Andrei Petrov,
Consul General of the Russia Federation in Rio de Janeiro, shared the objectives of the Russian Consulate General in Rio de Janeiro with “Eurasian Dialogue”.
Consul General of the Russia Federation in Rio de Janeiro, shared the objectives of the Russian Consulate General in Rio de Janeiro with “Eurasian Dialogue”.
– Mr. Petrov, diplomatic relations between Russia and Brazil were first established in 1828. In the credentials of the Russian government to the first official Russian representative in Brazil—Consul General Xavier Labensky—it was instructed to, by all means, promote Russian-Brazilian trade, study market opportunities in Brazil, research the demand for traditional Russian goods, convince merchants from the South American colonies of the benefits of direct trade with Russia.
What has changed in the consular service over the past 197 years?
– Today, the Consulate General in Rio de Janeiro is by far not the only venue representing Russia’s interests in Brazil. Over the nearly 200 years of bilateral diplomatic ties, Russia has opened both embassies and trade representations in Brazil. It is through these institutions that key routes in political, economic, cultural and scientific areas are charted, and priorities for bilateral cooperation determined. With that said, similar to the Consulate General in Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo opened its Consulate General.
So, now there are three Russian representations in Brazil. The primary tasks of consulates are, as a rule, to protect the interests of Russia and the rights of Russians, and to provide various consular services. However, modern diplomats also value other areas of activity: maintaining and strengthening contacts with local authorities, cooperating with educational and cultural institutions, collaborating with academia and businesses at the municipal and state levels. All of these “co-” activities have one major goal—the comprehensive development and strengthening of Russian-Brazilian relations.
Striving to foster a positive image of Russia abroad, and to expand the number of proponents and like-minded people, the Consulate General employs the entire range of “soft power” opportunities: organises various events in education, science and culture, holds meetings and official receptions for representatives of various fields. The screening of the Russian film “Nuremberg,” for instance, hosted by the Consulate General for the Brazilian Bar Association, proved to be a great success.
The film was introduced by a photo exhibition entitled “The Nuremberg Trials. A View from Moscow,” and followed by a fiery discussion of the film’s artistic, military and legal aspects, its historical significance, and the connection between the past and the present. Over-all, this is a customary thing for diplomatic institutions, not born yesterday. It would be better if the film had been translated from Russian into Portuguese and photographs had captions, but that’s another matter. The effect was all worth it, nonetheless.
Beyond these tasks, the Consulate General is mandated to receive Russian official delegations and support their participation in various bilateral and multilateral events, including at high-level and top events. It’s worth noting that the number of such delegations has increased significantly over recent years: for example, in 2024, Rio de Janeiro welcomed a delegation from the Moscow City Duma, Meeting with judges of the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation, Russian Minister of Culture Olga Lyubimova, Acting Rector of Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet Nikolay Tsiskaridze, organisers and artists of the Russian Seasons.
The Consulate General had a lot on its plate with regard to Brazil’s G20 Presidency this past year, with a major part of the events taking place in Rio de Janeiro. To recap, these events ran throughout the year and ranged from student meetings to the visit of the Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs, who represented our State at the G20 summit. In the current year, Rio de Janeiro will have a new task—it will host representatives of the BRICS countries.
What has changed in the consular service over the past 197 years?
– Today, the Consulate General in Rio de Janeiro is by far not the only venue representing Russia’s interests in Brazil. Over the nearly 200 years of bilateral diplomatic ties, Russia has opened both embassies and trade representations in Brazil. It is through these institutions that key routes in political, economic, cultural and scientific areas are charted, and priorities for bilateral cooperation determined. With that said, similar to the Consulate General in Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo opened its Consulate General.
So, now there are three Russian representations in Brazil. The primary tasks of consulates are, as a rule, to protect the interests of Russia and the rights of Russians, and to provide various consular services. However, modern diplomats also value other areas of activity: maintaining and strengthening contacts with local authorities, cooperating with educational and cultural institutions, collaborating with academia and businesses at the municipal and state levels. All of these “co-” activities have one major goal—the comprehensive development and strengthening of Russian-Brazilian relations.
Striving to foster a positive image of Russia abroad, and to expand the number of proponents and like-minded people, the Consulate General employs the entire range of “soft power” opportunities: organises various events in education, science and culture, holds meetings and official receptions for representatives of various fields. The screening of the Russian film “Nuremberg,” for instance, hosted by the Consulate General for the Brazilian Bar Association, proved to be a great success.
