Russian Consulate in Cape Town

🎖️The Immortal Regiment Procession and Victory Day Celebration in Cape Town On 4 May 2025, Cape Town hosted the Immortal Regiment Procession and commemorative events dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the Victory in the World War II. Among the honored guests were His Excellency Mr.Ambarov, Ambassador of the Russian Federation in the Republic South Africa, members of the consular corps, prominent public figures and media representatives. In his address, Consul General of Russia in Cape Town Mr. Malenko emphasized the contribution of South Africans who fought in the armed forces of the Anti-Hitler Coalition to the shared victory over Nazism. He also recalled the solidarity shown by South African citizens with the Soviet people during the war: “South African society extended humanitarian support to our country. The International Friends of the Soviet Union Association organized charity campaigns and screened documentary films about life in the USSR. A symbolic event was the performance of Dmitri Shostakovich’s Leningrad Symphony in Johannesburg and Cape Town in the summer of 1944.” South African and foreign citizens whose relatives fought against Nazism took part in the procession. The event featured a festive performance by children from the Russian Children’s Centre and members of the local Russian community. The celebration concluded with a collective singing of wartime songs.

🎖️4 мая 2025 года в Кейптауне состоялись торжественное шествие Бессмертного полка и праздничные мероприятия, приуроченные к 80-й годовщине Победы в Великой Отечественной войне 1941-1945 гг. В числе почётных гостей присутствовали Чрезвычайный и Полномочный Посол Российской Федерации в Южно-Африканской Республике Р.Е. Амбаров, представители аккредитованного в Кейптауне консульского корпуса, видные общественные деятели и представители СМИ. С приветственным словом выступил Генеральный консул России в Кейптауне А.В. Маленко. Он подчеркнул вклад южноафриканцев, воевавших в вооруженных силах стран Антигитлеровской коалиции, в общую победу над нацизмом и напомнил о проявленной в годы войны солидарности её граждан с советским народом: «Южноафриканское общество оказывало гуманитарную поддержку нашей стране. Международная ассоциация друзей Советского Союза проводила благотворительные акции, организовывала показы документальных фильмов о жизни СССР. Знаковым событием стало исполнение Ленинградской симфонии Дмитрия Шостаковича в Йоханнесбурге и Кейптауне летом 1944 года». В шествии приняли участие южноафриканские и иностранные граждане, родственники которых сражались против нацизма. Перед собравшимися с праздничной программой выступили воспитанники Русского детского центра, неравнодушные соотечественники. Завершилось мероприятие коллективным исполнением песен военных лет.

#ArchivesSpeak The Public Relations Centre, in cooperation with the Central Archive of the Federal Security Service (FSB) of Russia, has published digital copies of newly declassified documentary materials from the archives of the FSB Directorate for the Ivanovo Region. These materials include interrogation records and handwritten testimonies of Hitler’s senior valet, SS-Sturmbannführer Heinz Linge, and Hitler’s personal adjutant, SS-Sturmbannführer Otto Gunsche. Their statements shed light on the final days of the Nazi dictator’s life. *** 🗓The Berlin Offensive began on April 16, 1945. By April 21, Red Army units had reached the north-eastern suburbs of Berlin. The 1941−1945 Great Patriotic War culminated in the capture of Berlin in April 1945 and the defeat of Nazi Germany. In the lead-up to the assault on Berlin, Soviet state security bodies launched a manhunt for Nazi war criminals. On April 30, 1945, the Red Army began operations in the government district near the Reich Chancellery. In its underground bunker, commonly known as the Fuhrerbunker, Adolf Hitler and his inner circle had taken refuge. That same day, Hitler and his wife committed suicide using potassium cyanide. To conduct the manhunt, the Berlin-based SMERSH (Death to Spies) Counterintelligence Directorate (CID) of the 1st Byelorussian Front established the Central Operational Group (COG) under the command of Major General Grigory Melnikov, the 1st Byelorussian Front’s SMERSH CID deputy chief. Several members of Hitler’s inner circle were detained by SMERSH operatives. On May 5, 1945, the SMERSH Counterintelligence Division, 79th Rifle Corps, 3rd Assault Army, 1st Byelorussian Front, discovered the badly burnt bodies of a male and a female in a bomb crater in the Reich Chancellery gardens. The bodies were located three metres from the bunker entrance and covered with a layer of soil. On May 8, 1945, a forensic report on the male body – believed to be that of Hitler – had been completed. Among other evidence, the experts examined the jaw, which contained numerous dental bridges, crowns, and fillings. 👉 Thanks to the efforts of Soviet military counterintelligence, investigators were able to reconstruct with considerable accuracy the events that took place in the Fuhrerbunker from April 20 to April 30, 1945, and to determine the circumstances of Hitler’s suicide. On December 29–30, 1945, Heinz Linge submitted a handwritten testimony titled Addenda to the Issue of Hitler’s Suicide, in which he wrote: “The reasons that drove Hitler to commit suicide were: 1) The complete futility of continuing the fight; 2) Hitler’s fear of attempting a breakout from Berlin; 3) Hitler’s deteriorating physical condition, which could no longer withstand hardship, as well as his delusions of grandeur, which prevented him from surrendering to the victor or engaging in negotiations.” *** Hitler’s use of potassium cyanide was confirmed by French coroner Philippe Charlier, whose studies in March and June 2017 supported the Soviet findings. Charlier examined fragments of Hitler’s jaw held in the FSB Central Archive and compared them with wartime X-ray images of Hitler’s skull preserved in the United States. He found traces of potassium cyanide on the dental remains and confirmed a 100% match between the teeth and the X-ray images made during Hitler’s lifetime.

