Russians in Rwanda. Diaries of an emigrant: how a Ukrainian woman lives in Rwanda. What made the spy-like banker Ignatius Manus famous for?

Kigali, the capital of the tiny country of Rwanda, left an indelible impression on me. Just 20 years after the devastating 1994-1995 civil war and genocide that claimed more than a million lives, the country is now thriving. A very clean and actively under construction city, neatly dressed and smiling people, a huge number of expensive cars, fashionable boutiques, shopping centers, parks. And all this is by no means a legacy of Europeans, as in most other African countries. In 1995, the city lay in ruins, thousands of rotting human bodies littered the streets, and the hills surrounding the city were smoking from incessant fires. Everything we see today was built over the past 20 years; practically not a single building from the colonial era has survived, and to hell with them. Once again I am convinced that sometimes history is made by an individual. Singapore was created by Lee Kuan Yew, Georgia was created by Mikheil Saakashvili, and in Rwanda it was President Paul Kagame, the former commander of the opposition forces who took control of Rwanda and put an end to the brutal massacre.

Starting practically from scratch in 1995, with streets littered with corpses and destroyed cities, Rwanda today has become one of the most developed countries in black Africa. And I don’t mean the ability to get a visa online, but specific economic indicators. Billions are actively invested here, and there will soon be more Chinese than in China itself. Neat industrial zones at the entrance to cities, total computerization, numerous universities and colleges. And just even if you look at the people, I haven’t met a single beggar here yet. And there is practically no crime here.

As for getting a visa online, it’s convenient. You can arrange it in advance through the website of the Rwandan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, they will send you a confirmation and then safely fly to Kigali, or if by land, then through any international crossing. Pay $30 for a national visa, or $100 for a single visa for Rwanda, Uganda and Kenya. You can buy each of the visas separately, but it will be more expensive: Rwandan 30, Ugandan 50 and Kenyan 50. Moreover, in this case, each of the visas will be single-entry.

I made one for all three countries. This is convenient because you get the right to travel between all three countries within 90 days without purchasing new visas. Moreover, you can travel outside this “African Schengen” and return back; for example, leaving Rwanda for Tanzania and returning to Kenya. Very convenient for African travel.

To say that Kigali surprised me is an understatement! The feeling that I am not in the center of Africa, but somewhere in a small American city, or in Israel. Kigali somehow reminded me of Israel. Not so much by buildings, but by the overall type of infrastructure (from curbs and road markings to similar parks and traffic lights) and urban planning.

Very little remains from the old days, but here and there “inclusions” of the pre-war era remain -

Residents of Kigali are reminiscent of the Koreans and Japanese with their passion for gadgets. They walk along the streets and stare at their phones, and there are advertisements for cellular companies at every turn -

Lots of massive shopping centers -

Personally, I’m interested in shopping centers for the opportunity to climb onto the roof and take a photo of the panorama -

The city is exceptionally clean -

I also noticed that English is gradually replacing French. Initially, Rwanda was a colony of Germany (1890-1915), but then, Germany, which lost the First World War, lost all its African possessions and Rwanda was captured by Belgium. And until 1962, it actively turned the country into another island of Francophonie, in addition to neighboring Burundi and Zaire. Even after the declaration of independence, the Belgians kept their troops here as a “guarantor of stability and democracy” and controlled all business and political activity in the country, allowing the dictator Kayibanda, who was convenient for them, to come to power. French was the first official and second native language for Rwandans.

But in 1994, Belgian influence came to an end because the Rwandans could not forgive them for their criminal neutrality during the reigning genocide and massacres. From one and a half to two thousand Belgian soldiers silently watched what was happening, holed up at their bases. Hundreds of thousands of people were being killed all around, and they, hiding behind high fences, were vigilant for “stability and democracy.” And after the rebels killed 10 Belgian soldiers at a base in the center of Kigali, they completely abandoned their weapons and property and left Rwanda. Interestingly, this behavior of the once powerful colonial power has led to the fact that today the French language is practically dead in Rwanda. Nobody needs it, not only because the entire business is tied to Chinese investments and trade with “English-speaking” South Africa, Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya, but also because the Rwandans have not forgiven Belgium for their flight at the time of danger. Today, French is well remembered by those over forty years old, but young people practically no longer speak it. But everyone speaks good English.

By the way, this hotel just below called "Hotel des Mille Collines" played an important role during the war. Once the most luxurious hotel in Rwanda, diplomats, businessmen and simply wealthy travelers lived here. When the war came to Kigali and the streets turned into places of massacres and massacres, more than a thousand Tutsi refugees took refuge in this hotel. While the Europeans were eventually evacuated from here, and the Belgian military, recalling their “democratic mission”, fled the country, the lives of the unfortunate people hung in the balance. The hotel was besieged by gangs of rebels who demanded to be allowed inside in order to slaughter all the refugees hiding inside. Have you already guessed that we are talking about the same hotel “Rwanda”, known from the film of the same name? For anyone who hasn't seen this film, I highly recommend it. It happened here -

Today there is absolutely nothing reminiscent of the war -

I really liked “Kigali adventist dental clinic” in this photo. It turns out that a dentist is chosen based on his faith, and a diploma is only in second place. And if there is no diploma at all, but the dentist is a parishioner of this church, then you can trust him with your teeth on his word of honor?

