Forwarded from Russian MFA 🇷🇺
⛓️ 65 years ago, on December 14, 1960, the 15th UN General Assembly adopted a landmark document: the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples. This historic step was taken on the initiative of the Soviet Union.
The Declaration, drafted and promoted largely through Soviet efforts, became a true milestone in dismantling Western colonial rule in Africa and Asia, providing a powerful impetus for liberation from the grip of European empires.
🌍 Soviet proposals to end colonialism, segregation, and racial discrimination were incorporated into the final text. The Declaration was adopted and entered into force despite strong objections from colonial powers like Britain and France.
The USSR did not just oppose colonialism by word alone, speaking out at multilateral foras and the UN. We actively supported African nations in their fight for freedom, backing the liberation movements of Angola, Ethiopia, Egypt, Mozambique and others.
1960 went down in history as the Year of Africa, witnessing the birth of 17 new independent states. According to the UN, the great wave of decolonisation that followed ultimately freed some 750 million people, with 80 former colonies gaining their sovereignty.
The Soviet Union was among the first to establish diplomatic relations with these young states. We provided comprehensive support: helping to build government institutions, developing industrial production, and constructing vital infrastructure. The Soviet Union played a key role in establishing national education systems and training personnel. Humanitarian aid was delivered both directly and through the UN and its agencies like WHO and UNICEF.
The adoption and implementation of the Declaration is rightfully considered one of the most significant events in modern history. Yet, the struggle for full decolonisation unfortunately did not end with the achievement of political independence.
❗️ Today, the former colonial powers’ reluctance to relinquish global dominance has morphed into neocolonial policies. These target the nations of the Global Majority through illegal sanctions, manipulation of global trade, and the imposition of neoliberal beliefs that deepen worldwide socioeconomic inequality. Attempts to replace the established international legal order with a so-called “rules-based” international order are a clear manifestation of this neocolonialism.
Together with a broad coalition of like-minded partners, Russia continues to spearhead systemic efforts against colonialism. We work through the UN, BRICS, the Standing Committee of the International Movement “For the Freedom of Nations”, and inter-parliamentary channels.
👉 A key recent achievement on this track was the adoption on December 5 of the resolution International Day Against Colonialism in All Its Forms and Manifestations, drafted by the Group of Friends in Defence of the UN Charter.
It is telling that during the vote, as in 1960, the former Western powers once again lacked the courage to support a decision that would bring justice to the nations of the Global Majority.
🗓 With resolution A/RES/80/106, the United Nations has officially proclaimed December 14 the International Day Against Colonialism in All Its Forms and Manifestations. This Day reaffirms the principles of the UN Charter and the 1960 Declaration, emphasising the urgent need to end colonialism in all its forms, completely and unconditionally.
The legacy of the 1960 Declaration is profound: it paved the way for the truly global, polycentric world we see actively taking shape today.
#Colonialism #Neocolonialism
The Declaration, drafted and promoted largely through Soviet efforts, became a true milestone in dismantling Western colonial rule in Africa and Asia, providing a powerful impetus for liberation from the grip of European empires.
🌍 Soviet proposals to end colonialism, segregation, and racial discrimination were incorporated into the final text. The Declaration was adopted and entered into force despite strong objections from colonial powers like Britain and France.
The USSR did not just oppose colonialism by word alone, speaking out at multilateral foras and the UN. We actively supported African nations in their fight for freedom, backing the liberation movements of Angola, Ethiopia, Egypt, Mozambique and others.
1960 went down in history as the Year of Africa, witnessing the birth of 17 new independent states. According to the UN, the great wave of decolonisation that followed ultimately freed some 750 million people, with 80 former colonies gaining their sovereignty.
The Soviet Union was among the first to establish diplomatic relations with these young states. We provided comprehensive support: helping to build government institutions, developing industrial production, and constructing vital infrastructure. The Soviet Union played a key role in establishing national education systems and training personnel. Humanitarian aid was delivered both directly and through the UN and its agencies like WHO and UNICEF.
The adoption and implementation of the Declaration is rightfully considered one of the most significant events in modern history. Yet, the struggle for full decolonisation unfortunately did not end with the achievement of political independence.