The film was introduced by a photo exhibition entitled “The Nuremberg Trials. A View from Moscow,” and followed by a fiery discussion of the film’s artistic, military and legal aspects, its historical significance, and the connection between the past and the present. Over-all, this is a customary thing for diplomatic institutions, not born yesterday. It would be better if the film had been translated from Russian into Portuguese and photographs had captions, but that’s another matter. The effect was all worth it, nonetheless.
Beyond these tasks, the Consulate General is mandated to receive Russian official delegations and support their participation in various bilateral and multilateral events, including at high-level and top events. It’s worth noting that the number of such delegations has increased significantly over recent years: for example, in 2024, Rio de Janeiro welcomed a delegation from the Moscow City Duma, Meeting with judges of the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation, Russian Minister of Culture Olga Lyubimova, Acting Rector of Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet Nikolay Tsiskaridze, organisers and artists of the Russian Seasons.
The Consulate General had a lot on its plate with regard to Brazil’s G20 Presidency this past year, with a major part of the events taking place in Rio de Janeiro. To recap, these events ran throughout the year and ranged from student meetings to the visit of the Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs, who represented our State at the G20 summit. In the current year, Rio de Janeiro will have a new task—it will host representatives of the BRICS countries.
– You are the head of the Russian Consulate General in Rio de Janeiro, totaling around 67 million people in the consular district. What kind of activities does the Consulate General in Rio de Janeiro carry out apart from consular and visa work?
– The Consulate General in Rio de Janeiro is the official representation of Russia in its consular district, covering mainly the eastern and north-eastern states of Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais, Espirito Santo, Bahia, Pernambuco, Sergipe, and Alagoas. Besides strictly consular issues, it also promotes the comprehensive development of bilateral economic, political and humanitarian contacts in its respective region. It organises meetings and events involving artists and art groups, and various scientific and educational activities.
For example, in spring 2024, the BRICS Universe exhibition of Nizhny Novgorod Grechko Planetarium opened at the Rio de Janeiro City Planetarium, show-casing pictures from the ISS taken by cosmonauts and photos of BRICS representatives made on Earth. Russian and Brazilian planetariums held a ceremony of signing of the cooperation agreement, attended by the special guest Ivan Vagner, Russian cosmonaut and Hero of Russia. His presence emphasised Russia’s achievements in space exploration and recalled the pioneering role of the country in this field.
– The year 2009 marked the 100th anniversary of the first wave of emigration from Russia to Brazil. How many Russians are currently registered at the Consulate General, permanently or temporarily, and with what problems do they come?
– The figures here are not as large. There are currently about 600 of our compatriots on the consular register. But keep in mind that registration is not compulsory, and de facto there are many more Russians in the consular district. In fact, the Consulate provides support to all compatriots residing or temporarily staying in the district. Over the past year, the majority of citizens applied to the Consulate General on issues of citizenship, passport replacement, notarial acts, and civil registry services. Frequent requests include issuing powers of attorney, translation certificates, certificates in a foreign language, among others.
– How do you distribute official in-formation about Russia’s foreign and domestic policy in your district?
– With the development of modern technologies, the main sources of distribution of official information on Russia’s foreign and domestic poli-cy in the district are the Consulate’s website, social networks, and the Telegram channel. I would note that, as a rule, content in the accounts is prepared in-house, including on the basis of events organised and conducted by the Consulate—meetings with local authorities, lectures, photo exhibitions, film shows, receptions, Russian memorable dates, and visits by Russian delegations and representatives to Rio de Janeiro. In most cases, publications are supplemented with photographs or illustrations of relevant topics.
Announcements of various events organised by the Consulate are also posted here. Also, the Consulate General actively uses the content of Sputnik Brasil, RT Brasil, TV BRICS and Russia Beyond—Rossiyskaya Gazeta on social media, promoting these resources as news sources. Publications from “Russian Foreign Ministry” and “Talking about the EAEU” Telegram channels are translated into Portuguese and circulated among Brazilians.
Local authors’ content on the reactions of the Brazilian public to various international events is also published. Of course, the Consulate General continues to actively use such a classic type of publicity as lectures and seminars, which provide an opportunity to communicate directly with the public.
– To preserve the cultural traditions of Russians living in the country, the Brazilian government and public community organise Days of the Russian Language. How does the Consulate engage with Russians and, in particular, with the younger generation to promote our traditional spiritual and moral values? Are there associations or youth clubs for this purpose?
– Consolidating virtually all the public associations and clubs of Russians operating in Brazil, the Coordinating Council of the Organisation of Russian Compatriots is quite active in this field. The Consulate General works closely with the Council, offering it every possible assistance in organising various commemorative events and activities. First and foremost, this includes concerts, exhibitions, lectures, and film shows, Victory Day and Russia Day celebrations, and inviting compatriots to attend performances by Russian art groups touring the country.