By the way, my hotel is in the background -

As I already said, there will soon be more Chinese in Africa than in China. Where have I met these hardworking guys: Rwanda, Lesotho, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Ethiopia, Guinea-Bissau, Senegal and many other places. In Rwanda, the Chinese are idolized; they are the main investors in the local economy -

Kigali City Hall -

The formidable gorilla - the symbol of Rwanda - keeps order -

Every now and then on the streets of Kigali you can see such memorial plaques, here is one of them at the entrance to the bank -

You probably decided that you only photographed the city center, but forgot about the outskirts where most likely there is dirt and poverty. No, I didn't forget! Let's take a walk away from the business center. Here, of course, everything is simpler, but there is no dirt and poverty. It’s not just that I said that Rwanda has made a big leap forward and finding yourself here after the same Ethiopia, you will feel like you’re in Europe -

There is definitely an African flavor, this is Africa -

Kigali is a relatively small city, there are about a million inhabitants, with the majority living in the private sector scattered throughout the hills -

This is the Chinese restaurant where I have lunch and dinner -

Above we talked about 10 Belgian soldiers killed at a base in Kigali on April 7, 1994. The soldiers were guarding a president loyal to them when the president's own guard, consisting of Hutu soldiers, captured the Belgians and took them to the Kigali base (Camp Kigali) in the center of the city. The passivity of the Belgian military was so blatant that they not only did not try to protect the president, but even themselves. The rebels took the weapons from the Belgians, and then put them against the wall (this wall in the photo) and shot them -

Now a memorial has been created here -

By and large, apart from the barracks wall with bullet holes and the monument, there is nothing else noteworthy here. But one picture on the wall caught my attention. History repeats itself for those who do not honor their history. Rwandans cannot understand why they were betrayed and allowed these horrors to happen? It would seem that after the Second World War the world became different and now genocide cannot happen again. Naive Rwandans, it was a revelation to them that no one would save them. Just as no one began to save Cambodia from Pol Pot, just as no one gives a damn about Darfur and Syria and Iraq. Moreover, as recent events in Europe itself show, there is no political will to even protect themselves.

What an unexpected Rwanda!

We bet you will never guess who sponsors the trip to Africa? But who, .

p.s. 2 Since not all readers have a Livejournal account, I duplicate all my articles about life and travel on social networks, so join:
Twitter

Time of implementation: 1994
Victims: Tutsi
Place: Rwanda
Character: ethnic
Organizers: Hutu rebels

The political confrontation between the Tutsi and Hutu peoples has its roots in the history of Rwanda. Even in the pre-colonial era, although still an ethnic minority, Tutsis constituted the country's ruling elite. Subsequently, the colonial authorities (the Germans and then the Belgians) used exclusively Tutsis to govern the country. After Rwanda gained independence in 1962, political power in the country passed to the Hutus. From that time until 1994, the confrontation continued in the country between the Hutu and the Tutsi, who did not want to accept the loss of power, with armed clashes periodically breaking out. At the same time, thousands of Hutu refugees were moving from neighboring Burundi to Rwanda to escape persecution.

In 1990, Belgium and some Central African countries were forced to send troops to Rwanda to stop the advance of the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), which consisted of Tutsis and moderate Hutu, invading the country from neighboring Uganda. At the same time, it is officially recognized that the RPF military leadership was trained at the American military base Fort Leavenworth.

In the summer of 1993, the parties managed to agree on a ceasefire and a sequence of actions for the further integration of Tutsis into the political life of the country. However, on April 6, 1994, the plane carrying the President of Rwanda, Habyarimana, and the President of neighboring Burundi, Ntaryamira, was shot down by unknown assailants near the country's capital, Kigali. According to various versions, the attack was carried out either by radical Hutus, who feared that the president was going to make concessions to the Tutsi, or by Tutsi militants, who were dissatisfied with the president’s slowness in implementing the agreements.

On the night of April 7, Rwandan armed forces and Hutu militias (the so-called “Interahamwe”) block roads and begin massacring Tutsis and moderate Hutu political leaders. Thousands of people were killed on the first day. Some manage to escape by finding refuge in UN camps, but in most cases, UN peacekeeping troops do not interfere in any way with what is happening, not daring to violate the terms of the “observer” mandate.

Hutu-controlled state radio actively promotes hatred towards Tutsis. The actions of the pogromists are also coordinated by radio, for example, information is transmitted about places where Tutsis are trying to hide.

On April 9 and 10, Belgium and France send troops to Rwanda to evacuate their citizens, as well as Americans in the country. Europeans do not provide any assistance to Tutsis, even to employees of embassies and consulates of Western countries. On the afternoon of April 11, Belgian peacekeepers receive orders to leave the Don Bosco school building, in which two thousand Tutsis who escaped the massacre were under their guard. Abandoned to their fate, the people were immediately slaughtered by the Hutus.

