Ever ask yourself a question ❓ What do you really know about Russia? What lies have the MSM spoon-fed you?

'Inland Visions' follows host Sean Thomas across the country to shed those stereotypes. Prepare to discover Russia anew and see a new perspective on what the largest country in the world is all about.

📹 This time the programme explores the enchanting palace of Peterhof, dubbed the 'Russian Versailles'.

Known for its grand architecture, impressive fountains, and beautifully landscaped gardens, the royal estate near St. Petersburg embodies grandeur and luxury of the Russian Empire.

⛲️ One of Peterhof’s main highlights is its fountains. The Grand Cascade, with over 60 fountains and numerous statues, is an engineering marvel that relies entirely on gravity to function — no pumps are used.

🏰 Not only the fountains are remarkable — the Grand Palace, a lavish residence with opulent rooms & stunning interiors, also showcases the lifestyle of the Russian nobility.

Join 'Inland Visions' on a royal journey through captivating interiors, find peace in the heavenly gardens, and see what it takes to make hundreds of fountains work simultaneously!

🎙 Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova’s comment on the demise of Lebanese journalists

💬 The Foreign Ministry expresses its deep concern regarding the escalation of violence in Lebanon.

We have received numerous reports of civilian deaths as a result of massive indiscriminate strikes by the Israeli military against densely populated residential areas in Beirut and other Lebanese cities. Many journalists and media personnel were among the civilians who were killed or injured in these attacks.

According to the latest updates, on the night of October 25, the Israeli Air Force launched airstrikes on a residential sector in the southern Lebanese town of Hasbaiyya, killing two employees of Al Mayadin TV network and a cameraman for Al Manar TV. Other members of the media were also wounded, since El Jadid and Al Jazeera television crews were also inside the building at the time of the Israeli aggression. Recently, the Israelis attacked Al-Mayadeen’s office in Beirut.

It is abundantly clear that these were targeted attacks against Al Mayadeen and its staff. This is yet another clear example of the Israeli military’s desire to use any means and methods at its disposal to eradicate any sources of alternative views on regional developments. Civilian casualties – and journalists are equated to civilians – are regarded by West Jerusalem as “collateral damage.” It should be recalled that in southern Lebanon alone, according to preliminary data, the number of journalists killed over the past year is in the dozens.

At the same time, since the beginning of the military operation in the Gaza Strip, some 140 media workers have lost their lives while performing their professional duties.

We offer our sincere condolences to the relatives of the fallen journalists and express our solidarity with the leadership and people of Lebanon, which has been subjected to yet another armed aggression.

⚡️ Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova’s comment on the Israeli airstrikes targeting Iranian territory

According to the incoming reports, in the early hours of October 26, the Israeli Air Force, acting in coordination with the United States, carried out airstrikes targeting several facilities in the Iranian provinces of Tehran, Ilam and Khuzestan.

Iran reported that its air defence systems had been already placed on heightened combat alert and were able to intercept a sizable share of aerial bombs. Apart from two members of the Iranian military, no other casualties or wounded, including among civilians, including Russian residing in Iran, were reported.

The Foreign Ministry expresses its deep concern regarding the ongoing explosive escalation between Israel and the Islamic Republic. This situation poses a real threat to regional stability and security.

It is obvious that its root causes consist in the failure to settle the Israeli-Palestinian conflict based on UN Security Council and General Assembly resolutions, which provokes ever-growing tensions.

❗ We view bringing the military and political situation in the Middle East back to normal as an imperative, which would meet the interests of all the reasonable actors both within the region and beyond.

We urge all the stakeholders to exercise restraint, stop violence and prevent the situation from sliding towards a grave disaster.

It is high time that efforts to provoke Iran to respond cease. There must be an end to the spiral of uncontrolled escalation.

Russia is ready to work with all the parties to de-escalate the confrontation.

