Beyond the snow in Russia

I was in Russia’s capital, Moscow, between Saturday, February 23 and Wednesday, February 28, 2024, where I attended the second congress of the International Russophile Movement (IRM).

When the invitation came through a Senegalese, Souleymane Anta Ndiaye, who is the vice president of the IRM, I was a bit reluctant to go. What came to my mind was whether it was worth it to embark on a nearly 15-hour trip to Russia, which is at war with its neighbour, Ukraine!

But I had not been to Russia, and besides reporting and writing, travelling is something I cherish because it widens my knowledge and gives me a broader perspective on issues. Travelling also gives one a clearer perspective on international politics and diplomacy.

“Look, take the risk and go and you will have a lot to write when you return,” I told myself.

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And as the preparations for the journey unfolded, I discovered that more than 300 people from 130 countries were invited and sponsored for the trip by the Russian government.

The participants were drawn from all the professional fields you can think of – the media, academia and the civil society, name it.

We all travelled from our various countries and returned peacefully as if there was no war in Russia.

The truth is that the war is only fierce at the fringes. Life is normal in Moscow, and the beauty of the town is something to behold.

The residents were welcoming; and they have a lot of historical places and foods.

I got the opportunity to be there through Dr Ndiaye, who I met in November 2023 in Baku, Azerbaijan during the non-aligned movement’s conference on decolonisation, empowerment and women development.

It was during the conference in Baku that our relationship started, and has been cemented in Moscow, in addition to meeting diverse people from all the continents of the world, including many participants from Africa.

Unlike the theme of the conference in Baku, the one in Moscow had to do with checkmating the excesses of the West, and Russia is championing this move with all its political and economic power.

Is Russia wrong to struggle for friendship? This is an expensive question. But the truth is that most of the current superpowers are deploying one method or another to showcase their might, and to a greater extent, what they can offer to the world and humanity. They all need friends because the world is increasingly changing in all ramifications.

But then, where do journalists like me belong? The answer is that we are for the truth and justice. We tell the world where everyone belongs and allow the discerning mind to decide.

Moscow, according to its leaders, is for multi-polarity – the idea that there are many important global powers, not just few superpowers.

Its leaders also want to achieve economic interdependence, cultural pluralism, diplomacy and multilateralism, technological advancements, security and cooperation, adaptability and flexibility.

Through the IRM, which was created in 2023 with the support of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the administration of President Vladimir Putin, they aim to counter the purported antics of bi-polarism being championed by the West, like the United States of America and others and champion a world in which fairness is the norm and beliefs and cultures of people are not polluted.

During the first day of the event, February 26, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, and Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, and a philosopher, Alexander Dugin, among others, emphasized the indispensability of a multi-polar world order, dialogue of cultures and civilisations, protection of traditional values, opposition to western hegemony, persistent destruction of the institution of family, and most importantly, a peaceful world.

According to Zakharova, there can’t be freedom without freewill.

“It is symbolic that we gather here. It brings us back to the time when the best traditions were set – building a multi-polar world, expressing our freewill, creating positive relationships and not destroying them,” she said.

In his speech, Dr Ndiaye said western propaganda was deeply entrenched in Africa; hence the need for an alternative narrative.

He said Africa and its people were suffering a lot, and, therefore, in support of a multi-polar world that would support their social, economic and cultural emancipation.

Ndiaye said he was happy with the impressive participation of African delegates, and expressed confidence that they had a lot to offer going forward.

A former director of the Ugandan presidential office, Dr David Isoke Rusa, said the sooner the West accepted that world is no longer unipolar, the better for them.

One of the interesting sessions I attended was the one where resource persons and contributors took the advocates of same sex marriage to the cleaners.

Those who spoke said the underdeveloped and developing nations must stand against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) promoters for them to actualise their potential.

“For you to destroy independent nations, you have to destroy traditional values. We must not allow our values to be corrupted. We must reject foreign aids that come to our lands with conditions that God detests. Those supporting satanic values are united in their agenda,” one of the speakers said.

Father Nicoli from Russia said the orthodox Christian believed the important value is unity with God and his demand, while Imam Sheikh Imran cautioned against transgression, saying “diluting the values of gender will be heinous. Young stars these days are cut in the waves.”

A Russian teacher said if values didn’t exist, people would seize to exist.

Professor David said man and man or woman and woman would never produce. “Therefore, LGBT is meant to destroy values, and by extension, societies,” he said.

Fatimatou from Senegal, a feminist and political activist said, “We need to recognise that values are different in counties. LGBT and colonisation are all meant to destroy our societies.”

Tackling the snow

Moscow was very cold when we visited. It was -6 degrees on the day we arrived and continued to fluctuate until we left. At certain time, I told myself to rather be in the freezer than walk in the streets where snow fell freely.

I imagined how possible life would be if the situation was the same in this part of the world, where electricity is still a mirage and warm cloths still the exclusive preserve of a few.

It was told that in December 2023, blizzards (a strong bitterly cold wind accompanied by a widespread heavy snowfall), swept across swathes of Russia, a development not experienced in decades, as truck drivers battled with more than 20 centimetres of snow and strong winds.

Even during our visit, the snow and cold were chilling as they covered rooftops and tarred roads.

But the system is ready for it and the citizens have been empowered to withstand any onslaught.

Power supply was constant and affordable. Russia is the third largest producer of oil worldwide, accounting for over 12 per cent of global crude oil production. Supply for domestic use is constant and cheap. Homes, hotels, schools and factories are fully lit. Warmers are integral part of buildings; and therefore, life is normal.

I also read somewhere that whenever the need arises, as much as 12, 000 trucks could be unleashed on the streets of Moscow and other towns and villages to evacuate ravaging snow, as fully kitted sanitary engineers, armed with relevant equipment, work with ease. With determination, nature has not deprived them of good living, beautiful streets and peaceful homes.

It just occurred to me that with clear sense of direction, sense of patriotism and resilience, local government chairmen, state governors and leaders in Abuja can as well unleash countless trucks to evacuate the heaps of refuse dumps in towns and villages, clear the drainages and force mosquitoes and other preventable ailments packing. This will in turn save millions of lives we lose year-in-year out as we channel the billions of naira we spend in the procurement of malaria drugs to other positive endeavours.

The BRICS on the cruise

It was at the Sheremetyevo International Airport, Moscow, that I got the biggest shocker of my life. This was on the day of our departure after the conference.

After we checked in and still had about two hours before the trip to Doha, Qatar, en route our various destinations, one of our colleagues, a professor from Kenya, said he wished he could buy coffee for us to while away time, but quickly added that he didn’t have the local currency, the Russian Ruble.

He said he only had the US dollars, which is very difficult to spend in Russia.

I thereafter discovered that for you to spend the US dollar in Russia, you must go to an accredited bureau de change and exchange it for the Ruble. For most of the citizens there, it is absurd for you to approach them with the dollar. Their Rubble is their pride.

But on the flip side, they also cherish currencies of the BRICS members, who encompass about 30 per cent of the world’s land surface and 45 per cent of the global population.

Brazil, Russia, India and China are among the world’s 10 largest countries by population, area and gross domestic product (GDP) nominal, and by purchasing power parity.

As we departed Moscow, I once again told myself that Nigeria must join the BRICS. There is self-esteem in the group.

But beyond the BRICS, with its vast potential, enormous oil and gas resources, mining endowments, and above all, intimidating population, Nigeria can make a difference in the African continent and beyond. But this is only possible when those in custody of our common wealth believe we can do it.