On April 21, the UN Security Council unanimously decided to withdraw the peacekeeping contingent from Rwanda. That same day, the Red Cross reported that the death toll may have reached tens, if not hundreds of thousands. However, both UN workers and representatives of the American State Department continued to diligently avoid using the term “genocide” in their speeches. Moreover, on May 3, President Clinton issued the so-called presidential directive (Presidential Decision Directive - PDD 25), limiting the participation of the US military in UN peacekeeping missions. Only on May 13 did the Security Council decide to put to a vote the question of the return of peacekeepers to Rwanda, but US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright delayed the vote for another four days. Finally, on May 17, the Security Council adopted a resolution to send 5,500 peacekeepers to the conflict zone, however, the dispatch was delayed due to disagreements over the financing of the operation. By that time, according to the Red Cross, the number of victims of the massacre was already 500,000 people. Despite this, in mid-June, UN troops had still not been sent to Rwanda!

The massacre of Tutsis only stopped when the RPF captured Kigali in July and the Hutu government was forced to flee to Zaire. Official figures from the Rwandan government put the death toll from the 100-day massacre at 937,000.

The fact of genocide against the Tutsi has been recognized by the international community. The planned nature of this genocide has been proven by numerous documentary materials. It is known, for example, that the government of Rwanda used loans received from various types of international funds to arm the Hutu militia, whose number reached 30,000 immediately before the genocide.

In November 1994, in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 955, an international criminal tribunal for Rwanda was established in Tanzania. In May 1998, after a two-year trial, the former prime minister of Rwanda pleaded guilty to masterminding genocide and was sentenced to life imprisonment. Several other organizers of the genocide were also convicted. [Added later: according to the BBC, as of September 19, 2005, an international tribunal in Tanzania convicted 22 people and acquitted three. Trials of 25 defendants are still ongoing, with another 17 awaiting trial.]

In December 1999, an independent commission mandated by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan conducted an investigation and published a report criticizing the UN's handling of the events in Rwanda. The commission concluded that the UN leadership and member states had the opportunity to prevent genocide, but failed to do so due to lack of resources and lack of political will to take appropriate decisions.

In March 2005, the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda, the political successor of the Interahamwe, finally admitted that genocide had been committed against the Tutsis and announced an end to the armed struggle.

*Extremist and terrorist organizations banned in the Russian Federation: Jehovah's Witnesses, National Bolshevik Party, Right Sector, Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA), Islamic State (IS, ISIS, Daesh), Jabhat Fatah al-Sham", "Jabhat al-Nusra", "Al-Qaeda", "UNA-UNSO", "Taliban", "Majlis of the Crimean Tatar People", "Misanthropic Division", "Brotherhood" of Korchinsky, "Trident named after. Stepan Bandera", "Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists" (OUN), "Azov"

Now on the main page

Articles on the topic

• 

  Kremlin Project 2.0

  Results of the Cold War: why the “winners” live worse than the “losers”

  You've probably heard the phrase “Why do the winners live worse than the losers?” As a rule, our compatriots say it when they see the well-fed life of the decaying West. By the winners, of course, they mean us - the Soviet people, the vanquished - the Germans and their coalition. Unfortunately, the history of Russia does not end with the glorious and heroic victory of 1945. Victory in the Second World War. When…

  13.01.2020 17:01 39

• 

  Svetlana Tsygankova

  Red Storm: 75 years ago the Vistula-Oder operation began

  Photo: Wikimedia.org January 12, 2020 marks the 75th anniversary of the start of the Vistula-Oder operation. It lasted just over 20 days, until February 3, 1945. During this time, the territory of Poland west of the Vistula was liberated and a bridgehead on the left bank of the Oder River was captured. It was later used to attack Berlin. By the beginning of 1945...

  12.01.2020 16:35 33

• 

  Alexey Volynets

  How French champagne conquered our country and became the most Russian drink

  © Photo bank Lori Our New Year's table may be very diverse, even the notorious Olivier may not be on it, but there will always be a glass of sparkling champagne. Along with the chimes and the decorated Christmas tree, it is the symbol of the New Year. “Profile” will tell how wine, born in French Champagne, took root and changed in Russia for three centuries - from Peter I to Stalin,...

  9.01.2020 13:25 44

• 

  Mikhail Kuntsev

  JANUARY 9 AS “GROUNDGROUND DAY”

  Today is a significant day of remembrance and mourning, but they will try not to remember it “on TV.” Not one of those that paints the prevailing way of life in the Russian Federation! On January 9, 1905, Bloody Sunday occurred. This is the shooting of a peaceful demonstration of St. Petersburg workers who were heading on January 9, 1905 with a petition to the Tsar. The number of victims of the tragic events of this day amounted to...

  9.01.2020 13:05 58

• 

  Natalia Yachmennikova

  Designer Gleb Lozino-Lozinsky was born 110 years ago

  Photo: Albert Pushkarev/TASS The world knows Gleb Lozino-Lozinsky as the chief designer of the legendary Buran. But in his last interview, shortly before his death, he admitted: the implementation of Buran allowed him to “conduct important tests of another space system.” Gleb Evgenievich spoke about the main project of his life - “Spirals”. Experts are unanimous in their opinion: Lozino-Lozinsky is an outstanding designer and talented organizer,...

  7.01.2020 12:17 27

• 

  from blogs

  Transnistria. How it was

  MILITARY CONFLICT IN TRANSDNISTRIA. 1989-1992 1989 Rally in Transnistria 1989. MOLDAVAN NATIONALISM. Representatives of the Popular Front of Moldova (PFM) formed the leadership of the republic, which pursued a policy of prioritizing the national interests of the Moldovan nation, which led to discrimination against national minorities and clashes on ethnic grounds. 1989 PRO-ROMANIAN SEPARATISM. Gained significant popularity in the country...

