On May 18, 2026, South African filmmaker Johan Badenhorst visited the Institute for African Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences as part of his work on a documentary film about Russia.
Together with his son and film crew, Johan is carrying out a large-scale expedition across the country in a Ural truck, following a route from Murmansk to Magadan. During the journey, the filmmaker stops in cities, towns and settlements, speaks with local residents, and documents the everyday life of contemporary Russia. The expedition is being carried out with the support of the Russia–South Africa Business Council.
One of the important points on the route was the Institute for African Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, where Badenhorst met with members of the Institute’s staff, including Daria Turianitsa, Junior Research Fellow at the Centre for Centre for African Strategy in BRICS at the Institute for African Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
Speaking in Afrikaans, Daria Turyanitsa discussed with Johan Badenhorst the plans for his journey, the concept of the upcoming episodes dedicated to Russia, and the specifics of studying Afrikaans in this country. According to the filmmaker, hearing his native language in Russia was an unexpected and truly impressive moment of the trip.