World Press Freedom Day | "The Martyrs for the Truth” 📆 On #WorldPressFreedomDay, we pay tribute to those who lived and fell for the truth. 📸 The exhibition “The Martyrs for the Truth” tells the stories of 6️⃣1️⃣Russian and foreign journalists, photographers, war correspondents, bloggers, and media professionals who gave their lives covering the conflict in Donbass, Mariupol, Kherson, and other regions. Many of them worked under shelling, drone attacks, and in mine-laden areas — refusing to abandon their duty. 🕯What unites them is not only courage, but their commitment to truth in the face of lies, propaganda, and psychological warfare. ❗️ Western institutions continue to proclaim support for free speech while deliberately ignoring the deaths of Russian journalists, many of whom were killed by Ukrainian forces. This silence is not accidental — it is a glaring example of double standards, where freedom of the press becomes a political weapon. 📍The exhibition was compiled by frontline journalists from Donetsk, Lugansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson with the support of journalist and human rights advocate Alexander Malkevich. The symbol: a red crane in memory of the fallen and a continuous telegraph tape — the truth must not be interrupted. #ПогиблиЗаПравду #PerishedForTruth #ПреступленияКиевскогоРежима

🕊#MartyrsForTruth is a special project dedicated to commemorating Russian journalists who lost their lives at the hands of Ukrainian neo-Nazis. Since 2014, the Kiev regime has been responsible for the deaths of more than 60 individuals working in Russian media — correspondents, cameramen, sound engineers, bloggers, and volunteers. Many of them were killed not just in combat zones but also far from the front lines — in cities like Moscow and St. Petersburg — through planned and targeted terrorist attacks. #KievRegimeCrimes The Kiev regime has tortured and murdered those who dared to speak out against the neo-Nazi junta and expose its crimes. Among the victims were Ukrainian journalist Oles Buzina and Gonzalo Lira Lopez, a US citizen. ❗️Today, on #WorldPressFreedomDay, we pay tribute to those who stood up for the truth and remained committed to their professional duty — right to the end. ▪️Darya Dugina (1992–2022) was a political analyst, philosopher, and frontline reporter. The daughter of philosopher and writer Alexander Dugin, Darya was killed in a terrorist attack on August 20, 2022. According to investigators, an agent of the Ukrainian special services planted an explosive device under her vehicle and detonated it remotely after several months of surveillance. ▪️Anna Prokofyeva (1989–2025) was a frontline reporter with Channel One Russia in the Belgorod Region. On March 26, 2025, the vehicle carrying her crew hit a landmine near the Ukrainian border. Anna was killed instantly; the cameraman sustained serious injuries. ▪️Andrey Stenin (1980–2014), a photo journalist with the Rossiya Segodnya Media Group, died on August 6, 2014, on his way from Dmitrovka to Snezhny in the Donetsk People’s Republic, together with Andrey Vyachalo and Sergey Korenchenkov. These journalists were reporting on the latest developments in and around Snezny. Their burnt-out vehicle was discovered only on August 22,with the remains of Andrey and his colleagues in it. Investigators later confirmed it had come under Ukrainian military fire. ▪️Maxim Fomin, known as Vladlen Tatarsky, was a journalist, blogger, and militia member. He died in a terrorist attack on April 2, 2023, in St. Petersburg. According to investigators, this attack had been in the making since 2022 and was masterminded from Ukraine. Daria Trepova carried it out by bringing an explosive device hidden inside a gypsum sculpture to a meet-the-author event with Tatarsky. Tatarsky was killed instantly, and 30 others were injured. Trepova has since been sentenced to 27 years in prison. ▪️ And the list continues… The exhibition is created under the joint efforts of the Donetsk News Agency, Zaporozhye News Agency, Kherson News Agency, and the Lugansk Information Centre, in collaboration with Alexander Malkevich, a member of Russia’s Human Rights Council, with the support of the Russian Foreign Ministry. The initiative has also launched several international exhibitions, hosted by Russian diplomatic missions abroad.