  4.01.2020 21:33 78

• 

  Zinnur Latypov

  How KAMAZ was saved from the “hard” option according to Chubais’ scheme

  Photo: “BUSINESS Online” Detective from the history of the Chelny auto giant: a secret order from Moscow, a “Japanese strike” in response and the intervention of the Kazan Kremlin In the 90s, KAMAZ OJSC, in addition to problems after a fire at the engine plant, faced a threat to the very existence of the auto giant, claims Zinnur Latypov, in the 90s, director of the Republican Agency for Insolvency (Bankruptcy) of the Republic of Tatarstan. In a material written specifically for BUSINESS Online, he reveals the history of an order marked “Not subject to disclosure” - about immediate...

  4.01.2020 17:32 53

• 

  January 1 is a national holiday in Cuba - Liberation Day.

  On this day, the armed struggle for freedom in Cuba was victorious. The rebel army led by Fidel Castro triumphantly entered Santiago de Cuba, greeted by jubilant crowds of people, and rebel detachments under the command of Che Guevara and Camilo Cienfuegos advanced to Havana, no longer encountering any resistance on their way. The Cuban Revolution is an outstanding event that opened a new page in the history of Cuba. She paved the way for the Cuban people...

  1.01.2020 12:18 41

• 
  

  97 years ago the USSR was formed

  Collage © KM.RU It is no coincidence that the most popular politician in Russia is Stalin. A significant part of the citizens dream of its return, having eaten their fill of the “charms” of capitalism and the “era of stability” to the point of burping. On December 30, 1922, the first socialist state in the history of mankind was formed, disputes about which will not subside for a very long time. As is known, after the collapse of the USSR in...

  30.12.2019 23:14 39

• 

  Alexey Volynets

  What made the spy-like banker Ignatius Manus famous for?

  ©WHA / Vostock Photo On March 1, 1916, in Petrograd, military counterintelligence officers accused a major banker of working for the German intelligence services. The World War gave rise to a lot of accusations of espionage, but this case was unique. Despite the gravity of the crime charged - treason and working for an open enemy - the banker was not taken into custody. Army counterintelligence limited itself to subscription...

  25.12.2019 15:07 29

• 

  Krasny Moskovit

  "Switchmen"

  The “incident with the arrows” (just one), which did not attract due attention from the general public, but let me remind you: on December 12, the official website for the celebration of the anniversary of the Victory was opened, where the dubious arrows, or rather, their unambiguous direction from west to east, were repeated in the illustrations, it seems to me, very accurately diagnoses the current pathetic and deplorable situation in which the Russian Federation finds itself. But the content and...

  22.12.2019 0:51 130

• 

  Alexey Volynets

  American loans for world war

  Bank J.P. Morgan & Co. ©Library of Congress The United States remained the largest economy in the world not involved in the First World War until 1917. The economic potential of the United States even then inspired respect even among the most developed powers of Europe. It is not surprising that with the outbreak of the conflict, a wave of military orders began to flow across the Atlantic. Tsarist Russia did not stand aside either - during two years of war, its share...

  16.12.2019 12:01 43

• 

  Editorial office of "People's Journalist"

  “And we’ll hit “Darkie”

  Photo: still from the film “Only “old men” go into battle”, dir. L. Bykov, 1974 On this day, December 12, our noble fellow countryman, the illustrious son of Donbass, honor, beauty and pride of the region, Leonid Bykov (December 12, 1928 - April 11, 1979) - Soviet director, screenwriter, actor, was born. Honored Artist of the RSFSR (1965). People's Artist of the Ukrainian SSR (1974). Leonid Fedorovich Bykov...

  12.12.2019 22:17 93

• 

  Channel "Sulakshin Center"

  HISTORIOSOPHY 45th * Vardan Baghdasaryan. Global process No. 124

  The geopolitical meanings of the Second World War and the revision of its results are analyzed by Professor, Doctor of Historical Sciences Vardan Ernestovich Bagdasaryan. Program “Global Process” No. 124 #Sulakshin Program #Save Russia #Rebuild Russia #Moral State #SulakshinPrav OUR RESOURCES ➤Sulakshin Center: http://rusrand.ru/ 🔬🔭 ➤New Type Party: http://rusrand..yandex.ru/narzur 📰 https://www.youtube.com/c/%D0%9D%D0%B0%D1%80%D0%96%D1%83%D1%80%D0%A2%D0%92?sub_confirmation=1

  9.12.2019 19:10 46

• 

  Alexey Volynets

  Military loans to Russia

  Volzhsko-Kama Bank. ©WHA / Vostock Photo The government of Nicholas II promised to repay the first war loan of 1914 by 1965. Loans from the population have long been an important source of financing military expenses. In Russian history, such a loan was first carried out back in 1809 against the backdrop of the struggle against Napoleon. By the beginning of the First World War, Russia seemingly had an extensive and...

  8.12.2019 17:07 68

• 

  Far Eastern Destroy

  The huge military airbase "Terek" (Khabarovsk-Tsentralny) which gave birth to the famous 18th IAP "Normandie-Neman"

  Unique of its kind in the Far East and one of the best, the central military airbase “Terek”, no less known under the names “Khabarovsk-Tsentralny” and “Bolshoi Airfield”, has given birth to and developed many aviation regiments/brigades/squadrons for completely different purposes, incl. and the famous 18th IAP "Normandy-Niemen". We have more airfields in the Far East, rich in history and diversity of aircraft fleet...