❗️ Today, the former colonial powers’ reluctance to relinquish global dominance has morphed into neocolonial policies. These target the nations of the Global Majority through illegal sanctions, manipulation of global trade, and the imposition of neoliberal beliefs that deepen worldwide socioeconomic inequality. Attempts to replace the established international legal order with a so-called “rules-based” international order are a clear manifestation of this neocolonialism.
Together with a broad coalition of like-minded partners, Russia continues to spearhead systemic efforts against colonialism. We work through the UN, BRICS, the Standing Committee of the International Movement “For the Freedom of Nations”, and inter-parliamentary channels.
👉 A key recent achievement on this track was the adoption on December 5 of the resolution International Day Against Colonialism in All Its Forms and Manifestations, drafted by the Group of Friends in Defence of the UN Charter.
It is telling that during the vote, as in 1960, the former Western powers once again lacked the courage to support a decision that would bring justice to the nations of the Global Majority.
🗓 With resolution A/RES/80/106, the United Nations has officially proclaimed December 14 the International Day Against Colonialism in All Its Forms and Manifestations. This Day reaffirms the principles of the UN Charter and the 1960 Declaration, emphasising the urgent need to end colonialism in all its forms, completely and unconditionally.
The legacy of the 1960 Declaration is profound: it paved the way for the truly global, polycentric world we see actively taking shape today.
#Colonialism #Neocolonialism
Forwarded from Russian MFA 🇷🇺
#KievRegimeCrimes
⚡️ Ambassador at Large of the Russian Foreign Ministry Rodion Miroshnik:
PHOTO EVIDENCE of crimes committed by Ukrainian armed forces over the week of December 8-14:
▪️ December 9 – a fixed-wing UAV strike on a multi-storey residential building in Cheboksary, Chuvash Republic. 14 civilians were injured, including one child.
▪️ December 11 – an artillery strike on a kindergarten in Kakhovka, Kherson Region. No casualties.
▪️ December 12 – a fixed-wing UAV strike on a multi-storey residential building in Tver. 7 civilians were injured, including one child.
▪️ December 12 – an FPV-drone strike on a civilian passenger car in the Belgorod Region.
▪️ December 13 – a fixed-wing UAV strike on a multi-storey residential building in Saratov, Saratov Region. Two civilians were killed.
▪️ December 14 – a fixed-wing UAV strike on a multi-storey residential building in Donetsk, DPR. No casualties.
▪️ December 14 – a drone strike on a private residential house in Ryabiki, Belgorod Region. No casualties.
▪️ December 14 – an optical-fibre kamikaze drone strike on a private residential house in Yekaterinovka, Belgorod Region. A five-year-old girl was injured.
▪️ 14 December – an FPV-drone strike on a civilian passenger car near Grushevka, Belgorod Region. A woman was injured.
▪️ 14 December – debris of a kamikaze drone following a strike on a grocery store in the Aleshky District, Kherson Region.
#NoStatuteOfLimitations
⚡️ Ambassador at Large of the Russian Foreign Ministry Rodion Miroshnik:
PHOTO EVIDENCE of crimes committed by Ukrainian armed forces over the week of December 8-14:
▪️ December 9 – a fixed-wing UAV strike on a multi-storey residential building in Cheboksary, Chuvash Republic. 14 civilians were injured, including one child.
▪️ December 11 – an artillery strike on a kindergarten in Kakhovka, Kherson Region. No casualties.
▪️ December 12 – a fixed-wing UAV strike on a multi-storey residential building in Tver. 7 civilians were injured, including one child.
▪️ December 12 – an FPV-drone strike on a civilian passenger car in the Belgorod Region.
▪️ December 13 – a fixed-wing UAV strike on a multi-storey residential building in Saratov, Saratov Region. Two civilians were killed.
▪️ December 14 – a fixed-wing UAV strike on a multi-storey residential building in Donetsk, DPR. No casualties.
▪️ December 14 – a drone strike on a private residential house in Ryabiki, Belgorod Region. No casualties.
