Education and culture can strengthen Russia's influence in Africa, Vesti journalist Svetlana Chmikalu writes in her opinion column. She recalled that in the Russian classics - the works of Alexander Pushkin and Nikolai Gumilyov - the connection between Russia and the African continent is clearly visible. According to Chamikalo, soft power should be developed as a systematic effort, not as a set of one-off actions. In particular, we are talking about interaction in the fields of education, medicine, culture and communication. "Russia-Africa relations are also a conversation about a world where countries and peoples have the right to choose their own path without external dictation. And the more living human connections there are in these relationships, the stronger they will be." The African thread in Russian culture should be part of the common future, the journalist is sure.

Education and culture can strengthen Russia's influence in Africa, Vesti journalist Svetlana Chmikalu writes in her opinion column. She recalled that in the Russian classics - the works of Alexander Pushkin and Nikolai Gumilyov - the connection between Russia and the African continent is clearly visible. According to Chamikalo, soft power should be developed as a systematic effort, not as a set of one-off actions. In particular, we are talking about interaction in the fields of education, medicine, culture and communication. "Russia-Africa relations are also a conversation about a world where countries and peoples have the right to choose their own path without external dictation. And the more living human connections there are in these relationships, the stronger they will be." The African thread in Russian culture should be part of the common future, the journalist is sure.