'I Want to Promote Russia': South African Who Came to Live in Russia Shares His Impressions, Plans

Georg Eloff's desire to explore Russia originated in his childhood, at an age of 5–6, he found a book about Stalingrad (a Russian city now called Volgograd) and the Battle of Stalingrad during the World War II. The history of the Soviet Union, the military glory of the Red Army as well as Russia's significant achievements in sports and in science, the nation's rich culture fueled Eloff's interest in the far northern country.

Around ten years ago, he moved to Siberia and started out in the Siberian city of Yakutsk as a teacher of English. Then, Eloff established an English language teaching school there and now dreams about "building a bridge" between his home country, South Africa and Russia.

"Give me a ticket. Send me to South Africa like an ambassador. And I want to go to seminars or something. I want to go promote Russia. [...] I want to build a bridge. Like I've said for the Boere, the Afrikaners. It's time to start working together. [...] I see willingness, honesty, a real honest desire of Russia without any 'strings attached.' They want to help Africa. And I know Africa needs help and I just want to get them together," he told Sputnik Africa.

Eloff added that Russian-South African cooperation, as well as Russia-Africa partnership in general is growing. He stressed the increased role of BRICS.

"I see, there's so much more things happening now between Russia and South Africa, Southern Africa, Africa in general, so many more things. Like I said, a big thing now is BRICS. [...] That's the big thing now. The fertilizer, the seed, the exports," he noted.

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'Our Values Are a Lot the Same'

Recently, Russian President Vladimir Putin backed the idea of facilitating movement of foreigners who desire to resettle in Russia on the grounds that they share its cultural values.

Speaking from a white South African perspective, Georg Eloff stressed that the Russian values and those of his community "are a lot the same," in particular, moral standards, the importance of family, "conservative outlook of life." He shared his concern over the influence of Western liberal values in his country of birth.

"South Africa is leaning too much now to the Western kind of liberal way of doing things, lesbianism, transvestite, bisexual stuff, legalized marriages and all those things. Bad language, doing away of churches. Doing away of the Bible," he underscored.

Eloff went on to say that Russia could attract people who share its moral values – and not just South Africans.

"Definitely, it's a very good thing that the president knows the moral values. That's the big attraction, the shared values. That's that's very important. You will get people from everywhere, from America even," he said.

Speaking about what attracts him in Russia and in Russian people, Eloff underlined a unique mentality of the Russian people, "their language, their way of thinking, a way of doing," and their ability to "overcome the impossible."

"There is something in the Russian people to overcome the impossible. To do the impossible. There are so many records: the best airplane, the airplane that can fly the highest, the best gun, the best, like I said, sports. They've got so many records. They are the best in so many things and so many areas," Eloff shared his impression.

'God is With Russia'

Elaborating on the reasons of anti-Russian propaganda in the West, Eloff outlined that the current antagonism between Russia and the West is something "spiritual," the battle between "the good" and "the bad," implying that the West, influenced by "the darkness," wants to conquer Russia, "the light."

"It's all spiritual. In a word, God is with Russia. And God… wants to be with the West. But they kicked him out. The West doesn't want God in their lives, but Russia is traditional. [...] They love God. They hate sin. And basically, it's the same situation that you get everywhere in life. [...] The darkness wants to take over the light. Evil wants to conquer good. It's the same thing. That's why my students ask me, for NATO or for Russia? Listen, guys, it's not about us and Ukraine. It's good versus bad. Its moral values, it’s your future, good versus bad," he noted.

He went on to explain that the West "is afraid of Russia because they don't know Russia." They think Russia and these moral values will take away their freedom. But it's not true," Eloff said.

"Russians never take away anybody's freedom, but the darkness, the evilness, the 'liberalism' and the so-called 'democracy.' 'Democracy' is very bad. They are scared we are going to take away their power, their so-called freedom. In a word, it's a thief who doesn't want you to catch him. That's all," Eloff pointed out.

He reiterated his willingness to promote Russia in South Africa, and he underlined that it is important to get across the idea that South Africans can learn the Russian language and adapt to the climate, that "it is not impossible."

"I have to go sell Russia. The idea of it is possible. The language is not that difficult. You can do it, and the climate is not impossible. It's okay. [...] So that's my idea to go," Eloff said. "I want to go help South Africa, black and white. And I want to help Russia."