▪️ December 14 – an optical-fibre kamikaze drone strike on a private residential house in Yekaterinovka, Belgorod Region. A five-year-old girl was injured.
▪️ 14 December – an FPV-drone strike on a civilian passenger car near Grushevka, Belgorod Region. A woman was injured.
▪️ 14 December – debris of a kamikaze drone following a strike on a grocery store in the Aleshky District, Kherson Region.
#NoStatuteOfLimitations
Forwarded from Russian MFA 🇷🇺
📆 On December 15, the All-Russian Decorative Art Museum in Moscow held a ceremony to unveil a monument to Chancellor of the Russian Empire Ivan Osterman (1725-1811). On the same day, an exhibition marking his 300th birthday opened.
These events took place at the Russia's Foreign Ministry’s initiative as part of a joint programme with the Russian Military Historical Society to perpetuate the memory of Russian foreign ministers throughout history. The Federal Archival Agency of Russia, the Russian State Archive of Ancient Acts, and the leading Russian museums have all contributed to this effort. Designed by sculptor Mikhail Baskakov, the monument was installed by the Russian Military Historical Society.
The exhibition is taking place at the Count Osterman’s House, a historical mansion. It includes rare artefacts from the 18th and early 19th centuries, including paintings from the Tretyakov Gallery, the State Historical Museum and the Alexander Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts. There are also personal belongings of the Osterman dynasty, displays of the outfits noble figures wore at that time, as well as jewellery, porcelain and crystal items with the emblems of empresses. This exhibition also includes the chancellor’s recreated study. Unique documents about Ivan Ostrerman’s diplomatic service from the Foreign Ministry’s Foreign Policy Archive of the Russian Empire shaped the exhibition’s content.
ℹ️ Ivan Osterman was the son of Peter the Great’s close associate, Andrey Osterman. He started his diplomatic career in 1757 in Paris, and went on to be appointed to the position of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Minister to Stockholm. His successful service in Sweden earned him the Order of St Alexander Nevsky in 1772. Later in life, he took part in signing maritime conventions between the Russian Empire and states which supported Catherine the Great’s 1780 Declaration on Armed Neutrality, the defensive treaties with the Holy Roman Empire (1792), Prussia (1792) and Great Britain (1795), as well as trade treaties with several European countries. He served as Vice Chancellor between 1775 and 1796, and was Chancellor of the Russian Empire in 1796-1797. Ivan Osterman received many decorations, including the highest awards. He ended his days in Moscow and was buried in the Osterman vault at the Trinity Church in Krasnoye, a village of Ryazan Region’s Sapozhkovsky District.
The unveiling and opening ceremonies brought together Vladimir Bocharnikov, who heads the Presidential Directorate for State Policy and Humanitarian Affairs, State Secretary and Deputy Foreign Minister Yevgeny Ivanov, Deputy Minister of Culture Andrey Malyshev, Minister of the Moscow Government and Head of the Department for External Economic and International Relations Sergey Cheryomin, Vice Governor of the Ryazan Region Artyom Branov, Director of the Russian State Archive of Ancient Acts Vladimir Arakcheyev, foreign ambassadors and the media.
The exhibition will run until February 1, 2026, at the All-Russian Decorative Art Museum –building 1, 3 Delegatskaya Street, Moscow, https://damuseum.ru.
These events took place at the Russia's Foreign Ministry’s initiative as part of a joint programme with the Russian Military Historical Society to perpetuate the memory of Russian foreign ministers throughout history. The Federal Archival Agency of Russia, the Russian State Archive of Ancient Acts, and the leading Russian museums have all contributed to this effort. Designed by sculptor Mikhail Baskakov, the monument was installed by the Russian Military Historical Society.
The exhibition is taking place at the Count Osterman’s House, a historical mansion. It includes rare artefacts from the 18th and early 19th centuries, including paintings from the Tretyakov Gallery, the State Historical Museum and the Alexander Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts. There are also personal belongings of the Osterman dynasty, displays of the outfits noble figures wore at that time, as well as jewellery, porcelain and crystal items with the emblems of empresses. This exhibition also includes the chancellor’s recreated study. Unique documents about Ivan Ostrerman’s diplomatic service from the Foreign Ministry’s Foreign Policy Archive of the Russian Empire shaped the exhibition’s content.