🎙 Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova’s answer to the question by Rossiya Segodnya news agency on the ratification of the Treaty on Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the Russian Federation and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (October 25, 2024)

❓Question: On October 14, President of Russia Vladimir Putin submitted to the State Duma a draft law on ratifying the Treaty on Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the Russian Federation and the DPRK, signed on June 19. How would you comment on this?

💬 Maria Zakharova: This document is a logical consequence of the longstanding relations of fraternal friendship and comprehensive cooperation between the two countries, which have reached an unprecedented high level.

Additionally, the ongoing shifts in the geopolitical situation necessitate a thorough update of the legal framework for mutually beneficial bilateral cooperation.

📄 The Treaty outlines the basic principles for developing Russia-DPRK ties, aimed at deepening our partnership and strategic cooperation across a wide range of areas prioritized by both states and fostering a just international system.

☝️ It is important to emphasize that the Document has a non-confrontational nature, is not aimed against third countries’ interests, and is oriented towards maintaining stability in Northeast Asia.

The draft federal law on its ratification was considered at the meeting of the State Duma Committee on International Affairs on October 23. The following day, the State Duma ratified the Treaty at its plenary meeting. Subsequently, this draft law will be reviewed at a plenary meeting of the Federation Council. Should the senators have no objections, it is expected to be approved in early November and submitted to President of Russia Vladimir Putin for signing.

The final phase of the ratification procedure will involve an exchange of Instruments of Ratification with the DPRK side. From that point on, the Treaty between Russia and the DPRK will have legal force.

🇷🇺🇰🇵 The Treaty is of unlimited duration.

🇷🇺🇰🇼 Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s statement and answers to media questions following talks with Foreign Minister of Kuwait Abdullah Ali Al-Yahya (Moscow, October 28, 2024)

💬 We welcomed the growing interest from the governments, agencies, and business circles from both countries in expanding bilateral cooperation across all areas.

We focused in particular on the material foundation of our relations managed by the Intergovernmental Commission on Trade, Economic, and Scientific and Technical Cooperation, which has not convened for some time. We agreed to expedite preparations for its seventh session in Moscow. We aim to accomplish this before the year runs out.

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An additional decision will be made to simplify visa regulations. Some time ago, Russia introduced electronic visas for many countries, including Kuwait. Our Kuwaiti friends informed us that they will soon make a similar decision, which will greatly streamline bureaucratic processes for visits to Kuwait and, accordingly, the Russian Federation.

✈️ Direct flights are another joint project that we expect to implement soon. Routes connecting Kuwait City to Moscow, Makhachkala, and Sochi are being discussed.

This will expand opportunities for tourism and people-to-people contacts, including businesspeople and cultural figures.

We also noted that the Agreement on Military-Technical Cooperation between the Government of the Russian Federation and the Government of the State of Kuwait entered into force this year. This agreement provides for establishing another intergovernmental commission to deal with this matter, allowing for collaboration in this area, including maintenance and modernisation of the military-technical products supplied to Kuwait by Russia earlier.

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We discussed international issues substantially, with a particular focus on the Middle East settlement. The top priorities include halting the escalation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and tensions that have been mounting along the Israel-Lebanon border. We reiterated the importance for urgent measures to cease hostilities, alleviate tensions, address humanitarian issues, and help refugees to return to their homes. Proper conditions must be put in place if we want to achieve these goals.

We must not lose sight of the long-term goal of achieving a lasting settlement as we work on these urgent matters. This goal can be achieved through a two-state solution with the establishment of 🇵🇸 a Palestinian state in line with UN resolutions. Our commitment to this goal was fully reaffirmed today.

We engaged in a discussion regarding the situation in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, where the obstruction of safe international navigation is an issue. In collaboration with Kuwait, we advocate for addressing this matter through political and diplomatic means, eschewing any resort to military force or strikes 🇾🇪 on Yemeni territory. In any event, this problem can only be definitively resolved through interethnic dialogue, involving all Yemeni parties and facilitated by the United Nations.

