The statue was created on the initiative of the Russian Military Historical Society with the support from the Russian Defense Ministry and the government of Moscow.

“The opening of this monument symbolizes a new page in Russian-African relations. More and more we understand and realize that Africa is becoming a strategic partner of Russia, because we have common tasks, common goals of creating a more free, just, and merciful world,” said Irina Abramova, the director of the Institute for African Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

The square where the monument stands is named after South Africa’s first black president.

Footage by:  Daniel Marcelino Paulo Quilombo, MSLU student