ℹ️ Ivan Osterman was the son of Peter the Great’s close associate, Andrey Osterman. He started his diplomatic career in 1757 in Paris, and went on to be appointed to the position of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Minister to Stockholm. His successful service in Sweden earned him the Order of St Alexander Nevsky in 1772. Later in life, he took part in signing maritime conventions between the Russian Empire and states which supported Catherine the Great’s 1780 Declaration on Armed Neutrality, the defensive treaties with the Holy Roman Empire (1792), Prussia (1792) and Great Britain (1795), as well as trade treaties with several European countries. He served as Vice Chancellor between 1775 and 1796, and was Chancellor of the Russian Empire in 1796-1797. Ivan Osterman received many decorations, including the highest awards. He ended his days in Moscow and was buried in the Osterman vault at the Trinity Church in Krasnoye, a village of Ryazan Region’s Sapozhkovsky District.
The unveiling and opening ceremonies brought together Vladimir Bocharnikov, who heads the Presidential Directorate for State Policy and Humanitarian Affairs, State Secretary and Deputy Foreign Minister Yevgeny Ivanov, Deputy Minister of Culture Andrey Malyshev, Minister of the Moscow Government and Head of the Department for External Economic and International Relations Sergey Cheryomin, Vice Governor of the Ryazan Region Artyom Branov, Director of the Russian State Archive of Ancient Acts Vladimir Arakcheyev, foreign ambassadors and the media.
The exhibition will run until February 1, 2026, at the All-Russian Decorative Art Museum –building 1, 3 Delegatskaya Street, Moscow, https://damuseum.ru.
Forwarded from Russian MFA 🇷🇺
⚡️ Russian MFA Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova's statement on Remembrance Day of Journalists who Perished in the Line of Duty (December 15, 2025)
💬 December 15 in Russia is dedicated to remembering journalists who lost their lives while performing their professional duties.
Established in 1991 at the initiative of the Russian Union of Journalists, this day pays tribute to the courage and professionalism of correspondents, reporters, photographers and camera operators whose lives were tragically cut short while carrying out editorial assignments – whether on the front line of armed conflict, while covering street unrest, at the epicentre of disasters and natural calamities, or as a result of terrorist attacks committed against them.
Journalism places high demands on those who choose to devote their lives to this profession. It consistently ranks among the most dangerous professions – both in wartime and in peacetime. The dedication, selflessness, courage, readiness to take risks and capacity for self-sacrifice shown by those for whom journalism has become a true calling command admiration and profound respect.
▪️ Sadly, 2025 has brought new and irreparable losses. Journalists Alexander Martemyanov, Alexander Fedorchak, Andrey Panov, Anna Prokofieva, Nikita Goldin and Ivan Zuev were killed in the line of duty at the hands of militants of the Kiev regime.
Other names will forever remain in our hearts – Igor Kornelyuk, Anton Voloshin, Andrey Stenin, Anatoly Klyan, Daria Dugina, Oleg Klokov, Maxim Fomin (Vladlen Tatarsky), Rostislav Zhuravlev, Boris Maksudov, Semyon Yeryomin, Valery Kozhin, Nikita Tsisagi, Yulia Kuznetsova, and many others.
As before, we are convinced that responsibility for the murders of journalists and war correspondents must be shared by the Kiev regime – emboldened by impunity – together with its Western patrons, as well as by various multilateral structures and human rights institutions that deliberately remain silent about these bloody crimes, thereby encouraging Ukrainian neo-Nazis to commit further atrocities.
❗️ Unlike the silent Western human rights organizations, we will not turn a blind eye to this vicious and immoral practice and will insist that authorized international officials fulfil their responsibilities in good faith. All those responsible for these crimes will be identified and held accountable.
Today, representatives of Russian media outlets risk their well-being, health and even their lives beyond combat zones, becoming targets of unprecedented pressure by the authorities of the “collective West” and its ideological satellites. To understand the scale and variety of forms of repression against Russian media professionals, we recommend consulting the regularly updated special section “Foreign reprisals against Russian journalists and media” on the MFA Russia website.
