Russian Embassy in South Africa
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Official channel for the Russian Embassy in the Republic of South Africa - Latest foreign policy, cultural, economic news. We take digital diplomacy seriously, share information on all things Russia-related
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📚Anti-apartheid literature in the Soviet Union

Anti-apartheid writer Peter Abrahams (1919–2017) was well-known in the Soviet Union. His novel “The Path of Thunder” first was translated into Russian in 1949 and was reprinted many times until the late 1980s with hundreds of thousands of copies.

In the Soviet Union this South African work was used by the Soviet Ministry of Education to learn English. Even a textbook for English learners was based on this novel.

📒 Abrahams was inspired by Afro-American realist fiction. Es’kia Mphahlele noted that for black writers in South Africa “realism burst into full blossom” in the 1940s. Abrahams’ novels continued Mphahlele “were to provide an inspiration for later fiction – that of the next decade.” In South Africa Abrahams became a role model for black journalists and fiction writers of the 1950s.

Richard Rive, a prominent South African author and academic, believed that Abrahams’s realism also comes from the social realist traditions of the prose produced in the Soviet Union in the first half of the twentieth century. Rive pointed out that “Abrahams was intent on showing social conflict in the broad, political sense of the word.”

In the Soviet Union, where South African fiction often had bigger print runs that in South Africa, “The Path of Thunder” became the first widely known African novel. Through Abrahams’s work readers in the Soviet Union were first introduced to anti-apartheid fiction, long before they read novels by Alex La Guma, Andre Brink or Nadine Gordimer.

Moreover, “The Path of Thunder: was adapted for ballet by Azerbaijani composer Gara Garayev in 1957. The ballet was performed at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow and the Kirov Ballet in Leningrad. In 1956, in Armenia, Stepan Kevorkov and Erasm Karamyan directed a drama based on Abrahams’s novel, which was seen by millions of people across the Soviet Union.

The materials provided by the Center for Southern Africa Studies of the Institute (https://www.inafran.ru/en/).

#pagesofcommonhistory #russia #sovietunion #russiasouthafrica #ussr #humanrightsday #africa #literature
🚘 Soviet and Russian motor vehicles in South Africa

The Lada Niva, a Soviet-made four-wheel-drive vehicle, first became available in South Africa in 1988. As the anti-apartheid sanctions were in force, the Soviet Union did authorise exports to South Africa. Hundreds of Nivas were imported from Western Europe, without after-market support. Only after South Africa’s transition to democracy authorised imports, supported by nationwide marketing campaigns, began.

In the late 1990s, the cars were shipped directly from Russia, with a full range of spares and technical support. The inexpensive and practical all-terrainer was welcomed by car enthusiasts in South Africa.

🚙 The ability to perform over rugged terrain and its affordability made the Lada Niva an excellent choice for South Africans. The economical car had permanent four-wheel-drive, five-speed gearbox with high and low range and a diff lock. For a small recreational vehicl, it had a huge fuel tank. Its 1.7-litre four-cylinder engine delivered 127Nm of torque.

The slightly modified Niva, now known as Lada Legend, is still produced in Russia and exported to several countries in Asia and Africa. The car, originally developed for Russia’s rural areas and launched in 1976, was the first mass-produced off-road vehicle with a monocoque structure and a permanent all-wheel-drive system.

The Lada took part in the Paris–Dakar Rally and reached the North Pole, the Antarctic and Everest. Nowadays, the Lada Niva/Legend is the world’s longest-running 4x4 still in production in its original form.

🛞 It has also enjoyed enthusiast societies on several continents. The Lada Owners Club of Southern Africa was formed in 2000. It has continued to operate after 2003 when the Lada Niva imports were discontinued. The club’s official Facebook group has nearly four thousand members: https://www.facebook.com/groups/LOCSA/

The materials provided by the Center for Southern Africa Studies of the Institute (https://www.inafran.ru/en/).

#pagesofcommonhistory #russia #sovietunion #russiasouthafrica #ussr #humanrightsday #africa
🪖Mikhail Kalashnikov, the inventor of the iconic AK-47 automatic rifle, and South Africa

We continue the series of joint publications with the Institute for African Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences "Russia - South Africa in the XX century: pages of common history", timed to the 300th anniversary of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the 65th anniversary of the Institute, as well as the 30th anniversary of the first democratic elections in South Africa.

