Writer from South Africa presented his book "Boers and Russians" in Moscow

South African writer Wessel Osthuizen's book "Boers and Russians" was launched in Moscow. 

"I decided to write a book about Afrikaners and Russians. But when I did my research, I realised that history leads us to the Anglo-Boer War. Because the Russians were among the first to help us in this conflict," the author said.

The publicist worked on the publication for four years. The book tells the story of the relationship between the two peoples from history to the present. Citing personal stories, Wessel shows that the strong bond lasts to this day.

"Every time I arrive in Moscow, when I land at the airport, I immediately begin to feel the history, the culture, the art. But I can feel people most," the writer noted.

Ilya Rogachev, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Russia to South Africa, personally facilitated the translation of the book into Russian. Teachers and students from the Institute of Asian and African Studies at Lomonosov Moscow State University also helped to open up new pages of South Africa to the Russian public.

"This project was particularly interesting because it was a new page for us to explore South Africa. I believe that this book will be a great contribution to the development of our relations, because in this book you can read about the history, you can learn about the sports life of both South Africa and Russia," said Monika Ubr, associate professor in the Department of African Studies at IAAS at Lomonosov Moscow State University.

Wessel's interest in Russia dates back to the 1980s. The writer has visited the country 19 times, and over the years has made quite a few friends, whom the publicist describes as his family.

At the end of the event, the writer was in for a surprise - a cake with the flags of the two countries, which united the guests at the same table. Informal atmosphere, strong hugs and sincere congratulations - the smile did not leave Wessel's face. Everything said that he would definitely write more than one more book about his personal friendship.

Photo: TV BRICS