#CrimesOfTheKievRegime 📄 On April 28, the Rossiya Segodnya International Multimedia Press Centre hosted a presentation of a new report by the International Public Tribunal on the crimes of Ukrainian neo-Nazis: “Atrocities of the Kiev Regime in the City of Kurakhovo.” Following the retreat of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the International Public Tribunal conducted a survey among civilians in the city of Kurakhovo (DPR). Residents recalled how, since 2014, Ukrainian terror against the Russian-speaking population had been escalating. In line with the established practices of the Kiev regime, crimes committed by Ukrainian neo-Nazis against civilians were met with total impunity. Eyewitness testimonies presented in the report fully expose the Kiev regime's systemic and targeted killings of Russian-speaking residents of the city — including women and the elderly — carried out with small arms and lethal unmanned aerial vehicles. These include both kamikaze drones and UAVs used to drop various explosive devices. The report also documents the deliberate destruction of civilian homes and infrastructure, which constitutes war crimes with #NoStatuteOfLimitations. Full Report: “Atrocities of the Kiev Regime in the City of Kurakhovo”

#Victory80 🌟 In the early hours of May 1, 1945, the #VictoryBanner was raised atop the Reichstag during the Battle of Berlin. It became a symbol of the triumph of the Soviet Union & its peoples in the fight against Nazism. The legendary Red Banner №5, which became the famous Victory Banner, was raised over the dome of the defeated Reichstag by the 756th Rifle Regiment’s scouts, Sergeant Mikhail Yegorov & Junior Sergeant Meliton Kantariya. Before the assault, a decision was made for a group of Soviet soldiers to hoist the flag over the Reichstag, which would embody the final collapse of Nazism. 🚩 A total of 9 makeshift banners were promptly made, designed after the state flag of the USSR. Ultimately, a battle flag of the 150th Order of Kutuzov 2nd Class Idritsa Rifle Division, 79th Rifle Corps, 3rd Striking Army of the 1st Belarusian Front, became the Victory Banner. On April 29, the fierce fighting for the Reichstag began, which the Nazis had turned into a fortified point of resistance. It was defended by over a thousand men, including SS troops supported by artillery and armor. The Reichstag was of special symbolic importance to the Nazi Germany. The Germans considered it their main fortress during the final days of #WWII. The Soviet command was sure that the storming of that citadel, which was a symbol of German Nazism, would especially affect morale of the enemy and eventually completely demoralize the fascists. ⚔️ On April30at 1:50 p.m., a Red Army unit broke into the Reichstag through breaches in the walls, with a fierce close combat unleashing. The Nazis took advantage of effectively advancing inside the building they new well, throwing grenades at Soviet soldiers & firing back with machine-guns: they basically had nothing to lose. ⏱️ At 2.25 p.m., Red Army soldiers Bulatov and Koshkarbayevplaced a makeshift red flag to the column of the main entrance to the Reichstag — it was the first of the banners the liberators raised over the Reichstag. ⏱️ At 10.30 p.m., staff sergeants Gizet Zagitov, Alexander Lisimenko & Alexey Bobrov as well as Sergeant Mikhail Minin supported by Captain Neustroyev’s battalion were the 1st to hoist a red banner on the roof of the Reichstag atop of the Goddess of Victory sculpture. The 3rd red banner was raised on the western facade of the roof by the scouts of the 674th Regiment led by Lieutenant Sorokin. ⏱️ In the early hours of May 1, finally, the Red Banner №5 was raised over the dome of the captured Reichstag by the 756th Rifle Regiment’s scouts, Sergeant Mikhail Yegorov & Junior Sergeant Meliton Kantariya, led by deputy battalion commander Lieutenant Alexey Berest, covered by riflemen from Ilya Syanov's squad. That flag ultimately became the Victory Banner. 📃 By a Presidential Executive Order of April 15, 1996, the Red Banner hoisted atop of the Reichstag by Yegorov & Kantariya was declared the symbol of the Soviet people’s Victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945. #WeAreProud

