Russian Consulate in Cape Town

🏅 Happy #VictoryDay! Today marks the 80th Anniversary of the Great Victory over Nazism. #WeRemember#LestWeForget #Victory80

✍️Article by Ambassador of Russia to South Africa Roman Ambarov “Soviet Union & South Africa: Allies in World War II” (8 May 2025) 🔗READ IN FULL ➡️ Key points: ▪️ May 9, 2025 marks the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941 - 1945, the most important and dramatic part of World War II. ▪️ We are celebrating the decisive contribution of the Soviet Union to the victory over Hitler’s Germany and the liberation of Europe from Nazism. Nearly 90% of all Nazi combat loses occurred on the Eastern Front, and it was the Red Army that single-handedly captured Berlin in April–May 1945. ▪️ During the war, South Africa was our ally and an important member of the Anti-Hitler Coalition. Around 3,000 South African seamen served in the Royal navy, many of them – on board Allied vessels carrying valuable supplies to our northern ports of Russia. ▪️ South African public organizations, such as the Friends of the Soviet Union and the Medical Aid for Russia, raised around GBP 1 million in donations between 1942 and 1945. ▪️ Dmitri Shostakovich’s Seventh “Leningrad” Symphony, a work that became a musical manifesto of resistance to Nazism, was premiered on 9 July 1944 in Johannesburg and, two month later, in Cape Town. The proceeds from the ticket sales were donated to the Soviet Union’s war effort. ▪️ The ultimate defeat of Nazism in 1945 laid the foundations of the world as we know it. Africa’s decolonisation and the collapse of apartheid would not be possible without that victory. #Victory80#Ambarov

🌟The Russian Embassy in South Africa and RT channel bring you a musical clip for the famous Soviet song “Planes first” performed by South African friends of our country in Russian. The action has been arranged as part of the commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the Victory over Nazism in 1945. The Embassy extends gratitude to the St. Sergius orthodox parish in Johannesburg for the assistance in implementing the project. #Victory80

🎥 Накануне празднования 80-летия Победы во Второй мировой войне Генеральное консульство России в Кейптауне провело показ художественного фильма «Воздух» режиссёра Алексея Германа-младшего, посвящённого подвигу советских женщин-лётчиц. Картина получила высокую оценку зрителей за глубокое художественное воплощение темы и достоверную передачу атмосферы военного времени. В съёмках фильма использовались полноразмерные модели военной авиации, реконструированные аэродромы и тщательно воссозданные костюмы. «В условиях попыток пересмотра итогов Второй мировой войны сохранение правды о тех событиях приобретает особое значение. Наша общая история живёт не только в архивах, но и в сердцах людей — в таких вечерах, как сегодняшний. Мы признательны южноафриканским друзьям за поддержку, проявленную в годы войны, и за ту атмосферу дружбы, которую мы ощущаем и сегодня», — отметил в приветственном слове Генеральный консул России в Кейптауне Алексей Маленко. #Victory80#RussiaSouthAfrica#RussianMFA

#Victory80 🗓 On May 8, 1967, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier memorial architectural ensemble in Alexander Garden near the Moscow Kremlin Wall was solemnly unveiled. On December 3, 1966, a burial ceremony of the remains of an unknown soldier was held at the exact spot. These remains had previously rested in a mass grave at the 41st kilometre of the Leningrad Highway, where fierce battles were fought to defend Moscow against Nazi invaders. The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is a monument to military glory, a symbol of eternal memory for the unnamed heroes who gave their lives, defending the Motherland. 🌟 Inscribed on the tombstone are the sacred words: "YOUR NAME IS UNKNOWN, YOUR HEROISM IS IMMORTAL." In front of it lies a five-pointed star and the Eternal Flame of Glory. In 1997, by decree of the President of Russia, a guard of honour was established at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. On November 17, 2009, to preserve the historical and cultural heritage of the peoples of the Russian Federation, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier was designated a National Memorial of Military Glory. 🕯 In 2014, in memory of the burial of the remains of the defender of Moscow in Alexander Garden (1966), December 3 was declared the Day of the Unknown Soldier.

#Victory80 🎥Eternal Heroes — an RT Doc Film. Synopsis: The documentary pays tribute to those who defended the USSR against fascist invaders during World War II. The film tells the stories of some of the last surviving veterans of the Great Patriotic War, ordinary Soviet citizens, who became heroes in the fight against Nazism. Among them: 🏅 103-year-old Valentina Minaeva, a surgical nurse who served in three wars and saved hundreds of lives; 🏅 100-year-old Vitaly Kolesov, an artillery commander who survived the horrors of the war, including the Battle of Stalingrad; 🏅 98-year-old Nikolay Teplotanskikh, a volunteer tank driver who repeatedly rescued wounded comrades and miraculously survived himself. With each passing year, the number of veterans diminishes, with many now over 100 years old. Yet, their memories of wartime trials remain vivid. Witness the poignant recollections of those who lived through the horrors of war. #TheSovietSoldierSavedTheWorld #LestWeForget

