A return to Russia

By Wale Okediran

I recently returned to Russia, the land of great writers, musicians and inventors after a seven-year break. On my first visit in 2018, almost everybody wanted to visit the country, perhaps to watch the 2018 World Cup which was adjudged as one of the best organized football fiesta in recent times.

On that 2018 visit, in addition to a pleasant time watching pulsating encounters between some of the best football playing nations in the world, I also took time to savour the allure of Moscow and St. Petersburg.

As an ardent lover of Russian literature, who has devoured the works of several Russian literary icons such as Leo Tolstoy, Boris Pasternack, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Anton Chekhov among others, I used my 2018 trip to visit historical places in Moscow such as the Kremlin and the famous Gorky Park which was named after Alexei Maximovich Peshkov, primarily known as Maxim (Maksim) Gorky. He was a Russian and Soviet writer, a founder of the socialist realism literary method and political activist.

In St. Petersburg, which I found to be unmatched in its splendour among other Russian cities because of its amazing canals, cathedrals, palaces and terraces, I was able to visit the National Pushkin Museum, the St. Petersburg State Capella and the Palace Square.

However, in 2025, no thanks primarily to the ongoing war with Ukraine, not everybody wanted to go to Russia. Although the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia took place on February 24, 2022, the war had actually begun in February 2014. Therefore, when it was announced that the venue of the Second Congress of the nascent World Organization Of Writers (WOW) would be in Moscow, Russia (the First Congress took place in Abuja, Nigeria in 2024), some members of the Pan African Writers Association (PAWA) of which I am the current Secretary General were worried about going to Russia.

In addition, I was inundated with negative information about Russia from some of my friends and family members who did not consider Russia safe enough to visit in September 2025 and tried to dissuade me from making the trip.

As my team of writers, publishers and other creators landed at the Moscow Domodedovo International Airport on that beautiful September afternoon, the immigration and security procedures were very thorough, tedious and at times worrisome with some of my colleagues retained in the airport for hours. This was unlike 2018 when, as football fans, we were given a near carnival like reception at the airport.

Secretary General of Pan African Writers Association, Dr. Wale Okediran (2nd right) and other writers for the second conference of the World Organisation of Writers… in Moscow, Russia

On ground to welcome and receive my wife and I were officials of the Nigerian Embassy in Moscow, led by the effable First Secretary and Head of Chancery, Madam Etelina C Agu, who had waited for hours due to the tight immigration checks.

As we drove to our hotel in the centre of Moscow, Madam Agu assured me that despite the tight immigration procedure, all was well in Moscow. ‘’The effect of the war with Ukraine is not felt in the city which is very safe and orderly,’’ she said. She also added that we could go out at night in the city which she claimed was well populated by Nigerian students, businessmen and women.

Later that evening, after a welcome reception by the conference organizers at Ibis Hotel in the Mockba area of the city, I took a walk with some other writers round the gaily decorated Moscow downtown area up to the banks of Moskva River. We were all impressed with the beautiful and safe environment which was populated by young and old Muscovites who were patronizing restaurants, night clubs and shops even at such a late hour.

The opening ceremony of the second Congress of World Organization of Writers (WOW) under the theme ’We Are People of the Same Planet’, which took place at the World Trade Centre, a magnificent, large, multifunctional business complex in the heart of Moscow, was an elaborate and glamorous affair.

On hand to welcome delegates from about 80 countries was the President of WOW, Madam Margarita Al and other WOW officials.

In his welcome address, while acknowledging the fact that Russia still has some challenges, the country’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sergey Viktorovich Lavrov, assured all visitors to feel at home in the country. As he put it, “though we still have some clouds in the sky, Russia is very hospitable.”

On the same day after dinner, my wife and I went sightseeing at the Arbat district next to our Lotte hotel. The area which has been likened to Broadway, US, because of its vibrant, pedestrian-friendly zone famous for its street artists, musicians, and performers, was fully alive at that time of the night.

In addition to the bustling activities of restaurants, night clubs and hotels, the wide streets of the historic and cultural centre were filled with street musicians and live bands that pelted out melodious sounds to the delight of pedestrians.

As we strolled down the charming street, surrounded by historic buildings in different architectural styles, as well as souvenir shops, restaurants and museums, we were pleasantly surprised to observe that the well decorated and lit up streets were full of young and old night revelers.

According to a friend “If Red Square is the heart of Moscow, historic Arbat Street is the soul of the city. This street is without a doubt one of the most famous in the Russian capital, if not the most famous, perhaps along with Tverskaya Street.”

At another evening reception, I encountered five African students studying on scholarship in Russia. The students who were from Ghana, South Africa and Uganda spoke glowingly of Russia which they confirmed to be very safe, affordable and full of friendly people. According to the students, racism is highly frowned upon while cases of police brutality are very rare in the city. This, however, did not mean that the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian war does not have any negative effect on Russia.

Apart from the tough immigration procedure which we noticed on arrival, it was confirmed that the war has significantly affected tourism in Russia, leading to a sharp decline in international visitors due to travel restrictions.

On the other hand, as a result of political re-orientation, there has been an increase in the number of visitors from China, India and some African countries where visa requirements have been relaxed.

Even though Russia has been able to withstand the international sanctions targeted at the country’s financial, military, and energy sectors as well as access to US technology and the dollar, among other measures, it is believed that economic pressures within Russia are building. For example, some of the writers at the conference could not use their Master and Visa cards. In addition, the internet facilities in the hotels were very poor with restricted use of Whatsapp calls.

Perhaps the major highlight of the two-day conference were the activities on Day Two. First was the panel session on Humanitarian Modernization where I presented a paper on ‘Pan African Writers as an Agent of Humanitarian Modernization.’

The session which was organized by the World Public Assembly and made up of eight panelists was moderated by the WOW laureate, Alexandra Vasilievna Ochirova and the Secretary General of the Association of Writers and Poets of Colombia, Ruben Dario Flores.
Next were presentations at eight round tables by WOW members, followed by award presentations during which, PAWA took the opportunity to present the WOW President with the Patron of Arts medal.

After the exhausting but highly successful day’s events, we walked down the river side and boarded ‘The River Palace’, a restaurant cruise ship operating on the Moskva River, offering guided tours, cruises and dinner.

The Russian capital, Moscow derives it name from the Moskva River. It is a 473 km (294 mi) long tributary of the Oka River, a major tributary of the Volga River. The river flows through western Russia, passing through the city of Moscow, where it is a significant water supply and a popular spot for boat tours offering views of landmarks like the Kremlin.

The two-decked ship had just departed the National Centre pier, when a five course dinner was served. According to the boat captain, the cruise which lasted three hours, would enable us to observe Moscow’s night sights such as the Kremlin, Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, Monument to Peter I, the main building of Moscow State University, Luzhniki Stadium and Gorky Park, among other interesting places.

As the ship picked up speed, stunning views of Moscow came to sight. Before long, the musical band on board came to life as some guests filed to the dance floor. Suddenly, the music changed to Michael Jackson’s iconic ‘Billy Jean.’ Inspired by the persistent rumble of the fast-paced staccato sounds, I also found myself on the dance floor.

In one corner, a young Moscovite was doing the Michael Jackson famous ‘moonwalk’ dance as we danced the night away.