The photo exhibition Liberation: Peace to the Nations opened at the Atterbury Theater in Pretoria, marking the 81st anniversary of the victory over militarist Japan and the end of World War II.
The exhibition draws on the unique photo archives of the Soviet Information Bureau, whose copyrights are now held by the Rossiya Segodnya media group. The photographs, taken between March and September 1945, capture footage of the Manchurian and Khingan-Mukden offensives, the heroism of Soviet soldiers, the meeting of the Red Army with civilians in liberated territories, and historical scenes of the Japanese command’s surrender. The project aims to create a shared historical and cultural space between Russia and Asian countries, while preserving historical truth and countering its falsification.
Opening the exhibition, Russian Ambassador to South Africa Roman Ambarov noted:
“We honor the memory of one of the key events in world history – the end of World War II in the Asia-Pacific region, made possible by the courage, fortitude, and dedication of the peoples of the Soviet Union, China, and the allied states. This victory ended the suffering of millions of people and paved the way for peace and reconstruction across the vast Eurasian space. The exhibition presented here is not only a tribute to our shared history but also a living testament to the strong bonds of friendship and strategic partnership between Russia and China.”
“We see great interest from South African audiences in joint cultural and educational projects dedicated to key events in world history. Such initiatives help strengthen mutual understanding between the peoples of Russia and South Africa, preserve the memory of the heroism of the victorious generation, and counter attempts to distort historical facts,” said Vasily Pushkov, Rossiya Segodnya Director of International Cooperation.
The Liberation: Peace to the Nations exhibition is part of a series of events organized by the embassies of the Russian Federation and the People’s Republic of China in South Africa to celebrate the anniversary of Victory Day. The exhibition has previously been shown in China, South Korea, Mongolia and Pakistan.
The Liberation: Peace to the Nations project is being implemented with the support of the Presidential Foundation for Cultural Initiatives as part of the 80th anniversary commemorations of the victory over militarist Japan and the end of World War II. It is an extension of the projects Liberation and Liberation: The Path to Victory, which have attracted millions of visitors over the past two years. The project includes photo exhibitions in Russia and abroad, as well as awareness-raising and outreach events featuring mobile exhibitions.