  6.12.2019 21:50 90

• 

  Valentin Katasonov

  THE END OF THE TEMPLARY ORDER, OR THE FAILED ATTEMPT OF THE FIRST BOURGEOIS REVOLUTION

  In the previous articles “The Order of the Templars: The First Attempt at Financial Integration of Europe” and “How the Templars Tried to Put Europe under Their Financial Control,” Professor of the Department of International Finance at MGIMO, Doctor of Economics Valentin Katasonov talks about the history of the Order of the Templars and its influence on the Church and the state. At the beginning of the 14th century, the Roman throne was headed by Pope Clement V. He, of course, realized...

  4.12.2019 13:54 55

• 

  Valentin Katasonov

  THE TEMPLARY ORDER: THE FIRST ATTEMPT TO FINANCIAL INTEGRATION OF EUROPE

  900 years ago, the brotherhood of “poor” knights was established, which after a few decades turned primarily into a financial organization. I have already written more than once that our economics textbooks, to put it mildly, distort many aspects of economic history. In particular, it is very surprising that in the overwhelming majority of textbooks in the sections devoted to the international financial system (IFS), the period...

  2.12.2019 12:33 43

• 

  Valentin Katasonov

  HOW THE TEMPLAR TRIED TO BRING EUROPE UNDER THEIR FINANCIAL CONTROL

  The number of versions explaining the miraculous transformation of the “poor” and even “beggar” knights of the Knights Templar into the most influential financiers and bankers in Europe is beyond counting. In the previous article, I wrote about the birth of the Order of the Templars (OT), which occurred exactly nine centuries ago, in 1119, as well as about the rise and flowering of this religious and knightly organization, about its metamorphoses. From a spiritual-military organization...

  2.12.2019 12:28 40

• 

  Alexey Volynets

  Military-financial creativity during the First World War

  ©Universal Images Group / Akg-images / Vostock The First World War caused not only a surge of patriotism at the beginning of the conflict and a severe hangover when its protracted and unusually bloody nature became apparent. The war, among other things, became a catalyst for a mass of public projects - the government of the Russian Empire was literally inundated with various proposals on how to save in the conditions of battles of previously unprecedented intensity...

  1.12.2019 13:30 33

• 

  Editorial office of "People's Journalist"

  Let's remember Fidel. Thoughts of the Commander-in-Chief of the Cuban Revolution

  Photo from here “I know that a people is invincible when it unites, as our people united when they have faith and people who will not betray them; and that no one and nothing can defeat the Revolution.” Speech in the city of Artemis, January 17, 1959 “If gold were stronger than the ideal, the homeland would perish, because...

  25.11.2019 0:11 96

• 

  Alexey Volynets

  A hundred-year saga with Turkish debts

  ©Universal Images Group / Akg-images / Vostock The First World War was fought by five powers that were empires officially, de jure, and not just in a journalistic or figurative sense. Of these, only one, the British, survived that war - the Russian, German, Austro-Hungarian and Ottoman empires collapsed. Of these empires, the most backward, undoubtedly, was the Ottoman Empire - “the sick man of Europe”...

Stories about Krasnoyarsk residents who decided to radically change their lives - go to another country, find work and housing there. In the summer of 2011, 21% of the country's population thought about emigrating. For comparison, 20 years ago there were only 5%. According to VTsIOM, the fifth part of the Russian population who wants to “get out” are mostly highly educated young people.

Many people know them in Krasnoyarsk. They still have family and friends here. But they chose to leave. Online conversation, 10 questions. Ruslan Adamov, Krasnoyarsk - Kigali.

Do you need to prepare for moving? Or is an impulsive decision the only way to leave with 100% probability?

In my case, it was necessary to prepare. First of all, spontaneity is not my character trait. Secondly, waiting for a visa and other documents made it possible to prepare well mentally for life, without exaggeration, on “another planet.” After all, Africa is a continent to which, even now, when all borders are open and the Internet is full of information, not every tourist, and even more so a person for permanent residence, will gather.

What was it like in your case?

I studied karate in the Federation of the Krasnoyarsk Territory, was an instructor and an athlete. Three years ago, at the next international training camp in Moscow, representatives of the Rwandan national team received an offer to my coach to go to Africa and teach the basics of karate there. After considering the offer, he refused, but... recommended me! I agreed without a moment's hesitation. After some time, a positive response about my candidacy came from Rwanda itself. Family and friends were also supportive. My beloved was upset at first, but then I realized that if not now, then I wouldn’t get a second chance. Collecting all kinds of documents and waiting for the invitation itself took a year. At the beginning of 2011, I signed a contract to coach the Rwandan national team, and a few days later I was holding a one-way plane ticket in my hands. The final emphasis in preparation for this long journey was vaccination against yellow fever.

In your case, does moving abroad mean going there? Or leave here?

I need to start with the fact that I really love my country and the city of Krasnoyarsk, in particular. I "went there." And he agreed to this exotic job in every sense in order to gain international experience and help local athletes reach a new level. After all, for me, their successes in competitions are my successes, it’s a sign that I’m moving in the right direction.

