Prabowo arrived at the cemetery around 10:30 a.m. local time, along with several Indonesian government officials, including Foreign Minister Sugiono, Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin, and the Indonesian Ambassador to Russia, Jose Antonio Morato Tavares.
Walking behind three soldiers, the President placed the wreath in front of the Motherland Mother Monument and observed a moment of silence to honor the humanitarian tragedy of the Siege of Leningrad.
The prolonged military blockade during World War II, from 1941 to 1944, by Nazi forces in St. Petersburg, formerly known as Leningrad, led to millions of civilian deaths.
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After the wreath-laying ceremony, President Prabowo, along with Indonesian and Russian officials, posed for a group photo and watched a military parade.
Afterwards, Prabowo walked to his vehicle to leave Piskaryovskoye. On his way to the presidential car, he briefly spoke with Svetlana, a lecturer in Indonesian Literature from a university in St. Petersburg.
Svetlana, who is well-known within the Indonesian diaspora community, also showed a book to the President.
Thereafter, Prabowo and his entourage continued their official agenda with a visit to the Constantine Palace.
Prabowo’s visit to St. Petersburg from June 18 to 20, 2025, includes two main agendas: holding a bilateral meeting with President Vladimir Putin at the Constantine Palace and attending the 2025 St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) on June 20.
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Translator: Genta, Kenzu
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
Copyright © ANTARA 2025
