RT Africa Head Says Russian Edition of Medemer Will Bring Ethiopia’s Rare National Philosophy to a Wider Audience

Addis Ababa, October 29, 2026 (FMC) — RT Africa Head Svyatoslav Shchegolev has described Ethiopia as one of the rare countries with its own national philosophy, saying the Russian-language edition of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s book “Medemer” will give Russian readers an opportunity to explore Ethiopia’s distinctive intellectual tradition and its connection to the country’s development.

Speaking at the launch of the Russian edition in Moscow on Wednesday, on the sidelines of the Third Russia–Africa Summit, Shchegolev emphasized the importance of making Ethiopia’s philosophy accessible to international audiences through translation.

“It is rare that in any state across the world there exists a whole philosophy and Ethiopia is one of the rarest states in our planet having such philosophy and that is inside this Medemer book,” he said.

Shchegolev said the book’s significance extends beyond Ethiopia–Russia relations to international politics, arguing that its ideas deserve to reach readers in other languages and countries.

He said Russian readers should have the opportunity to discover PM Abiy’s thinking and understand how the philosophy presented in *Medemer* relates to Ethiopia’s development under his leadership.

“And that is a perfect example of how ideas become real things, become what we see in real life,” Shchegolev said.

He expressed hope that the Russian edition would make the Prime Minister’s ideas accessible to a broad audience, from national representatives to ordinary readers interested in Ethiopia and its relations with Russia and Africa.

The RT Africa head also highlighted RT’s longstanding cooperation with Ethiopian media, citing documentaries produced about Ethiopia and an African media awards ceremony held in Addis Ababa last year as examples of engagement between the two sides.

Shchegolev said the translation, undertaken with the involvement of RT’s Amharic-speaking colleagues, was intended to help Russian audiences engage with *Medemer* in their own language.

Translated by RT, the Russian-language edition was launched in Moscow alongside the Third Russia–Africa Summit, extending the reach of Ethiopia’s indigenous philosophical thought and adding an intellectual dimension to Ethiopia–Russia relations.