Africa seems to all people far from it to be a mysterious, dangerous and unexplored land. I was no exception. Soon after arriving in Rwanda, the existing stereotype about African countries was dispelled in my head once and for all.

Why this country?

I did not deliberately choose Rwanda. And in principle, it was not in my thoughts to leave Krasnoyarsk. Apparently, fate decided to provide this chance, thereby testing my strength.

What are the five biggest differences between Russia and your new country?

— Racial and territorial mentality. Problem with sense of time. For Rwandans, being 20 minutes late is not being late, and if they say “I’ll be there in 20 minutes,” then wait in 2 hours. There is a saying across the continent: “God has given so much time that there is enough time for everything.” But it didn’t extend to my training, because 100 push-ups for being late quickly brought my students into shape, and total unpunctuality was eliminated in the bud :)

— Standard of living. Very low, however, as in many African countries. More than 60% of the country's population lives below the poverty line. A salary of 100 dollars is considered very good; some citizens do not see any money at all. Many people live in houses with an area of ​​15 square meters as a family - an average of 8 people. Most women go bald or have short hair because they simply do not have the opportunity to buy hair care products. Eat a hearty meal once a day, or even once every two days. The food is simple and not varied: rice, beans and fruits. For example, there are 150 types of bananas in Rwanda. Meat is rarely eaten because it is expensive. Officials and other elite eat the same as the common population, because Rwandans are unpretentious in food. Visitors can dine in a decent restaurant for $20, and a buffet in a cafe costs no more than $3. And there you can already find meat, potatoes, and vegetable salads.

— Doctors and teachers. The most noble professions in Rwanda. They are treated well. Doctors have very good salaries and always grateful patients. The teachers are also not offended by the salary, and the respect of the students has no limits. From personal experience: when I finish training, there is always a student who will carefully fold my kimono at his own request :) In general, Rwandans love to learn and understand the importance of knowledge.

— Heightened sense of justice. It is common to almost all Africans that they will not be able to pass by a person in need of help. If a thief falls into the hands of the police, consider him lucky. The “bad” ones are punished by the law of society, and sometimes by society itself. From finger pointing to stone throwing.

— Crime. Rwanda is a small mountainous state. At the same time safe. You can walk and travel in any part of it. But in Africa this is not possible for every country. Although, even in Rwanda you cannot escape from petty thefts.

But in general, not everything is so sad. I repeat that Rwanda is a rather small country, so the changes here are immediately noticeable. The local population is making good use of financial assistance from international organizations - they are building roads, schools, hospitals, and improving infrastructure in general.

Do you feel like a stranger in a new country?

I don’t feel like a stranger. But I will never become a local either - I am Russian and will be until the end. I speak English, I have even mastered the local language slightly, there are no problems in communication. As for the “white” population, there are plenty of Europeans and Americans in Rwanda, mainly volunteers come here for short-term work. There are also a lot of tourists. People come to see mountain gorillas and the “pearl of Africa” - Lake Kivu, the only one in Africa not inhabited by crocodiles.

Is it difficult to find work/housing?

Housing. There are no problems with accommodation. Prices from $100 (dorm room) to $5,000 per month (two-story mansion with a swimming pool and maids). It all depends on your needs and capabilities. There is no hot water supply; if necessary, boilers must be installed.

Job. The logical question is, who would go to Africa in search of permanent work? Salaries are low, and offers of hired work are also sparse. Locals give preference to their citizens, send them for training, and allocate vacant places. So it’s better not to go to Rwanda without an invitation. Or go, but to develop, for example, your own business. Which I personally would prefer to do in Krasnoyarsk.

When leaving Russia, what/who was the hardest to part with?

When I left, the hardest thing was to leave my family and friends. With his girlfriend, of course. And it was no less difficult to part with the students whom he coached in his club. But the connection with home is still strong. I spend my holidays in Krasnoyarsk. My beloved comes to me for the whole summer. I am warmed by the thought that at any moment I can return and continue my favorite business in Russia.

The economy of your life in a new country: more/less salary, more/less spending. Has it become easier to live in terms of money?

Compared to Krasnoyarsk, salaries have become higher. But I work here not for money, but for results, and just moral pleasure. After all, the work of a national team coach is quite interesting and intense. I have visited many countries in Africa and the world. There are practically no downsides to my profession - I study languages, acquire new knowledge and make new acquaintances. As strange as it may sound, karate is very popular in Rwanda. There are a lot of people training, groups ranging from 10 to 100 people. Three times a week I train with the national team. On other days I train amateur clubs, police and military. During my work in Rwanda, the team’s athletes became the best karatekas in East Africa, and won two bronze medals at the 2012 African Championships. We are currently preparing for the next continental tournament, which starts in Tunisia on August 26th.

How long have you lived in Rwanda? Have you ever thought about returning to Russia?

I have been living in Rwanda for two and a half years. And I know that I'm not here forever. I am gaining experience so that in the future I can return to Krasnoyarsk and continue working in my home club. And I perceive life in Africa with pleasure and gratitude, still sometimes with surprise and with the realization that I will have something to tell my children about.