🇿🇦 The Soviet engineer Mikhail Kalashnikov designed the AK-47 (the Avtomat Kalashnikova), a weapon that gained an iconic status during wars of liberation worldwide including South Africa.

The 78-year-old major-general said that he produced the AK-47 after the Second World War to help protect the borders of his country. Decades later the light automatic gun with a short barrel meant to be fired from the hip or shoulder became the preferred weapon of South Africa’s freedom fighters. The Soviet Union provided AK-47s to the ANC military wing Umkhonto we Sizwe. By the time of Kalashnikov’s trip to South Africa in 1997 approximately 70 million AK-47s had been produced. The rifle’s popularity with anti-apartheid fighters stemmed from its robust durability.

The inventor of the legendary rifle travelled to South Africa to mark the 50th anniversary of his best-known design, the world’s most popular automatic rifle AK-47. “The main purpose of my work,” - as he recounted to a South African journalist - “was to design a sub-machine gun for soldiers who did not graduate from military academies. I wanted them to have simple and reliable weapons in their hands.”

During his stay Kalashnikov visited the factory in Pretoria where the Vektor R4, the standard service rifle of the South African Defence Force, was produced. He also spent several days in Western Cape attending a function in his honour at the Castle in Cape Town and hunting springbok at a game farm near Ceres. He was impressed by the friendly disposition of South Africans towards Russia, their optimism, similar problems of building a democratic society.

📝The materials provided by the Center for Southern Africa Studies of the Institute (https://www.inafran.ru/en/).

#pagesofcommonhistory #russia #sovietunion #russiasouthafrica #ussr #humanrightsday #africa
South African educators are taking part in the annual “Summer Institute” project held at the Industrial University of Tyumen.

🔋Tyumen hosts the project this year with 25 educators representing universities from South Africa, China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Iraq, Mongolia, Serbia and Nigeria. This season the programme is dedicated to the topic “Oil Horizons of Siberia” - and closely linked with one of the university's research areas. Participants will be offered professional modules in the field of oil and gas complemented by a rich cultural programme that will introduce educators to the history and traditions of Siberia.

🔗 It is the first time when South Africans take part in the project. We hope to engage even more higher institutions representatives next year. To learn more about the project one may follow the link: https://summerinstitute.ru/en/?ysclid=lz83jvbn6w222042760

#russia #russian #educationinrussia #russiasouthafrica #tyumen
🇷🇺🇿🇦⚡️A major cultural event: Days of #Russia’s Spiritual Culture in South Africa (Sept 5-8, 2024)

We’re thrilled to announce the first-ever Days of Russia’s Spiritual Culture, presented by ANO Russian Seasons and supported by the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation, kicking off on Thursday, Sept 5, in South Africa!

🎻 Grand Opening Concert by the Chamber Ensemble “Soloists of Moscow” led by world-renowned Yuri Bashmet – violist & conductor, People's Artist of the Soviet Union – will take place on Sept 5 at 19h30 at the Linder Auditorium (University of the Witwatersrand) in Johannesburg.

The playbill will include three important names for Russian music of different epochs: Pyotr Tchaikovsky, Dmitry Shostakovich, Kuzma Bodrov.

🎼 The concert program will feature:

Chamber Symphony in C minor by Dmitry Shostakovich, Serenade in C major for string orchestra op. 48 by Pyotr Tchaikovsky, and Reflections of the theme of Paganini's 24th Caprice by Kuzma Bodrov.

🎶 Soloists: Yuri Bashmet (viola), Andrey Poskrobko, Arina Shevlyakova, Olga Kolgatina, Kirill Kravtsov, Mikhail Ashurov (violin).

On Sept 6, Yuri Bashmet’s ensemble will perform at the Playhouse Theatre in Durban.

👉 Get your tickets via the LINK

#RussianSeasons
#SpiritualCultureDays
#RussiaSouthAfrica
🇷🇺🎉🇿🇦 Days of Russia’s Spiritual Culture kick off in South Africa with the opening concert by legendary Yuri Bashmet and his Chamber Ensemble.

