The event was organized together with the Russian information agency “Rossiya Segodnya” and the South African media group “Independent Media”.
The exhibition is to stay at the Eclectica Gallery at 69 Burg Street until October 28 and then move to the Mullers Gallery at Longmarket Street and Parliament Street for the period of October 31-November 6.
Consul General of Russia in Cape Town Mr Roman Ambarov addresses the guests of the exhibition opening:
“An exhibition of the winning works of the Andrei Stenin International Photo Contest 2016, which is currently on in Cape Town, is a very special event. What makes it unique is the way this photo contest brings together a number of important issues. It’s about the freedom of the press and media pluralism, it’s also about encouraging young talented photographers, bridging geographical and cultural gaps between various countries and of course all those problems raised by the winners of this photo contest. The tragic death of Russian photo correspondent Andrei Stenin should be mentioned here specifically. Andrei Stenin, whose name was given to this photo contest, was posthumously awarded the Order of Courage after being killed during a shelling by the Ukrainian military in August 2014. His murder became the symbol of all the hazards Russian journalists often face: violence, harassment, intimidation and other unlawful acts preventing them from objective and comprehensive reporting. In this context, we particularly appreciate an opportunity to join this project and together with the Russian information agency “Rossiya Segodnya” and the South African media group “Independent Media” present it to South Africans. We hope that the current photo exhibition will generate more interest in such Russian initiatives as the Andrei Stenin International Photo Contest among South Africans and contribute to the bilateral cultural relations between Russia and South Africa.”