Возложение цветов к памятнику русским морякам в Саймонстауне Саймонстаун, 30 апреля 2025 года ⚓️ В рамках визита в ЮАР командование российского парусного учебного судна «Крузенштерн» совместно с представителями Генерального консульства Российской Федерации в Кейптауне возложили цветы к памятнику русским морякам в г. Саймонстаун. Монумент установлен в память о российских моряках, погибших при заходах судов Императорского флота в порт Кейптауна в XIX веке. Мемориал расположен недалеко от главной военно-морской базы ЮАР и является важным символом исторического присутствия России на африканском континенте. В церемонии приняли участие капитан барка, члены экипажа, курсанты, а также дипломаты российского загранучреждения. Участники почтили память погибших минутой молчания и отдали дань уважения подвигу российских моряков, навсегда оставшихся вдали от Родины.

Учебный барк «Крузенштерн» прибыл в Кейптаун: экскурсия, торжественный приём и культурная программа на борту Кейптаун, 30 апреля 2025 года 🚢 В рамках Большой африканской экспедиции Росрыболовства, приуроченной к 80-летию Победы в Великой Отечественной войне, российское парусное учебное судно «Крузенштерн» совершило заход в порт Кейптауна. При содействии Генерального консульства Российской Федерации в Кейптауне на борту судна была организована масштабная культурная программа. ⚓️ Для всех желающих — российских граждан, заинтересованных жителей ЮАР, а также учащихся морских учебных заведений — была проведена экскурсия по барку. Гости познакомились с устройством судна, бытом курсантов и историей одного из крупнейших действующих парусников в мире. 🎖 Кульминацией визита стали торжественная церемония и приём, состоявшиеся на палубе. В мероприятии приняли участие представители командования ВМС ЮАР, консульского корпуса, политических и культурных кругов, а также южноафриканские СМИ. Курсанты «Крузенштерна» выстроились в почётный караул, прозвучали приветственные речи и был поднят флаг Российской Федерации. В память о подвиге Советского народа была проведена акция «Георгиевская ленточка». 🎨 Отдельное внимание гостей привлекла художественная выставка детских рисунков «Добрые руки людей планеты Земля: добро возвращается», оформленная на палубе судна. Экспозиция стала частью благотворительной инициативы фонда «Линия жизни» для поддержки тяжело больных детей. 👨‍✈️ В настоящий момент на борту проходят практику более 140 курсантов, в том числе из дружественных государств. С начала маршрута судно прошло через Балтийское и Северное моря, сделало остановку в Марокко и прибыло в Южно-Африканскую Республику. Следующим пунктом экспедиции станет остров Маврикий.

