Adv Shameemah Salie, MP was invited by the general consular of Russia his excellency General Consular Aleksei Malenko to attend an exhibition dedicated to the 81st anniversary of the lifting of the Siege of Leningrad.
The event was organized by the Russian Consulate General with the support of the management of the Castle of Good Hope.
The exhibition, prepared by the Russian Presidential National Center for Historical Memory in cooperation with the Permanent Mission of Russia to the UN, was ceremoniously opened in the presence of distinguished guests, including members of the diplomatic corps, local activists, veterans of the ANC’s military wing, and representatives of the “Volunteers of Victory” movement.
The event also featured a screening of the film “Nuremberg“ (2023), dedicated to the Nuremberg Trials.
A key theme of the event was the recognition of the crimes committed by the Nazi regime during World War II.
Consul General A. Malenko emphasized that “the factual evidence presented at the Nuremberg Trials of Nazi crimes against the civilian population of the Soviet Union and Poland, along with the legal assessment, clearly point to these acts as genocide, particularly in the occupied territories of the USSR and Poland.”
Additionally, the prospects for cooperation between Russia and the Republic of South Africa within the BRICS framework were discussed, including the creation of an independent payment system and a single currency, which would strengthen financial sovereignty and contribute to the development of a fairer multipolar world.
The exhibition will be on display at the Castle of Good Hope, and we invite all interested parties to visit.
I thank the General Consular of Russia and all involved for the invitation extended commemorating the 81st anniversary of the lifting of the siege of Leningrad. This event and the history were a stark reminder of the world we live in and challenges being faced and the genocide that has unfolded in our own lifetime . The viewing was heart wrenching and a reminder of many a life lost during the Nazi regime, the resistance of the people of Russia and who was the cause thereof the difficulties that was endured
The Siege of Leningrad is considered a significant event in World War II due to its brutal and prolonged nature, symbolizing the extreme suffering endured by civilians under Nazi occupation, and its crucial strategic importance as a major Soviet industrial center that the Germans desperately sought to capture, highlighting the tenacity of the Soviet resistance despite immense hardship; it remains a powerful symbol of human resilience in the face of extreme adversity.
A further reminder of the resistance today of Palestine and the genocide being faced.
I would highly recommend a visit to the castle and to view the exhibition on display.
~Adv Shameemah Salie, MP