The musicians bring to life the works of three iconic Russian composers:

🎻 Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s beautiful Serenade for String Orchestra

🎻 Dmitri Shostakovich’s powerful Chamber Symphony

🎻 Contemporary composer Kuzma Bodrov’s Reflections – a Johannesburg premiere!

#RussianSpiritualDays
#RussiaSouthAfrica
On September 6, a Round Table titled «United in Spirit: Cultural Heritage and Traditional Values as the Basis for Humanitarian Cooperation and Mutual Understanding between Russia and South Africa» was held at the University of South Africa as part of the Days of Russia’s Spiritual Culture.

🤝 Participants highlighted deep and enduring ties between Russia and South Africa, including in the context of struggle against colonialism.

☝️ Drafting a joint museum project within the framework of #BRICS was proposed, aimed at preservation and promotion of literary heritage.

🇷🇺🤝🇿🇦 The discussion concluded with a Q&A session, allowing participants to engage directly and explore further collaboration.

#RussianSpiritualDays #RussiaSouthAfrica
🇷🇺🎶🇿🇦 On 8 September the Days of Russia’s Spiritual Culture in South Africa came to an end with the concert by the renowned Moscow Synodal Choir.

The Choir performed the masterpieces of Russian spiritual music of the 18-19 century. It was the first ever visit of the choristers to South Africa.

☦️ The event was held in the Russian Orthodox Church of St.Sergius in Johannesburg and gathered representatives of the diplomatic corps, church members and Russian compatriots living abroad.

🕊 We thank everyone who participated and attended the events within Days of Russia’s Spiritual Culture. The Embassy hopes to further successfully develop the cultural cooperation between the two countries.

#RussianSpiritualDays
#RussiaSouthAfrica
🇿🇦🎼 South African Zolani Youth Choir has wonthe Grand Prix at this year’s Moscow a Cappella Competition!

With over 1,500 participants from 13 countries, this year’s festival was a spectacular showcase of global talent. The festival featured hundreds of performances across various venues throughout the city.

🎉 Congratulations to the Zolani Youth Choir for their outstanding achievement!

#MusicFestival #MoscowACappella #RussiaSouthAfrica
On 11-14 September 2024 the X International Cultural Forum and the IX BRICS Ministers of Culture Meeting were held in St. Petersburg.

🎙️The St. Petersburg International United Cultures Forum is the largest event in the field of culture with international participation. In recent years, it has become a platform for discussing the most pressing ideological issues and issues of intercultural cooperation. The business programme of the Forum included 10 thematic sections that were chaired by public and political figures, representatives of the art sector in Russia.

As the Minister of Culture of the Russian Federation Olga Lyubimova mentioned TASS, the Forum in 2024 gathered more participants than in previous years with many foreign citizens coming not among official delegations, but as people who love Russian culture.

Representatives of the 80 states attended the Forum with many coming to the meeting of the heads of executive authorities in the field of culture and the BRICS ministerial meeting.

🇿🇦South Africa was represented by Minister of Sport, Arts, and Culture Gayton McKenzie who on the sidelines of the event emphasized the decisive role played by the USSR in supporting South Africa’s fight for freedom and sovereignty, specifically highlighting the USSR's provision of refuge to South African leaders, and named unbreakable relations between two countries.

#BRICS #BRICS2024 #RussiaSouthAfrica
South African theater companies took part in the International Theater Festival “Baltic House”

🎭 On 4-14 October the XXXIV International Theater Festival “Baltic House” was held in St Petersburg. More than 300 theaters from 32 countries have taken part in the Festival during its existence, each year revealing to the public new names of the world theatrical culture. China and South Africa were the focus of this year's programme.

🔸Two theater groups from South Africa introduced their performances to the Russian audience. The Abrahamse and Meyer Productions (Cape Town) staged “Hamlet” in the best traditions of Shakespearean theater. According to Fred Abrahamse, the play acquires a new meaning depending on the stage space and each time the audience sees a new performance, unique and exclusive.

🔸 African Tree Productions (Johannesburg) introduced two plays directed by Seiphemo Motswiri: “The System” and “Be a Better Dog”. The productions give an extensive insight into African life and culture. While the focus of “System” is on the social problems of homelessness, crime, cruelty and compassion, the mono-performance “Be a Better Dog” tells the story of a simple dog, which passes from one owner to another and asks itself quite human questions - about whether it has the power to change the course of events?

