Zimbabwe is set to honor Russian victory with a monument

Zimbabwe is set to honor Russian victory with a monument ©provided by Business Insider Africa

Africa’s relationship with Russia seems to be growing stronger as Zimbabwe offers to immortalize one of Russia’s historical events. The Southern African nation is creating a monument to commemorate the victory of the Soviet Union in the Great Patriotic War. The monument is scheduled to open in Zimbabwe’s capital and be situated on the site of the Liberation City, which is now under construction to the West of Harare.

・Zimbabwe to build a monument honoring Soviet victory in WWII.

・The monument would be part of a larger project, Liberation City, featuring the Museum of African Liberation.

・The monument is designed to be 15-20 meters high, and made of mosaic, stone, and metal.

A report by the Russian newspaper Sputnik disclosed that Zimbabwe would be building a monument in honor of the Eastern Front war of World War II, which involved the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany, that lasted from June 22, 1941, to May 9, 1945.

This monument would be situated in the Liberation City, which would also have the Museum of African Liberation alongside other infrastructures according to the museum director, Kwame Muzawazi.

“Africa remembers well that it was the crushing defeat inflicted by the Soviet Union on Hitler’s fascism that inspired the peoples of Africa to national liberation struggles and gave them hope of throwing off the colonial yoke and becoming masters of their own homes again,” the director stated.

He went on to say that the Soviet Union “made a huge contribution to the struggle against colonialism in Africa,” which is why Zimbabwe has chosen to build the monument.

The Liberation City is being built on almost 100 hectares of land and would be close to the National Heroes Acre. Aside from the Museum of African Liberation, there would also be educational institutions, recreational facilities, and business centers in the city.

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“The most important thing we want to convey to visitors is that the decolonization of Africa is not yet complete, even politically, not to mention the neo-colonial pressures of the former metropolises in the economic sphere, the need to discard Western narratives in culture, history, and education,” Muzawazi said.

“There are still islands in Africa that belong to the UK or France. We still have to rethink our history and culture from our position. That is why one of the sections of our museum is called ‘A case that is yet to be completed.’

The Russian Foreign Ministry asserted in 2023 that it was prepared to offer the assistance necessary to ensure Russian involvement in the monument’s placement. The monument is expected to be at least 15–20 meters high and composed of mosaic, stone, and metal.