On a commemorative event in Utrecht

On 1 March 2024, the delegation of the Russian Embassy in South Africa led by Ambassador Ilya Rogachev paid a visit to Utrecht, Kwazulu-Natal, to honour the memory of Russian volunteers who took part in the second Anglo-Boer war.

Rector of St Sergius Orthodox Church in Midrand Daniil Lugovoy served a lity for those fallen during the conflict that was followed by the wreath-laying ceremony to Leo Pokrowsky monument as well as the Wall of Memory with names of 90 Russian volunteers. The event was also attended by the Old Parsonage Museum representatives and local community members.

L.Pokrowsky was among more than 200 Russian volunteers who had arrived in South Africa to assist the Boers in their struggle against the British colonial oppression. He was placed in command of one of the Boer guerilla units and gained fame as a brave officer, for which he was awarded the rank of captain.

L.Pokrowsky was killed in a skirmish on Christmas Day of 1900, when he and his men attacked the British garrison in Utrecht. Following a quarter-century after his death, his fellow soldiers erected a monument to commemorate the Russian officer.

To this day the Old Parsonage Museum regularly expands its collection, including placing new artifacts related to the participation of the Russian volunteers in the second Anglo-Boer war.