among its leaders, as well as a shortage of supplies and weapons, led to its failure.
After this setback, inspired by Patriarch Hermogenes’ call to unite in defense of faith and Fatherland, Nizhny Novgorod elder Kuzma Minin took the initiative to form the Second People’s Militia. Prince Dmitry Pozharsky was chosen as the military commander. By the summer of 1612, representatives of all Russian classes and regions had joined their ranks. That autumn, the militia reached Moscow, captured Kitay-Gorod after fierce battles, and forced the Polish garrison in the Kremlin to surrender.
IV. THE RESTORATION OF STATEHOOD
When the invaders were driven out of the capital, it was time to restore a united country. The Poles’ attempts to alter the course of history failed – thanks to the courage of the people and their heroes.
In early 1613, delegates from across Russia – nobles, clergy, townsmen, and Cossacks – gathered in Moscow for a Zemsky Sobor (National Assembly). After long debate, the choice fell upon sixteen-year-old Mikhail Fyodorovich Romanov. His election marked the end of the Time of Troubles and the beginning of a new royal dynasty under which the country regained long-awaited stability.
In Russia, National Unity Day has been celebrated for two decades – since 2005. The holiday, revived in memory of the 1612 feat, has rightfully taken its place in the national calendar as a symbol of unity and patriotism of Russia’s multiethnic people.
📜 Learn more about the holiday's history in our retrospective article
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