The work of the Council resonates deeply with the majority of the Russian diaspora, who are keen to keep in touch with their homeland. Apart from engaging with com-patriots, the Consulate General also attaches great importance to promoting the Russian language, culture and history in Brazil. In this respect, work with the country’s only Russian-Brazilian intercultural school in the Rio de Janeiro suburb of Belford-Rocho is worthy of special mention. For three years now, pupils have been studying the Russian language, history and the fundamentals of our culture in a distance learning format.
The syllabus of specialties was developed by RUDN University with the support of the Russian World Foundation for 9–11th grade pupils. To improve the quality and accessibility of education, the Consulate assisted in providing the Russian-Brazilian school with the necessary audio equipment. Although Russian and Portuguese are not cognate languages, and Russia and Brazil are farflung countries, the training evokes keen interest in the pupils and is generally successful. A similar interaction is planned in the long term between the Duque de Caxias school and the MSLU, a Russian partner university.
– The Consulate General in Rio de Janeiro is the official representation of Russia in its consular district, covering mainly the eastern and north-eastern states of Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais, Espirito Santo, Bahia, Pernambuco, Sergipe, and Alagoas. Besides strictly consular issues, it also promotes the comprehensive development of bilateral economic, political and humanitarian contacts in its respective region. It organises meetings and events involving artists and art groups, and various scientific and educational activities.
For example, in spring 2024, the BRICS Universe exhibition of Nizhny Novgorod Grechko Planetarium opened at the Rio de Janeiro City Planetarium, show-casing pictures from the ISS taken by cosmonauts and photos of BRICS representatives made on Earth. Russian and Brazilian planetariums held a ceremony of signing of the cooperation agreement, attended by the special guest Ivan Vagner, Russian cosmonaut and Hero of Russia. His presence emphasised Russia’s achievements in space exploration and recalled the pioneering role of the country in this field.
– The year 2009 marked the 100th anniversary of the first wave of emigration from Russia to Brazil. How many Russians are currently registered at the Consulate General, permanently or temporarily, and with what problems do they come?
– The figures here are not as large. There are currently about 600 of our compatriots on the consular register. But keep in mind that registration is not compulsory, and de facto there are many more Russians in the consular district. In fact, the Consulate provides support to all compatriots residing or temporarily staying in the district. Over the past year, the majority of citizens applied to the Consulate General on issues of citizenship, passport replacement, notarial acts, and civil registry services. Frequent requests include issuing powers of attorney, translation certificates, certificates in a foreign language, among others.
– How do you distribute official in-formation about Russia’s foreign and domestic policy in your district?
– With the development of modern technologies, the main sources of distribution of official information on Russia’s foreign and domestic poli-cy in the district are the Consulate’s website, social networks, and the Telegram channel. I would note that, as a rule, content in the accounts is prepared in-house, including on the basis of events organised and conducted by the Consulate—meetings with local authorities, lectures, photo exhibitions, film shows, receptions, Russian memorable dates, and visits by Russian delegations and representatives to Rio de Janeiro. In most cases, publications are supplemented with photographs or illustrations of relevant topics.
Announcements of various events organised by the Consulate are also posted here. Also, the Consulate General actively uses the content of Sputnik Brasil, RT Brasil, TV BRICS and Russia Beyond—Rossiyskaya Gazeta on social media, promoting these resources as news sources. Publications from “Russian Foreign Ministry” and “Talking about the EAEU” Telegram channels are translated into Portuguese and circulated among Brazilians.
Local authors’ content on the reactions of the Brazilian public to various international events is also published. Of course, the Consulate General continues to actively use such a classic type of publicity as lectures and seminars, which provide an opportunity to communicate directly with the public.
– To preserve the cultural traditions of Russians living in the country, the Brazilian government and public community organise Days of the Russian Language. How does the Consulate engage with Russians and, in particular, with the younger generation to promote our traditional spiritual and moral values? Are there associations or youth clubs for this purpose?
– Consolidating virtually all the public associations and clubs of Russians operating in Brazil, the Coordinating Council of the Organisation of Russian Compatriots is quite active in this field. The Consulate General works closely with the Council, offering it every possible assistance in organising various commemorative events and activities. First and foremost, this includes concerts, exhibitions, lectures, and film shows, Victory Day and Russia Day celebrations, and inviting compatriots to attend performances by Russian art groups touring the country.