Diana Shatalova
Photos by Ruslan Adamov

And outright extortion by the police, I was pleasantly surprised by Rwanda. Starting with fully competent customs officers, border guards and police officers, ending with the quality of roads and construction in full swing. Indeed, the presence of international companies here is probably comparable in number only to neighboring Uganda. It is all the more surprising that until some time Rwanda and Burundi were considered by the colonialists (the Germans and later the Belgians) to be a single state: Ruanda-Urundi. The Belgians later incorporated these lands into the Belgian Congo. But that's not the point.

Hutus and Tutsis live in Burundi, Rwanda and parts of Uganda and Eastern Congo. The Hutu tribe, considered farmers, originally came to these lands earlier, displacing the Twa pygmies. Later, in the 16th century, a tribe of Tutsi herders came from the north (they say from Ethiopia). They are taller, lighter and more businesslike. Sorry for my English. It’s only at first glance that Africans are all the same, after the first month I slowly began to notice visual and mental differences. There are generally more than 130 tribes (tribes) in Tanzania. So here it is. I was most surprised by the differences in living standards in neighboring countries. The peoples are the same. They live differently. In Burundi there is corruption lawlessness and subsistence farming, in Rwanda there is construction in full swing and giving a bribe will ensure your stay in a local prison. One of the white people I met living in Bujumbura explained it to me briefly - “in Burundi the Hutu rule, in Rwanda the Tutsi.”

In Kigali it is not customary to say these words out loud. People, if they discuss this topic, simply say “T” and “X”. This is the result of the 1994 massacre. I have already written that today Kigali is one of the few African capitals where a white man can walk at night without fear for his life or wallet. But it's not that simple. There are armed soldiers or police on almost every corner. This is not counting ordinary security guards. The current ruling Tutsis know very well the price of security. In 1994, in 3 months, Hutu (80% of the population) massacred about a million Tutsis (800 thousand according to the UN, 950 thousand according to the government of Rwanda). Literally. The main means of murder was the machete. I visited the genocide museum. A terrible sight: a photo of a 5-year-old boy, it is written that he dreamed of becoming a doctor, the footnote “hacked to death with a machete.” Photo of a 4-year-old girl who dreamed of becoming an actress, footnote “burned alive.” It is difficult to imagine that almost all official media at that time openly called for the extermination of Tutsis, and even in accordance with pre-compiled lists. They burned and cut down thousands. Someone summed up the statistics that during this period, five times more people died per day than in German concentration camps. Islam came to Rwanda after these events. They say Catholic priests handed over those hiding in churches. The nuns from the Sovu monastery supplied gasoline to the militants, who burned the Tutsis who had taken refuge in the monastery with this gasoline. Now they are preparing an accusation (or already have it) against one of the priests. The UN contingent, unlike today’s “Libyan” agility, sniffed in a rag. There is no oil.)) Even the personal guard of blue helmets who guarded the Prime Minister could not protect her. They laid down their weapons. This fact is also hushed up, but after the soldiers surrendered their weapons (by order of the commander), they were castrated. Then, sorry for the detail, they stuffed the cut-off genitals into his mouth, and only then shot him. Belgian white soldiers. The UN, in “retaliation,” withdrew almost the entire contingent, leaving a couple of hundred soldiers from Ghana. The Prime Minister, along with his family and relatives, was slaughtered. Only the children were saved. The list could take a long time. One telling moment occurred at Don Bosco School in Kigali. 2,000 Tutsis were hiding here under the protection of hundreds of Belgian soldiers. By order of the command, the Belgians left, knowing in advance what awaited those remaining. Out of 2,000 thousand, only a few people survived. The rest were slaughtered. And so just under a million people in 100 days.

The Tutsis based in Uganda stopped this chaos. The so-called Rwandan Patriotic Front. Traces from the storming of the White House in Kigali (they also have a White House) are still not removed as a reminder.

Then, after the victory, one part of the country (the smaller one) judged the other part (the larger one). Gacaca courts. In every village (there is not a single Tutsi family where there were no losses), the elders tried their own, local, punishers. They say that the Tutsi, who were more suited to business, performed this quite skillfully, including in order to clean up the farms of their opponents. In the prison that I photographed, ordinary swindlers and robbers wear orange shirts, and former punishers wear pink ones.

One way or another the story ends. The UN forgot that it was the States, led by M. Albright, who were delaying the decision to send new troops to stop the massacre. (In Libya, everything happened quickly now) The government of Rwanda officially declares the version of the occurrence of genocide. It’s funny in an African way (if this word is appropriate) - they say that the Belgians are to blame for everything, they came up with the idea of ​​​​writing down nationality in documents, and without them we didn’t know which of us was Tutsi and which of us was Hutu. From a distance, Rwanda looks like the Switzerland of Africa. But here's the thing. I meet quite a lot of Rwandans in Brussels. Mostly Tutsis who fled at that time. Even without Belgian entries in my passport, I can distinguish one from the other. I know several phrases in Kirundi. They don't want to go home. They say they sometimes receive threatening letters and calls. This is such an African Switzerland.

Well, finally the video on Burundi-Rwanda is ready. There at the end there is filming from the genocide memory museum.

Illustration copyright AFP Image caption Rwandan President Paul Kagame is extremely popular in the country

Presidential elections took place in Rwanda. It is expected that the current president of the country, Paul Kagame, will win, who shortly before the vote called the elections a “formality” - he is so confident in their result.

