Russian Consulate in Cape Town

Free online Russian language courses in South Africa and Lesotho 🇷🇺🇿🇦 The Russian Embassy in the Republic of South Africa, together with Tomsk State University (TSU) - the oldest university in Siberia - is pleased to announce the launch of free online Russian language courses taught by experienced university professors. 🎓 The courses are primarily aimed at international students planning to apply to Russian universities, offering pre-arrival language training and support for adaptation to academic life in Russia. Participants with other learning goals are also welcome. 📅 Course details: * Start: 16 February 2026 * Duration: until 30 August 2026 * Format: online * Schedule: morning & evening sessions (twice a week, 1.5 hours) * Levels: from beginner to advanced 📝 Registration deadline: 10 February 2026 Groups will be formed based on applications. 👉 Apply now and take your first step toward mastering Russian and preparing for future studies in Russia! 🔗 Registration link: https://forms.gle/bb4rvLdo6s6xxWjR9 #studyinrussia#russianlanguage#russianliterature

✍️On this day, 9 September 1828, Leo #Tolstoy was born — one of the greatest Russian writers and philosophers, whose ideas on morality, justice and non-violence profoundly shaped humanitarian thought. His legacy inspired thinkers and political leaders across the globe and continues to speak to readers worldwide. 📚 Tolstoy created works that became timeless classics of world literature: War and Peace, Anna Karenina, the Sevastopol Sketches and the autobiographical trilogy Childhood. Boyhood. Youth. His books have been translated into more than 90 languages and remain accessible to millions of readers across the globe. 📖Read Tolstoy online in English: • War and Peace • Anna Karenina • Sevastopol Sketches 🎥Watch War and Peace (dir. Sergei Bondarchuk) The epic adaptation of Tolstoy’s masterpiece, directed by Sergei Bondarchuk, became the first Soviet film to win an Academy Award (Best Foreign Language Film, 1969): • ▶Part I: Andrei Bolkonsky • ▶Part II: Natasha Rostova • ▶Part III: The Year 1812 • ▶Part IV: Pierre Bezukhov 🌍Tolstoy Today 📌 In 2024, Russia established the Leo Tolstoy Peace Prize, awarded for outstanding contributions to peacebuilding, the defense of human rights and efforts to prevent the threat of world war or nuclear catastrophe. The first laureate, in September 2024, was the African Union. 📌 Tolstoy’s family estate, Yasnaya Polyana, remains not only a memorial museum but also an international cultural centre. It hosts the annual Tolstoy Weekend literary festival, concerts, exhibitions, children’s programmes, and international cultural projects. Find the full calendar of events here: Yasnaya Polyana Museum — Events & Exhibitions ✨ Tolstoy’s legacy continues to unite cultures and generations. As he wrote in War and Peace: “The two most powerful warriors are patience and time.” #Tolstoy#RussianLiterature#YasnayaPolyana