The work of the Council resonates deeply with the majority of the Russian diaspora, who are keen to keep in touch with their homeland. Apart from engaging with com-patriots, the Consulate General also attaches great importance to promoting the Russian language, culture and history in Brazil. In this respect, work with the country’s only Russian-Brazilian intercultural school in the Rio de Janeiro suburb of Belford-Rocho is worthy of special mention. For three years now, pupils have been studying the Russian language, history and the fundamentals of our culture in a distance learning format.
The syllabus of specialties was developed by RUDN University with the support of the Russian World Foundation for 9–11th grade pupils. To improve the quality and accessibility of education, the Consulate assisted in providing the Russian-Brazilian school with the necessary audio equipment. Although Russian and Portuguese are not cognate languages, and Russia and Brazil are farflung countries, the training evokes keen interest in the pupils and is generally successful. A similar interaction is planned in the long term between the Duque de Caxias school and the MSLU, a Russian partner university.
– The Russian-Brazilian intergovernmental agreement on the exemption of tourist visas for short-term (up to 90 days) has been in force since 2010. This no doubt contributes to further rapprochement between our countries. What advice would you give to our compatriots who dream of travelling to Brazil as tourists?
– Official statistics show that 6.6 million foreign tourists visited Brazil in 2024, breaking the record of 2018, when the country received 6.5 million travelers. Many among them come from Russia. It is clear that Rio de Janeiro is the most popular and attractive destination in Brazil, for it is the very quintessence of the country, a clot of history and modernity, the heart of Carnival, the “city of contrasts.” I don’t want to sound like a travel agent, but here you’ll really find both snow-white Atlantic beaches and unique jagged mountains covered with tropical jungle. And if you go up Sugarloaf Mountain to the statue of Christ the Redeemer or helicopter over the city, you’ll see all this splendour from above.
But let’s get back to earth. Architecture history buffs will be interested to see the 16th century St. Benedict’s Monastery, an active monastery of Benedictine monks, a peer of the city itself, striking in its Baroque splendour. It overlooks the Museum of Tomorrow, which resembles the skeleton of a giant dinosaur. Towering across the bay in Niteroi, like a flying saucer on a hill, is the Museum of Modern Art built by the famous Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer. The old and the new are neighbours every-where.
Theatre lovers are usually attract-ed to the Municipal Theatre of Rio de Janeiro, inspired by the Comédie Française in Paris but with a Brazilian twist. The theatre is also open for guided tours. The tourist Mecca of Rio de Janeiro are the Selaron Steps and the Lapa aqueduct. The latter became a trademark of the city after the release of the cartoon “Rio” about two blue parrots. And last but not least, sports fans will enjoy visiting the Maracana Stadium, which hosted the 2014 FIFA World Cup. I’ve listed the very few things you should definitely add to your what- to-visit-in-Brazil list. Without seeing these, take it that you’ve been to Rio de Janeiro but haven’t discovered it to its fullest.
– Official statistics show that 6.6 million foreign tourists visited Brazil in 2024, breaking the record of 2018, when the country received 6.5 million travelers. Many among them come from Russia. It is clear that Rio de Janeiro is the most popular and attractive destination in Brazil, for it is the very quintessence of the country, a clot of history and modernity, the heart of Carnival, the “city of contrasts.” I don’t want to sound like a travel agent, but here you’ll really find both snow-white Atlantic beaches and unique jagged mountains covered with tropical jungle. And if you go up Sugarloaf Mountain to the statue of Christ the Redeemer or helicopter over the city, you’ll see all this splendour from above.
But let’s get back to earth. Architecture history buffs will be interested to see the 16th century St. Benedict’s Monastery, an active monastery of Benedictine monks, a peer of the city itself, striking in its Baroque splendour. It overlooks the Museum of Tomorrow, which resembles the skeleton of a giant dinosaur. Towering across the bay in Niteroi, like a flying saucer on a hill, is the Museum of Modern Art built by the famous Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer. The old and the new are neighbours every-where.
Theatre lovers are usually attract-ed to the Municipal Theatre of Rio de Janeiro, inspired by the Comédie Française in Paris but with a Brazilian twist. The theatre is also open for guided tours. The tourist Mecca of Rio de Janeiro are the Selaron Steps and the Lapa aqueduct. The latter became a trademark of the city after the release of the cartoon “Rio” about two blue parrots. And last but not least, sports fans will enjoy visiting the Maracana Stadium, which hosted the 2014 FIFA World Cup. I’ve listed the very few things you should definitely add to your what- to-visit-in-Brazil list. Without seeing these, take it that you’ve been to Rio de Janeiro but haven’t discovered it to its fullest.