On 25 November 2025, the parish centre of the Cathedral of St. Sergius of Radonezh in Midrand hosted the grand opening of an exhibition dedicated to the life and work of Vladimir Tretchikov, a South African artist of Russian origin.
The event was organised with the assistance of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation and the Institute of African Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The exhibition was opened with a video message by Alexander Pankin, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia. Roman Ambarov, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Russia to South Africa, addressed the audience with a welcoming speech. A special part of the opening was a video congratulation by the artist's granddaughter, Natasha Swift.
Boris Gorelik, the curator of the exhibition, a senior researcher at the Institute of African Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, gave the guests a detailed tour of the exhibition, telling them about Vladimir Tretchikov's life and creative heritage, as well as about his connection with Russia and South Africa.
Among those present at the opening were representatives of the South African Ministry of International Relations and Cooperation, the South African Ministry of Sport, Arts and Culture, artists and Russian compatriots. For the parish of St. Sergius of Radonezh Cathedral, holding such an exhibition was an important cultural event and another step in strengthening spiritual and cultural ties between Russia and South Africa.
Русский 
English (South Africa)