#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

#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

🗓 On April 25, 2025, a solemn ceremony to lay flowers and wreaths at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier was held in Alexander Garden, attended by members of the diplomatic corps accredited in Moscow, senior officials of the Russian Foreign Ministry, and representatives of the Ministry’s veterans’ organisations. Over 150 foreign ambassadors and diplomats participated in the ceremony, honouring those who fell in the struggle against Nazism. 🕯 Attendees paid tribute to the heroism and self-sacrifice of soldiers who did not return from the battlefield, observing a minute of silence. The broad participation of representatives from foreign states in this ceremony unequivocally demonstrated that the valiant deeds of the heroes who saved the world from the fascist menace remain remembered and revered globally. 📹Watch the wreath-laying ceremony #WeRemember#TheSovietSoldierSavedTheWorld#Victory80#LestWeForget

#Victory80 8️⃣0️⃣ years ago, on April 25, 1945, only fifteen days before Nazi Germany’s surrender, the historic Meeting of Soviet and American troops on the Elbe River took place. On that day, the 58th Rifle Division of the Red Army’s 1st Ukrainian Front, under the command of Marshal Ivan Konev, linked up with units of the 69th and 104th Infantry Divisions of the US 1st Army, led by General Omar Bradley. #WeWereAllies This event had major symbolic significance, signalling the imminent defeat of Nazi Germany and marking the climax of the fight against Nazism. The spirit of unity in the fight against the common enemy, later known as the #SpiritOfTheElbe, laid the groundwork for future post-war cooperation. ☝️ It is no coincidence that, on April 25, 2020, to mark the 75th anniversary of this historic event, President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin and President of the United States Donald Trump issued a joint statement: “The Spirit of the Elbe is an example of how our countries can put aside differences, build trust, and cooperate in pursuit of a greater cause. As we work today to confront the most important challenges of the 21st century, we pay tribute to the valour and courage of all those who fought together to defeat fascism. Their heroic feat will never be forgotten.” Back in 1945, Soviet and US brothers-in-arms, setting aside cultural differences and language barriers, exchanged badges, insignia, personal items and even valuables as keepsakes. Celebrations continued at the Soviet command headquarters on the eastern bank of the Elbe, where General Bradley met with Marshal Konev. At the end of the event, the Soviet commander presented his American counterpart a banner bearing the inscription “From the soldiers of the 1st Ukrainian Front” and his warhorse. General Bradley later sent Konev a "Willys" jeep. Soldiers on both sides eagerly anticipated the moment of meeting and firm handshake. General Joseph Lawton Collins, Commander of the US 7th Army Corps, nominated several Soviet soldiers for American military awards for their distinguished combat performance during the advance to the Elbe. On April 28, Marshal Konev and General Bradley met again. During the meeting, the US general emphasised that the "people of the United States had always admired the battles and victories of the glorious Red Army, adding that American soldiers and officers aspired to follow the example set by the forces of the 1st Ukrainian front". A reporter from Life magazine took a picture of two participants in the Elbe meeting, Alexander Sylvashko, right, and William Robertson, left, making them world-famous overnight. Both soldiers often recalled this historic meeting. Alexander Sylvashko said that if the spirit of camaraderie between American and Soviet soldiers had endured, the world might have become a different and better place. William Robertson described the atmosphere of the meeting with Soviet forces as one that gave him a sense of global unity. *** In the years that followed #WWII, even during the Cold War, when former allies of the Anti-Hitler Coalition became bitter rivals, the Spirit of the Elbe was alive in the hearts of those who had taken part in that legendary meeting in Torgau. The Soviet and American veterans who had performed a heroic deed in the name of saving the world from the 'Nazi plague' cherished the memory of their wartime brotherhood, their shared struggle, and the hardships they had overcome. 🖋 In 1963, Private Joe Polowsky of the US Army, who had been part of the scout unit that first crossed the Elbe and met with Red Army units, wrote a letter to Marshal Konev on behalf of American veterans. ✉️ The letter reads, in part: "The soldiers on both sides pledged to do all they could to build a better life based on goodwill, mutual respect and peace between our two nations – a peace their children and all humanity needed. And the promise made on April 25, 1945, must be upheld.”

🏅15 Days Until the VictoryDay On April 24, 1945, the Red Army launched the final assault on Berlin (Battle of Berlin). Soviet forces encircled the Frankfurt–Guben enemy groups located in the southern part of the German capital and continued their offensive, liberating settlement after settlement. By the end of the day 20 locations had been liberated and over 9,000 German soldiers were imprisoned. #Victory80#WeRemember

🎖️Memory Bridging Generations: A Lecture on the USSR in World War II for Children of Gugulethu 🕊️ A special educational session took place in the township of Gugulethu within the walls of the Lumkile’s Book Joint literature club. The event was dedicated to an important and solemn topic — the contribution of the Soviet Union to the Victory in the Second World War. 📚 Representatives of the Russian Consulate General and activists from the Coordinating Council of Russian Compatriots spoke to young listeners about key chapters of history — the heroic defense of Moscow, the Siege of Leningrad, the Battle of Stalingrad, and the liberation of Europe from Nazism. The children learned how ordinary people showed immense courage during the most difficult times and how today’s Russia keeps the memory of this feat alive. 🕯️ At the heart of the meeting were personal stories: the schoolchildren listened with interest about wartime childhood and how millions lost their homes but never lost faith in kindness and hope for peace. #RussiaSouthAfrica#WeRemember#Victory80