🇷🇺🇿🇦The plays were a great success. We express our hope for further engagement in the performing art.

#russia #russian #stpetersburg #theater #russiasouthafrica
Forwarded from Russian MFA 🇷🇺
#RussiaSouthAfrica #BRICS2024

🇷🇺🇿🇦 On October 17, Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and South African Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Ronald Lamola spoke over the phone.

The Sides discussed the development of bilateral relations and preparations for the first ministerial conference of the #RussiaAfrica Partnership Forum in Sochi on November 9-10, and the BRICS Summit in Kazan on October 22-24.
Forwarded from Russian MFA 🇷🇺
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#BRICS2024

🇷🇺🇿🇦 Russia’s President Vladimir Putin and President of South Africa Cyril Ramaphosa hold talks on the sidelines of the XVI BRICS Summit.

📍 Kazan, October 22, 2024

#RussiaSouthAfrica
#BRICS2024 #RussiaSouthAfrica

💬 President #Putin: Russia and the Republic of South Africa closely coordinate their efforts on the international stage to establish a fair multipolar world order.

🔗 https://tinyurl.com/3kaw3sde

Picture credit: Stanislav Krasilnikov / Photohost agency brics-russia2024.ru
💃 On 19 October the State Kremlin Palace was again a center of attraction for dance fans - it hosted the “VI Kremlin Cup”, which has already become a symbol of the Russian ballroom dancing.

23 couples in the group of the professionals including representatives from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Georgia, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, China, Romania, Uzbekistan, Croatia, and South Africa took part in the event.

🇿🇦The performance of the South African couple Mira-Elena Tokarenko and Ryno van den Berg was dedicated to the end of their thirty-year dancing career. They chose for this occasion the Moscow parquet on which Ryno had been performing in Russia for many years. This time it was an amazingly beautiful pasodoble, with absolutely stunning playing by Ryno's cape.

👏 Our congratulations to the couple on their successful participation in the event and completion of their career!

#russia #moscow #russiasouthafrica #kremlin #southsfricansinrussia
📣The Federal Agency for Youth Affairs of the Russian Federation invites young activists to participate in the Youth conference “Russia – Africa: power and opportunities of NGOs in strengthening youth cooperation”.

👩‍💻The event will take place online on 6-7 November 2024 (10:00 - 14:00 SA time) in the online format.

The aim of the event is to establish friendly and professional ties between Russian and African leaders and NGOs, discuss conditions for the development of joint projects and learn valuable recommendations from experts on the development of youth cooperation between Russia and African countries.

🔗 Registration is available via the link till 5 November 2024.

Simultaneous translation into Russian, Arabic, French, English, Portuguese will be available.

#russiaafrica #russiasouthafrica #youth #ngo
On 1 Nov 2024, Ambassador-designate of Russia to South Africa H.E.Mr.Roman Ambarov presented copies of his Letter of Credence to Mr. Clayson Monyela, Acting Chief of State Protocol of the Republic of South Africa.

🇷🇺🇿🇦During the meeting the sides emphasised the unprecedented level of Russian-South African cooperation and stressed the enormous personal contribution of the heads of states to the development of bilateral relations.

🤝The parties confirmed focus on coordinating work within multilateral formats, including BRICS and G20, as well as other international and regional issues of mutual interest.

#RussiaSouthAfrica #RussiaSArelations #Ambarov
🇷🇺🇿🇦On November 10, in Sochi, on the sidelines of the First Ministerial Conference of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum, a meeting was held between Special Presidential Representative for the Middle East and Africa, Deputy Foreign Minister of Russia Mr. Mikhail Bogdanov and Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation of South Africa Ms. Thandi Moraka.

🤝 During the conversation, the sides discussed topical issues of further progressive development of the Russian-South African strategic partnership, specifically the expansion of effective cooperation in trade, economic, scientific, technical and other areas.

The unwavering commitment of Moscow and Pretoria to deepening political dialogue and coordinating actions in the UN, BRICS, G20 and other multilateral formats was also confirmed, including in the interests of the speedy resolution of crises and conflicts in Africa and the Middle East.

Pictures by Sergey Kulakov / Roscongress photo bank

#RussiaAfrica #RussiaSouthAfrica #RussiaSArelations