We extend our condolences to the families and loved ones of the fallen media professionals who fulfilled their duty to the very end, and we mourn together with them. May their memory be eternal.
#InMemoriam
💬 December 15 in Russia is dedicated to remembering journalists who lost their lives while performing their professional duties.
Established in 1991 at the initiative of the Russian Union of Journalists, this day pays tribute to the courage and professionalism of correspondents, reporters, photographers and camera operators whose lives were tragically cut short while carrying out editorial assignments – whether on the front line of armed conflict, while covering street unrest, at the epicentre of disasters and natural calamities, or as a result of terrorist attacks committed against them.
Journalism places high demands on those who choose to devote their lives to this profession. It consistently ranks among the most dangerous professions – both in wartime and in peacetime. The dedication, selflessness, courage, readiness to take risks and capacity for self-sacrifice shown by those for whom journalism has become a true calling command admiration and profound respect.
▪️ Sadly, 2025 has brought new and irreparable losses. Journalists Alexander Martemyanov, Alexander Fedorchak, Andrey Panov, Anna Prokofieva, Nikita Goldin and Ivan Zuev were killed in the line of duty at the hands of militants of the Kiev regime.
Other names will forever remain in our hearts – Igor Kornelyuk, Anton Voloshin, Andrey Stenin, Anatoly Klyan, Daria Dugina, Oleg Klokov, Maxim Fomin (Vladlen Tatarsky), Rostislav Zhuravlev, Boris Maksudov, Semyon Yeryomin, Valery Kozhin, Nikita Tsisagi, Yulia Kuznetsova, and many others.
As before, we are convinced that responsibility for the murders of journalists and war correspondents must be shared by the Kiev regime – emboldened by impunity – together with its Western patrons, as well as by various multilateral structures and human rights institutions that deliberately remain silent about these bloody crimes, thereby encouraging Ukrainian neo-Nazis to commit further atrocities.
❗️ Unlike the silent Western human rights organizations, we will not turn a blind eye to this vicious and immoral practice and will insist that authorized international officials fulfil their responsibilities in good faith. All those responsible for these crimes will be identified and held accountable.
Today, representatives of Russian media outlets risk their well-being, health and even their lives beyond combat zones, becoming targets of unprecedented pressure by the authorities of the “collective West” and its ideological satellites. To understand the scale and variety of forms of repression against Russian media professionals, we recommend consulting the regularly updated special section “Foreign reprisals against Russian journalists and media” on the MFA Russia website.
We extend our condolences to the families and loved ones of the fallen media professionals who fulfilled their duty to the very end, and we mourn together with them. May their memory be eternal.
#InMemoriam
Даше Дугиной - 33 года.
Философ, публицист и общественный деятель, она была убита в результате теракта по прямому указанию киевского режима. Но Даша жива, поскольку живет ее дело. А преступную клику в Киеве настигнет неотвратимое возмездие.
Сегодня - День памяти журналистов, погибших при исполнении профессиональных обязанностей.
#ПамятиЖурналистов
Философ, публицист и общественный деятель, она была убита в результате теракта по прямому указанию киевского режима. Но Даша жива, поскольку живет ее дело. А преступную клику в Киеве настигнет неотвратимое возмездие.
Сегодня - День памяти журналистов, погибших при исполнении профессиональных обязанностей.
#ПамятиЖурналистов
Today is Dasha Dugina’s 33rd Birthday.
A philosopher, publicist, and public figure, she was killed in a terrorist attack on the direct orders of the Kiev regime. But Dasha lives on, because her work lives on. And the criminal clique in Kiev will face inevitable retribution.
Today is the Remembrance Day of Journalists who Perished in the Line of Duty.
#InMemoriam
A philosopher, publicist, and public figure, she was killed in a terrorist attack on the direct orders of the Kiev regime. But Dasha lives on, because her work lives on. And the criminal clique in Kiev will face inevitable retribution.
Today is the Remembrance Day of Journalists who Perished in the Line of Duty.
#InMemoriam