Russian Embassy in South Africa

📆 On 28 April 1945, the Red Army started the assault of Reichstag in Germany’s Berlin. ⚔️ The 3rd Strike Army of the 1st Belorussian Front was initially not supposed to storm the city’s central part, but as a result of heavy 7-day fighting, it found itself closest to the Reichstag’s district. 🌟 Prior to the assault, the military council of the 3rd Strike Army provided 9 purpose-made red banners to its divisions. One of those which became known as the Victory Banner, was handed over to the 150th Rifle Division. All Soviet front line formations had similar self-made red banners and flags. As a rule, they were recruited from volunteers whose only aim was to storm into the Reichstag and to hoist a red banner over it. #Victory79

🎙 President of Russia Vladimir Putin's remarks at the annual congress of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs: ☝️ Despite the unprecedented challenges we have faced in recent years, positive trends are growing in the Russian economy. 📈 Last year, Russia's GDP increased by 3.6 percent. The statistics for the first few months of this year indicate continued high growth rates, with a 4.6 percent year-on-year increase in January and a 7.7 percent year-on-year increase in February, resulting in a 6 percent average for the first two months [of this year]. In January and February, industrial production grew by 6.6 percent. This growth is supported by active domestic demand, driven by an increase in real wages and incomes. In January, average monthly earnings increased by 8.5 percent in real terms, and real disposable incomes in 2023 increased by 5.4 percent.

🇷🇺🥇 Russian students win big at the 58th International Mendeleev Chemistry olympiad in Chinese Shenzhen! 5 GOLD 🥇 and 5 SILVER 🥈medals! In addition, Mikhail Perelman from Moscow took home the prestigious academician Valery Lunin prize (III degree). 🌐 The Russian team competed for awards with talented schoolchildren from 29 countries of the world. #RussiaWins

🇷🇺 Today Russia observes the Day of Russian Parliamentarism 118 years ago, the first State Duma convened in an impressive setting of the Tauride Palace in St Petersburg. The country’s parliament was empowered to endorse the laws submitted by the government and approve the state budget. Russia’s first nationwide legislative body made a unique contribution to the development of the Russian parliamentary system and gained valuable experience in law-making and parliamentary practice. 🎙 On April 26, President of Russia Vladimir Putin addressed a meeting of the Council of Legislators of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation. By tradition, the meeting was held at the Tauride Palace. The President congratulated the participants on the Day of Russian Parliamentarism: 💬 As we mark this day, we pay tribute to the traditions of our statehood and lawmaking, and the history of the establishment and development of our democratic institutions. Time itself and the events we are witnessing have reaffirmed the significance of this continuity and the importance of using our own experience to strengthen parliamentarism and Russia’s socio-political system as a whole.

🎉🇿🇦 Congratulations on the Freedom Day! Today marks the 30th anniversary of South Africa’s first democratic elections held on 27 April 1994. ☝️ These were the first post-apartheid national elections to be held in the country where all the citizens could vote regardless of race. This holiday is commemorated every year to honour those who fought against the apartheid system, an embodiment of injustice and inequality. We convey our warmest greetings to all the South Africans on the Freedom Day! #freedomday #southafrica

The First Artificial Earth Satellite in a South African's photograph 🇷🇺🇿🇦 We continue the series of joint publications with the Institute for African Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences "Russia - South Africa in the XX century: pages of common history", timed to the 300th anniversary of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the 65th anniversary of the Institute, as well as the 30th anniversary of the first democratic elections in South Africa. 🪐 South Africans have always been interested in the development of the space programme. Even the launch and flight of the first Earth satellite on October 4 1957 did not escape the attention of interested parties. To this day, an archival photo taken by South African J.W. Nicholls on October 9 1957 has survived. The materials provided by the Center for Southern Africa Studies of the Institute. #PagesOfCommonHistory

🗓 On April 26, 1945, the Red Army liberated Brno from the Nazi invaders as part of the Bratislava-Brno operation. In early April 1945, the Red Army expelled the Nazis from Bratislava and by April 22, units of the 2nd Ukrainian Front breached the Wehrmacht’s Moravia defensive line and encircled the Brno sector. The Soviet forces launched an attack on the Nazis the following day. 🏭 After Czechoslovakia was occupied, a highly important industrial centre Brno became a significant production hub of the Third Reich where Skoda and Zbrojovka weapons manufacturers were located. One of Auschwitz sub-camps was also located there. For those reasons the Nazi invaders mounted desperate counterattacks in an effort to halt the Red Army’s onslaught. However, by April 25, Soviet units had already reached several sectors of Brno, engaging the enemy on the outskirts and crossing the Svitava River. By the evening of April 26, Soviet forces established control over the entire city. On the same day, Moscow ordered a 224-gun artillery salute to commemorate this event. 🎖 The 1st Czechoslovak Army Corps, under the command of Ludvik Svoboda, and Czechoslovak partisans played an active role in the liberation of Czechoslovakia, providing substantial support to the Red Army units. Six Czechoslovak citizens were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union for their deeds during the Great Patriotic War, more than any other foreign nationals. ☝️ With the liberation of Brno, the Red Army was able to outmanoeuvre the remaining enemy forces on a broad front, preparing for a direct assault on the Nazi forces, occupying Prague. #Victory79

🔴 #LIVE: The UN Security Council holds a meeting on Nord Stream incidents. 🔴 UN Web TV 🔴 X (ex-Twitter)

#BRICS2024 BRICS Health Senior Officials met in Moscow BRICS Health Senior Officials met in Moscow on 18–19 April to discuss upcoming BRICS health activities as part of Russia’s BRICS Chairmanship in 2024, the creation of a BRICS Medical Journal, and the establishment of a BRICS Medical Association. 🤝 The BRICS representatives discussed current challenges facing public healthcare, noting a shortage of vaccines, problems with human resources, an increase in non-communicable diseases, and growing antimicrobial resistance. 🔹 The National Medical Chamber joined the discussion on the establishment of BRICS Medical Association with the suggestion to create a voluntary group of BRICS national medical associations as a council with no legal entity. The plan is to create an independent structure with the freedom to make advisory decisions and provide expert assessments on perspective opportunities for cooperation in healthcare. 🔹 Meeting participants confirmed their interest in establishing the association and willingness to join. 📍 The next BRICS Senior Health Officials’ Meeting is scheduled for October in Moscow.

🇿🇦📸 Dear South Africans! We invite you to take part in the 5th anniversary International Photo Contest “Mother and children in national costumes”. 🌐 The 5th anniversary International Photo Contest “Mother and Children in National Costumes” is being held under the auspices of the Commission of the Russian Federation for UNESCO with the support of the Federal Agency for Nationalities of Russia. 👉 The International Women’s Union initiative corresponds to the goals and objectives of state policy aimed at strengthening traditional Russian spiritual and moral values of civic unity and preserving the cultural and historical heritage of the multinational people of the Russian Federation and friendly foreign countries. 👉 One of the goals of the international photo contest is to preserve traditional family values, strengthen intra-family and intergenerational relations, and form family traditions. ✅ There are no age restrictions on participation in the competition. ✅ MOTHERS AND CHILDREN are involved in the project, dads, grandmothers, grandfathers and other family members can also take part in the photo shoot. 👉 Terms of participation in the competition are available on the official website of the competition. ❗️ Applications for participation in the competition are accepted from January 31, 2024 to September 01, 2024. The results will be announced on the official website by September 25, 2024. 😉 Good luck to everyone!