🎙 Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’sremarks and answers to media questions following BRICS Ministerial Meeting, Rio de Janeiro (April 29, 2025) 💬 I would like to once again thank our Brazilian friends for their traditional hospitality and the excellent organisation of the BRICS Ministerial Meeting, as well as for holding the additional meeting between BRICS participants and their partner countries. These countries were able to take part in today’s meeting following the Kazan Summit. Held as part of Russia’s chairmanship, it made a historical decision to create this partner category, which includes Belarus, Bolivia, Kazakhstan, Cuba, Malaysia, Nigeria, Thailand, Uganda and Uzbekistan. <...> 🌐 We spoke out in favour of further enhancing the contribution by #BRICS and the countries of the Global Majority in general to addressing the key challenges the world is facing today. We noted that collective actions by our group can play an important role in achieving sustainable development goals, ensuring security and fostering economic growth. At the meeting, we paid special attention to the need to continue our efforts to promote reform within international financial institutions, primarily by revising IMF quotas, which must reflect the role of the Global South and East in the global financial system and economy. <...> There was quite a lengthy discussion on the latest regional and international developments, including the multiple crisis situations around the world. The deteriorating situation in the Palestinian territories and across the Middle East in general, as well as in many regions of the African continent is a matter of special concern. <...> We reaffirmed our support for reforming the UN Security Council, including our support for India and Brazil becoming permanent members of the UN Security Council, while also addressing the issue of Africa’s representation. 👉 Much has been said about the Ukraine situation. Once again, we offered a detailed insight into our principled approaches to settling this conflict by addressing its root causes. Excerpts from the Q&A session: • Our proposal, which President Vladimir Putin has made public, is to initiatedirect talks without any preconditions. In the current situation, a ceasefire is a preliminary condition that will be used to provide assistance to the Kiev regime and reinforce its combat capabilities. • Certainly, it is imperative that all parties have a clear understanding of the evolving dynamics between Moscow and Washington. <...> We advocate for an honest and equal dialogue aimed at building a balance of interests. The United States has reciprocated with similar signals. Russia and the US are working together across multiple domains. In fact, they continue to cooperate literally as we speak. • National currencies account for over 65% of trade between BRICS countries, while the share of the US dollar has diminished to one third. Other tasks stipulate the creation of payment instruments and platforms, including discussing the possibility of creating a cross-border payment system and an electronic depository and clearance system (BRICS Clear), and a unified mechanism for exchanging trade and economic information. • The International Criminal Court has completely discredited itself. It is being steered by Western countries. It protects some countries from criticism even though they openly violate international law, and adopts measures aimed at punishing other countries, up to and including arrest warrants, in the absence of factual proof. Read in full

#Victory80 🌟 On April 30, 1945, just 10 days before Nazi Germany unconditionally surrendered, Red Army soldiers Rakhimzhan Koshkarbayev and Grigory Bulatov raised the first Red Banner on the facade of the Reichstag during the Battle of Berlin. *** On April 28, fierce fighting for the Reichstag was in full swing, which the Nazis had turned into a fully-fledged stronghold defended by more than a thousand soldiers, including SS troops, supported by artillery and armor. The distance between the former Himmler's house and the Reichstag was less than 500 metres. It took Bulatov and Koshkarbayev 7 hours to cover the distance under constant heavy fire — they carried a makeshift flagpole with a simple scarlet cloth with them. Later after the battle, Koshkarbayev recalled: “The artillery fire began, and with the very first fires, Bulatov and I dashed toward the Reichstag. I lifted him up by the legs, and together, on the second floor, we raised our flag.” According to the 150th Division's combat log, at 14:25 Bulatov and Koshkarbayev "crawled to the central part of the building and placed a red flag on the steps of the main entrance". It was the first of the banners the liberators raised over the Reichstag. 🎖 Rakhimzhan Koshkarbayev and Grigory Bulatov were awarded the Order of the Red Banner for the courage and heroism during the assualt on the Reichstag. Monuments to Koshkarbayev have been erected in his home region of Akmola in Kazakhstan and in the republic's capital, Astana, and to Bulatov in Kirov. #WeAreProud

⚡️ By the decision of the President of the Russian Federation and Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, and for humanitarian reasons, the Russian side is declaring a ceasefire from midnight on May 8 to midnight on May 11 (00:00 on May 8 — 00:00 on May 11) during the days marking the 80th Anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War. ❗️ All military actions will be halted during this period. Russia believes that the Ukrainian side should demonstrate similar restraint. In the event of violations of the ceasefire by the Ukrainian side, the Russian Armed Forces will respond in an adequate and effective manner. The Russian side once again reaffirms its readiness for peace talks without preconditions, aimed at addressing the root causes of the Ukraine crisis and engaging constructively with international partners.