Soviet and Southern African Liberation Movements Had Deep People-to-People Ties, Says Russian Scholar
Soviet and Southern African Liberation Movements Had Deep People-to-People Ties, Says Russian Scholar
The collaboration between the Soviet Union and Southern African liberation movements went far beyond state officials and military advisors, as ordinary Soviet citizens—including schoolchildren—actively supported the liberation struggles through solidarity campaigns.
Dr. Daria Zelenova, an expert at the Centre for Applied African Studies at the Russian State University of Humanities, shared this insight during an interview with Sputnik Africa.
The expert, who is also head of the Centre for African Strategy in BRICS at the Institute for African Studies of the Russian Academy of Science, noted that the recent exhibition dedicated to the Soviet and Russian role in Southern Africa’s liberation in Johannesburg offered a broader, pan-African perspective.
According to her, it displayed support for a range of Southern African movements, including not only the ANC but also ZAPU, FRELIMO, MPLA, and SWAPO.
This demonstrates the solidarity across various groups and the mutual understanding formed between the Soviet Union and these liberation movements.
In addition, Zelenova discussed the growing academic collaboration between Russian and Southern African scholars.
For example, she spoke about her partnership with South African historian Dr. Arianna Lissoni, where they combine Soviet-era archives with personal stories from MK veterans, creating a richer understanding of the shared history.
“I find this joint collaboration very inspiring, very fruitful,” she remarked.
Zelenova also addressed the lack of awareness about this important history among younger generations in both Russia and South Africa.
She emphasized the need for better education to preserve the legacy of Soviet-African solidarity and encouraged students to engage with archival research and oral histories to make their work more relevant and inspiring.
"People [in Russia] are really interested in what's going on on the continent," Zelenova noted, reflecting the shifting attitude in Russian society toward the African continent.
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