Honouring Russian volunteers in Utrecht
14 March 2025
On 14 March 2025, Ambassador-designate of the Russian Federation to South Africa Mr. Roman Ambarov participated in annual commemorative events in Utrecht, KwaZulu-Natal, to honour the memory of Russian volunteers who took part in the Second Anglo-Boer War.
Rector of St. Sergius Orthodox Church in Midrand, Daniil Lugovoy served a lity for those who fell during the conflict, followed by a wreath-laying ceremony at the Leo Pokrowsky Monument and the Wall of Memory, which bears the names of 90 Russian volunteers.
Leo Pokrowsky was one of over 200 Russian volunteers who arrived in South Africa to assist the Boers in their struggle against British colonial oppression. He was placed in command of one of the Boer guerilla units and earned a reputation as a courageous officer, for which he was promoted to the rank of captain.
In his address, Ambassador Ambarov emphasized the importance of preserving the historical memory, ensuring that those who sacrificed their lives in support of the Boers' fight for independence against British imperialism are never forgotten.
“We are immensely grateful to the parish of the Dutch Reformed Church in Utrecht for providing care service for the monument of Captain Leo Pokrowski, who died heroically in the struggle for freedom of the Boer Republics during the Second Anglo-Boer War, and for preserving the memory of Cpt. Pokrowski and other Russian volunteers,” the Ambassador said.
As part of the event, the Russian Embassy in South Africa donated several artifacts to the Old Parsonage Museum, including a copy of a declassified archival document, translated into Afrikaans. This document contains the resolution of Russian Emperor Alexander III in response to a letter from Empress Maria Fedorovna, offering aid to Boer women and children through the Red Cross.
Embassy of Russia in South Africa