Indeed, few people doubt the victory of 59-year-old Kagame: in the previous elections, the president received 93% of the votes; in 2015, approximately the same number of people in the country voted in a referendum to give him the opportunity to run for more than one term, bypassing the constitution. Theoretically, Kagame could be president until 2034.

There is an explanation for Kagame's popularity. It was he who stopped the genocide in Rwanda, which cost the lives of 800 thousand Tutsis and moderate Hutu. He became president in 2000, and under his leadership, Rwanda has made an economic leap unheard of by African standards - growth rates are still around 7%, which Western countries can only dream of, and quite comparable to the growth rates in China in the last couple of years .

However, the president's opponents accuse him that the country's economic successes were achieved through dictatorial methods, and that the opposition in the country is regularly and brutally persecuted.

Irina Filatova: An "economic miracle" is really happening in Rwanda. This is an amazingly clean country, very well-groomed, neat, no one demands bribes from tourists or businessmen. The country is developing very, very quickly, and incomes are growing, and donors love Rwanda very much. Moreover, since the 1994 Rwandan genocide, the country has been absolutely stable. This is absolutely amazing for Africa. The government works very clearly. Kagame demands the fulfillment of promises, the fulfillment of the tasks outlined by the government, and he demands it very harshly.

BBC: It is precisely this toughness that his opponents accuse him of in the first place. But there is another, very serious problem: Kagame failed to overcome the division of the country along tribal lines, which at one time ended in genocide, judging by observers.

I.F.: Overcoming division is, of course, very difficult. The country is truly divided along ethnic lines, 85% are Hutus of Bantus origin, the rest are Tutsis of Bantus-Nilotic origin. The problem is that it's not really an ethnic division, but for the sake of simplicity let's call it that.

It is, of course, very difficult to overcome this, because these are centuries-old accumulated contradictions, not so much economic as historical, and this cannot be overcome in one day. Moreover, Kagame is not really trying to resolve these contradictions and somehow reconcile the warring parties. Propaganda for the unity of the country is carried out, but any opposition activities, any manifestations of dialogue, any condemnation of his party (the Rwandan Patriotic Front is mainly a Tutsi party) are suppressed. Opposition is suppressed all the time, and many senior officials flee the country or are killed - mostly Hutus. Such things, of course, are not forgotten.

In addition, when Kagame came to power after the genocide, 2 million people were put on trial. True, not very many were executed, but very simplified trials were held even in villages, and 2 million people were subject to them - despite the fact that the population of Rwanda at that time was 6 million. Such things are also not forgotten.

BBC: Today the population of Rwanda is 13 million people, which suggests that the country's economy has not stood still all these years. Kagame, by the way, has repeatedly said that he considers South Korea and Singapore as role models. If you look at the results of previous elections, his results - 93%-95% - are unattainable in democratic countries. The opposition considers these results falsified and, apparently, has good reason, but these figures certainly reflect the general trend: Kagame is popular.

I.F.: You know, in such countries it is difficult to judge the level of support. Kagame is popular, there is no doubt about that. I don’t know whether he will get the 98% that they predicted for him in the elections, but 98% voted to give him the opportunity to run for a new term, although this is contrary to the constitution. He will certainly get more than 90%, but he may have slightly fewer people supporting him.

I.F.: The question is cardinal, and I think that here we must first of all look at China - the example of this country will show us in the future what is better. But Rwanda in this sense is by no means an indicator. All previous political upheavals in Rwanda also occurred under authoritarian regimes. Authoritarianism does not guarantee stability. At the initial stages - yes, some kind of authoritarianism was needed in order to unite this torn country. But it is very difficult to judge how much the suppression of any opposition will contribute to further development.

BBC: This is true. But, if one can argue about whether authoritarianism is useful for economic development in the short and medium term, then, looking at other African countries, one can confidently say that democracy, as it is understood there, is absolutely economically beneficial. does not contribute to development.

I.F.: This is a very complex issue; many factors come into play. If the government is “clean”, if there is no paternalism, if there is no corruption, if the government does not seek to exploit ethnic contradictions, then the experiment will be clean. But I don’t know such governments in Africa. If such an experiment is carried out in its pure form, then it will be possible to judge what is more effective for economic development.

BBC: Authoritarianism easily takes root on any soil, but democracy is now experiencing difficulties even in the countries of the “golden billion”. In post-colonial Africa, democracy has always had its own "local flavor". But what can we do? We don’t have any other democracy for pure experimentation. And it turns out that democratic regimes look good only in the eyes of Western donors, while dictators quietly lead their countries to economic prosperity, of course, while brutally violating human rights. You can't argue with that.

I.F.: Right. I would argue that donors absolutely need democracy. They are very happy to give money to Kagame, they praise him very much, and Rwanda now gets the lion's share of donor assistance. But an authoritarian regime also does not guarantee stability. I don’t know what can guarantee stability in Africa; apparently, it will continue to be shaken by all sorts of conflicts for a long time.

But look: authoritarianism in the 90s led to wars, intranational conflicts, civil wars, and endless military coups. In the 2000s, when such a minimum element of democracy as elections is held regularly in most countries, these terrible conflicts (such as the two Congolese wars, the civil war in Nigeria or the same genocide in Rwanda) became fewer, and in some countries they stopped at all. And stability is the first condition for economic growth.

In the early stages, indeed, Kagame’s rule gave the country a lot. We'll see what will happen next, how long this process will last.