On 8 November Remembrance Day was marked at the Soviet War Memorial on the grounds of the Imperial War Museum in the London borough of Southwark. Wreaths were laid by Minister-Counsellor Ivan Volodin, Defence and Military Attaché Maxim Elovik, diplomats from other CIS countries, NGOs, members of public and journalists.
On 10 February, on the occasion of Diplomats’ Day in Russia, Ambassador Andrei Kelin laid flowers to the grave of Count Alexander Benckendorff, the last Russian Imperial Ambassador to the UK in 1902-1916, in Westminster Cathedral. A small service was read.
On 11th November 2020 the memorial to the Soviet pilots, who fought during World War II and took part in the joint Soviet-British secret operation ‘Albemarle’, has been installed in Errol, Scotland. The event also commemorated the 75th Anniversary of Victory over Nazi Germany.
On Remembrance Day 11th November a memorial dedicated to Russian airmen will be unveiled in Britain, timed to the 75th Victory Anniversary year.
At the height of WWII the British Government gave the Soviet Union, which had been suffering a severe shortage of transport aircraft, twin-engine bombers ‘Albemarle’. A long night flight across the North Sea and enemy-occupied territories could be managed by ace-pilots only.
The top-secret mission of the State Defense Committee was entrusted to the hand-picked experienced crews of the Moscow Special Assignment Airgroup - an elite air division of the military transport aviation formed in June 1941 of the best civil airmen of the country to perform critical tasks for the High Command.
On 22 October 2020, Russian Ambassador to the UK Andrei Kelin visited the Natural History Museum in London to see the photo exhibition dedicated to the Wildlife Photographer of the Year contest, which was won by the Russian photographer Sergey Gorshkov and his capture of the rare and glorious Amur tigress "The Embrace".
On 6 October, 2020 Ambassador of the Russian Federation to the United Kingdom Mr Andrei Kelin delivered a speech at Harrow School, one of the oldest and most prominent British private schools for boys.
On 3 September 2020 Ambassador Andrei Kelin participated in the unveiling ceremony of the Memorial in honoured memory of the Soviet soldiers who gave their lives liberating Europe, and in recognition of the brave people of the besieged Leningrad. Participants of the ceremony also included Lord Mayor of Manchester City Councillor Abid Latif Chohan, representatives of the Russian Embassy in London and the Russian community of Manchester.
On 19 August 2020 diplomats of the Russian Embassy visited British enterprise “Albert Bartlett” in county Norfolk which specialises in potato processing and producing potato meals. Diplomats met the owners and managers of the company and then had a tour of the enterprise. Matters related to the development of cooperation in humanitarian and agricultural areas, as well as organising a visit to Russian agricultural enterprises were discussed.
On 24-25 July 2020 the Agricultural Attaché of the Russian Embassy Vladimir Derbenskiy visited agricultural farm Trevear Farm and potato processing plant in Cornwall.
Vladimir Derbenskiy met the owner and had a tour of fields and livestock farm. Matters related to the development of cooperation between Russian and British farmers and organizing a visit to Russian agricultural enterprises were discussed.
On the Day of Memory and Sorrow Ambassador Andrei Kelin took part in a commemorative Candle Lighting Ceremony near the Soviet War Memorial in London. Together we pay tribute to those who sacrificed their lives defending the Motherland against the Nazis during the Great Patriotic War.
On 17 June 2020, the Embassy hosted the ceremony of presenting school diplomas of upper (full) secondary education to the graduates of the Russian Embassy School. Messages of congratulations were said by Ambassador Andrei Kelin and the school Principal Sergey Salomakhin, who presented the long-awaited diplomas as well as gold medals to those who completed the school course with excellence.
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