In relation to the 🇸🇾 Syrian Arab Republic, we have actively endorsed the normalisation process between Syria and the League of Arab States. Syria has been reinstated as a full-fledged member of this organisation. We support the prevailing sentiments among Arab countries towards assisting the Syrian Government in tackling critical social and economic challenges, primarily stemming from the illegal unilateral sanctions imposed by the United States and its allies.

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We exchanged views on the situation in Ukraine and expressed our gratitude to our Kuwaiti friends for their balanced and unbiased stance on this matter.

📄 Read in full

#RussiaKuwait

#InMemoryOfDiplomats

🌐 95 years ago, on October 29, 1929, Yevgeny Primakov was born – an eminent Soviet and Russian statesman, brilliant diplomat and Arabist. He went down in the history of Russian diplomacy as a steadfast proponent of realism and pragmatism and a staunch defender of Russia’s national interests.

• 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. While en 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 symbolised 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.

The memory of Yevgeny Primakov lives on in the hearts of several generations of scholars, journalists, and public officials. 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.

🎙 Comment by Russia's Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova on the latest US attacks on Russian media

💬 On the night of October 29, a film crew of the Izvestia Multimedia Information Centre, which was sent to the United States to cover the upcoming presidential election, was detained in the Washington airport.

Although the group had all the necessary permits issued in accordance with the declared goal of the visit, the local police confiscated their communications and other equipment and subjected them to hours-long examination.

As the result of that “conversation,” cameraman Vladimir Borovikov was denied entry, his visa was cancelled for administrative reasons, and a decision was taken to deport him from the United States.

Representatives of the Russian Embassy in the United States were denied permission to communicate with and provide assistance to that Russian citizen. The other crew members of the Russian broadcaster were allowed to enter the United States without any explanations or apologies and even granted accreditation, although with some restrictions, as media representatives.

❗️ We regard this as yet another violation of Washington’s commitments regarding free access to information and media pluralism.

The fact that the Russian journalists had notified the American authorities about their intentions well in advance and received an official permission to proceed with their editorial mission shows that their detention was a clear demonstration of the US administration’s readiness to use repressive measures to prevent the circulation of undesirable information at any time. Such actions fit into the logic of the global US campaign against Russian media and journalists, which directly contradicts both the United States’ international obligations and Constitution.

We will respond appropriately to this arbitrary US action.

✉️ Excerpt from the President of Russia Vladimir Putin's greetings to participants and guests at the 8th World Congress of Compatriots Living Abroad (October 30, 2024)

✍️ Russia is steadfastly intensifying its endeavours to support foreign compatriots.

✅ Most recently, the opportunities for restoring and acquiring Russian citizenship have been significantly expanded.

✅ The mechanisms of the State Voluntary Resettlement Programme, under which more than 1.2 million individuals have already entered our country, are being continuously enhanced.

✅ The Foundation for Supporting and Protecting the Rights of Compatriots Living Abroad allocates additional resources to those in need of legal assistance.

I am pleased to acknowledge that, despite the formidable challenges and harassment faced today in the West by citizens who uphold spiritual ties with Russia and share our moral values, over 400 representatives of Russian communities from more than a hundred states have assembled at this Congress.

🤝 Naturally, for delegates residing in unfriendly countries, travelling to Moscow to participate in this event demanded personal courage. I wish to express my sincere gratitude to those who, even under the most challenging circumstances, persist in actively defending the international standing of Russian culture and the Russian language.

I am confident that during the Congress, you will not only deliberate on the issues confronting Russian communities abroad today, but also propose new ideas and initiatives that will serve to consolidate the vast Russian world and realise its immense creative potential

🗓 November 1 marks the conclusion of a major #WWII battle — #OnThisDay 8️⃣0️⃣ years ago, the Red Army crushed the Nazis in the #BattleForTheArctic.

