Post #3005

🗂️The archival and documentary exhibition “Solidarity in Action: Recognising the Role of the Soviet Union and Cuba in Supporting the Struggle against Apartheid” was opened in Cape Town. The exhibition was organised by the Russian State University for the Humanities (RSUH) with the support of the Robben Island Museum. The exhibition will run for six months at the Robben Island Museum Gallery, located at the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront — the most popular and frequently visited area of Cape Town. The solemn opening ceremony was attended by veterans of the African National Congress, Russian scholars, representatives of the Consulate General of the Russian Federation in Cape Town, diplomats from African countries, and members of the Friends of Cuba Society. In his welcoming remarks, Consul General of the Russian Federation in Cape Town Mr Ruslan Golubovskiy stated: “In today’s world, when the volume and diversity of information flows are constantly increasing, it is especially important to ensure public access to authentic historical records. The joint work of the Russian State University for the Humanities and the Robben Island Museum within the framework of this exhibition is aimed at preserving an objective view of past events and safeguarding them against distortion. Hosting the exhibition in one of the most significant and visited museums of South Africa provides an opportunity to convey the historical truth to a wide audience — from academic circles to students and tourists. This represents a meaningful contribution to the preservation of the memory of our common heritage.” Also addressing the audience were Prof. Vera Zabotkina, Acting Vice-Rector for International Relations of RSUH, and Mr Aleksandr Zotin, Director of the RSUH Centre for African Studies. They emphasised that the exhibition constitutes a unique scholarly endeavour aimed at preserving the historical memory of the role played by the USSR and Cuba in assisting the peoples of Southern Africa in their struggle against colonialism and apartheid. The project team, which included scholars from the Institute for African Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, succeeded in collecting and presenting unique materials, photographs, and testimonies from the personal archives of veterans of the anti-apartheid struggle — both Russian and South African. According to Dr Daria Zelenova, expert of the RSUH Centre for African Studies and Head of the BRICS Africa Strategy Research Centre at the Institute for African Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences: “Many of the materials have exceptional historical value. For instance, for the first time, the story is told of humanitarian assistance organised by schoolchildren from Yekaterinburg for the children of ANC fighters studying at the Solomon Mahlangu Freedom College. Thanks to the joint work of archivists and historians, it was possible to uncover not only personal photographs of the participants of this initiative, but also newspaper clippings documenting this remarkable act of solidarity demonstrated by Soviet children with the people of South Africa.” #RSUH#SolidarityInAction#HistoricalMemory#Consulate#RussianMFA