The following is an article by the Russian Ambassador to Lebanon, Alexander Rudakov, as Russian-Lebanese relations reach their 80-year mark:
“Today, on August 5th, we celebrate the Russian-Lebanese relations reaching their 80-year mark. By contemporary history’s standards, that is quite a long time.
In 1944, the Government of the then very young Lebanese Republic, that a year earlier had expelled the French occupiers from its land, appealed to the USSR leadership with a proposal to establish diplomatic relations. One of the letters relevant to this matter sent from Beirut contained lines about local officials’ conviction of Moscow’s strict commitment to the principles of freedom and equality of all peoples.
The Soviet Government, despite the ongoing fierce battles against the fascist German invaders, did not leave the Lebanese appeal without attention. The USSR was one of the first countries in the world to recognize the independence of Lebanon, having established diplomatic relations with the Republic on August 5, 1944. Thus, the Soviet Union acted as a guarantor of Lebanese independence and made a significant contribution to the international recognition of yet another Middle Eastern country that had just thrown off the shackles of Western colonial oppression.
However, the history of friendly and mutually respectful relations between representatives of the peoples of Russia and Lebanon began long before the exchange of diplomatic notes confirming the establishment of Russian-Lebanese interstate relations.
Back in 1839, the Russian Consulate General in Beirut became the first permanent diplomatic mission of the Russian Empire in the Middle East. Thanks to its establishment, Russian pilgrims travelling to the holy sites of Palestine could receive the support they needed on their long journeys. The world-renowned Russian poet Ivan Bunin was one of these travelers at the beginning of the 20th century. Inspired by the beauty of local landscapes, he dedicated the lines of his exquisite poem titled “The Temple of the Sun” to Lebanon.
This marked the beginning of the cultural interpenetration of the peace-loving peoples of Russia and Lebanon. The humanitarian efforts of the Imperial Orthodox Palestinian Society (IOPS) contributed to the dynamic development of this process. About 50 so-called “Moscow Schools” operated in Lebanon under IOPS’s patronage in the late 19th-early 20th centuries. According to our archives, in the 1912-1913 school year, there were over 6000 students – both boys and girls –attending these institutions. Unlike other foreign schools in Lebanon, Moscow Schools provided access to education free of charge and therefore enjoyed great popularity and wide recognition among locals.
Mikhail Naimy, who later became a world-class writer and philosopher, studied at one of these schools. He also spent several years of his life in Russia. Researchers of this famous Lebanese writer’s works note that many of his works were noticeably influenced by classical Russian literature.
One can find a street called “Mama” not far from the Russian Embassy in Beirut. It is named after Maria Cherkasova, the founder and head of the Moscow Schools.
Russian efforts and resources in Lebanon were not limited to just education. One of the leading modern medical centers in Beirut, St. George’s Hospital, was founded with the funds raised by Russia, and then for a long time it was financed from the Russian Treasury.
In 1945, Patriarch Alexey I (Patriarch of Moscow and all Rus), led a delegation of the Moscow Patriarchate and visited Lebanon as part of the historic first trip to the Holy Land and other countries in the Middle East. One year later, the Moscow Patriarchate metochion was established in Beirut.
In 1960, Patriarch Alexey I once again made a pilgrimage to the countries of the Middle East, including Lebanon. To this day, the Russian Patriarch’s marble bust is carefully preserved on the premises so St. George’s University as a sign of appreciation for the support – including financial assistance – provided during those years.
The fates of the Russian and Lebanese peoples are closely intertwined by the inextricable fabric of humanitarian ties. Since the 1920s, a substantial Russian immigrant community has found refuge in Lebanon. These people have made significant contributions to the development of Lebanese education, science, and culture. Among them are the descendants of the famous artist Valentin Serov. His son Alexander worked as a shipbuilding engineer and a military pilot. And his grandson Grigory became a famous architect. Some of Valentin Serov’s descendants still live in Lebanon.
A rather curious fact worth noting is that the authorship of the cedar image, which in Lebanon is used on official documents, including passport forms and banknotes, belongs to immigrants from Russia. Pavel Korolev and Vladimir Pliss are the two Russian artists directly involved in the development of the image portraying the country’s national symbol.
P.Korolev was considered to be one of the main landscape painters and applied graphic artists in Lebanon. Since 1942, he has been creating graphic layouts of banknotes and coins, postal and fiscal stamps, various illustrations for dozens of textbooks and manuals. V.Pliss worked as a professional cartographer and ended up designing many of Lebanon’s postal stamps.
Russia has left Lebanon a rich musical heritage. In 1923, on the initiative of Arkady Kugel, a graduate of the St. Petersburg Conservatory, the first symphony orchestra in Lebanon was organized at the American University of Beirut (which later evolved into the AUB Institute of Music). The graduates of this institution – composers Toufic El Bacha and Zaki Nassif, as well as the founder of the Lebanese Academy of Fine Arts Alexis Boutros – later monumentally contributed to the development of Lebanese music.
Russian musicians Nikolai Dahl, Mikhail Sheksinov, Alexey Kornoukhov, Elena Lazareva, Elena Savranskaya, Maria Kussevitskaya (Dormon), Tina Manteuffel, and Erast Belling contributed colossally to the evolution of classical music in Lebanon.
I would also like to point out another component of Russian-Lebanese humanitarian ties. Many Lebanese obtained their education in the USSR and Russia. A large share of graduates returned home not only with their diplomas, but also with families they have created in Russia. Their families and the upcoming generation of the Russian diaspora in Lebanon nowadays are a cornerstone that reinforces the humanitarian “bridge” between our countries.
Russia universally follows its foreign policy principles and never interferes with Lebanon’s sovereign affairs. But at times of need, we are always prepared to lend a helping hand.
Here are just a few examples. After the devastating 2006 war, Russian military engineers and construction teams restored 8 bridges (for a total length of 529 m) in Lebanon. These were extremely difficult assignments, but economic revival depended on the seamless functioning of transport facilities.
In 2015, Russia made a decisive contribution to the defeat of ISIS in Syria. Our actions helped prevent terrorists from seizing other countries in the region, including Lebanon.
In August 2020, after the explosion in the port of Beirut, Russian emergency rescue teams were among the first to help, having conducted a large-scale search and rescue operation. A mobile hospital with doctors was promptly sent to the Lebanese capital to help the victims.
For many years, we have been providing Lebanese students with scholarships aimed at getting education in our best universities. We note a steady increase in the interest of the Lebanese youth in studying in Russia in a variety of programs.
There is a Russian cultural center in Lebanon – the so-called Russian House. This cultural center provides great opportunities for Lebanese to get acquainted with Russian culture, to learn the Russian language. Russians residing in Lebanon are also actively involved in Russian House’s work. Their children often receive comprehensive extracurricular education there.
On the international arena, Russia tirelessly cares about solving the problems faced by many States in the region, including Lebanon. That includes working on solving the refugee issue, combatting poverty and diseases, improving food security, countering terrorism, human and drug trafficking, and other urgent threats.
This year, the Russian-Lebanese friendship has officially reached its 80-year anniversary. And I am convinced, that this is just the beginning of our remarkable journey.”
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