The Petsamo–Kirkenes offensive operation (carried out from October 7 to 29, 1944) resulted in the total defeat of the Nazi troops in the Northern regions of the #USSR and Norway. The Petsamo (now Pechenga in Russia) and the north-eastern regions of Norway were liberated from the Nazi occupation. The German Command’s plans of seizing the Kola Peninsula and the ice-free marine base of the Northern Fleet of the USSR in Murmansk were foiled.

By the autumn of 1944, a drastic change in the strategic situation in the northern area of the Soviet-German front created favourable conditions for the Red Army to launch an offensive to liberate the Arctic from the Nazis.

☝️ The defeat of the German-Finnish units in Karelia in the summer of 1944, followed by Finland’s withdrawal from #WWII (Finland fought on the side of the Third Reich and was Hitler’s main ally in the North), undermined the German armies’ positions in the Arctic, forcing the Nazi military command to move troops from Finland towards Petsamo and northern Norway — strategically important areas where the Germans controlled the production of copper, nickel ore and molybdenum. These vital resources for the German war machine were transported directly to the Reich.

The Nazis did everything in their power to maintain control of the occupied Soviet territories in the Arctic. That did not stop and could not have stopped the Red Army from liberating occupied territories.

They installed a number of fortified lines and reinforced concrete strongholds along a 150-kilometre-deep (!) defence line in an almost impassable forest and mountain area — the so-called Lapland granite bulwark. Deep within the Nazi defence there were the Luostari stronghold, Petsamo (Pechenga) and Kirkenes, which also served as naval bases and ports.

The Soviet forces during the offensive in the Arctic had to fight vs. a powerful and heavily-equipped German unit — the 19th Mountain Corps (formerly the German-Finnish Mountain Corps "Norway") of the 20th Wehrmacht Mountain Army manned with 53,000 soldiers and officers. This unit was reinforced with up to 160 aircraft of Luftflotte and the naval forces, which covered the main troops from the Barents Sea.

⚔️ In the morning of October 7, 1944, according to the order by the Soviet Supreme High Command, the Karelian Front forces (commander: Army General Kirill Meretskov) and the Northern Fleet (commander: Admiral Arseny Golovko), following a massive artillery preparation, launched an offensive along the entire frontline in the Arctic.

As soon as on October 15, the Red Army liberated Petsamo and Luostari. By October 22, the Karelian Front forces reached the border of northern Norway. By October 24, the Soviet soldiers were in vicinity of Kirkenes: the next day the city was liberated from the Nazi invaders.

The advance of the Red Army to Nazi-occupied Norway encouraged the local anti-fashist resistance movement, which with the assistance from the Soviet forces liberated East Finnmark and subsequently the entire north-eastern Norway up to the Tana River. By November 1, the Nazi invaders, sustaining about 30,000 casualties, started retreating to the west.

🎖During the Petsamo-Kirkenes offensive operation, Soviet soldiers and officers showed courage and self-sacrifice. A medal "For the Defence of the Soviet Arctic" was established in December 1944, and awarded to over 350,000 participants of the Battle for the Arctic. The honorary titles of "Pechenga" and "Kirkenes" were given to the names of 51 units of the Red Army for their heroism in the operation.

💬 Russian MFA Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova:

We regret to witness the way the Norwegian authorities and experts have been seeking to discredit our shared historical past by blatantly distorting the events involving the liberation from the Nazis of Norway’s north-eastern regions by the Red Army in October and November 1944.

#Victory79 #WeRemember

⚡️ Statement by the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation on the necessity of ending the economic, commercial and financial embargo on Cuba imposed by the United States

✍️ The Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation notes that the economic, commercial and financial embargo on the Republic of Cuba imposed by the United States (US) constitutes a clear violation of the generally recognised principles and norms of international law, including the Charter of the United Nations (UN).

The Senators of the Russian Federation emphasise that an overwhelming majority of UN member states have been supporting the legitimate demands by the people of Cuba to end the anti-Cuban sanctions policy by the United States. For more than 30 years now, they have been voting for adopting UN General Assembly resolutions on the necessity of ending the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the United States of America against Cuba.

The Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation calls for revoking the so-called Helms-Burton Act. Adopted by the United States on March 12, 1996, it violates the sovereign right of the people of Cuba and their foreign partners to freely promote mutually beneficial trade, economic and financial ties.

The Senators of the Russian Federation plead for immediately taking the Republic of Cuba off the list of states sponsoring terrorism after the US Department of State designated Cuba on this list in an illegal and arbitrary manner.

The Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation stands for further strengthening and expanding bilateral ties with the National Assembly of People’s Power of the Republic of Cuba.

🤝 The Senators of the Russian Federation emphasise that Russia and Cuba have a tradition of proceeding in their relations from the principles of friendship, trust and mutual respect. In this context, they intend to keep supporting the people of Cuba and their legitimate demands to end the restrictions which were imposed by the United States against the Republic of Cuba in violation of international law.

❗️The Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation proclaims the necessity of putting an unconditional end to the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the United States against the Republic of Cuba, and calls on the Inter-Parliamentary Union, other international parliamentary organisations and foreign parliaments to advocate efforts aimed at fulfilling the corresponding UN General Assembly resolutions as quickly as possible.

🎙 Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's opening remarks at the 8th World Congress of Compatriots

📍Moscow, October 30, 2024

💬 Sergey Lavrov: The situation on the international stage has not improved over the past three years since the previous congress held in October 2021.

The US-led collective West has actually redoubled its systemic efforts at containing Russia, launching a full-scale hybrid war against our country with the aim of inflicting a “strategic defeat” on it.

Washington and its NATO vassals are openly speaking about pushing Russia to the margins of global development.

But all efforts by those who wish evil to Russia are in vain, and are doomed to fail.

In fact, Russia has been carrying out the special military operation with great resolve and confidence in an effort to ensure its legitimate security interests and prevent Ukraine from turning into a hostile entity under NATO’s control. <...>

Make no mistake, Russia will achieve all the goals of the special military operation as defined by President Vladimir Putin. We will secure and reliably ensure Russia’s security, and enable our citizens and compatriots to live in honour and dignity, to live where their forefathers used to live, and to speak their mother tongue, preserve their history and their spiritual and moral values.

Attempts to isolate Russia on the international stage also failed miserably.

The nations of the Global Majority refused to toe the Western line and opted for forging closer ties with Russia in various settings and sectors. The outcomes of the BRICS Summit in Kazan, held as part of Russia’s chairmanship, prove this point. The people of the Global South and East understand that a sovereign and assertive Russia presents a major force in terms of shaping a multipolar world order with greater justice for all in keeping with the principles of the UN Charter not in word, but in deed. Instead of handpicking these principles at its discretion, Russia adheres to all of them considering their interconnected and holistic nature. This world order will reflect the interests and aspirations of the entire humankind, rather than just a few countries belonging to the so-called Golden Billion.

We do understand that the developments around the world have affected the way we operate. This is what President Vladimir Putin said in his message. The coordination councils for the organisations of compatriots and other associations of compatriots have come under serious pressure in unfriendly countries, including manifestations of a Russia-hating attitude, and other forms of discrimination, as well as attempts to cancel Russian culture and eliminate the Russian language from the public space and even from everyday life. There is also an effort to sow division within the global Orthodoxy.

Faced with this unprecedented pressure, you have preserved your spiritual, cultural and linguistic bond with your historical Motherland, and have been contributing to reinforcing our international standing. The fact that this congress brought together so many high-profile participants demonstrates that all attempts to alienate the members of the Russian world from one another will fail, no matter who tries to achieve this goal.

The theme of the Congress, Together with Russia, is more pertinent than ever. The current global situation necessitates additional exertion and synergy of efforts.

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❗️ The Russian government will continue to support your aspirations to benefit your historical Motherland, promote its economic growth and social progress, and strengthen its international role. There is no doubt that our joint efforts will help preserve and increase the creative potential of the Russian world as our legacy for future generations.