TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
Popular Reads
Top Results
No results found. Please check your search term and try again
Can't find what you're looking for?
View all search results
Popular Reads
Top Results
No results found. Please check your search term and try again
Can't find what you're looking for?
View all search results75 years of Indonesia and Russia relations: What is next?
With a long historical background spanning over the last century, the friendship between Indonesia and Russia is set to grow stronger in the near future.
Change text size
Gift Premium Articles
to Anyone
Share the best of The Jakarta Post with friends, family, or colleagues. As a subscriber, you can gift 3 to 5 articles each month that anyone can read—no subscription needed!
Russian President Vladimir Putin (left) shakes hands with then Indonesian president-elect Prabowo Subianto during a meeting at the Kremlin in Moscow on July 31, 2024. (AFP/Pool/Maxim Shemetov)
M
ost Indonesians recognize Russia as a country with a long history, unique culture and advanced technology. This ranges from the long history of the Soviet Union, ballet and classical music to the world's first astronaut, Yuri Gagarin.
Lately, President Vladimir Putin is one of the world's most popular leaders among Indonesians. Around three years ago, the phrase "Ura!", which was often used by President Putin during his speeches, went viral across various Indonesian social media platforms.
Similar to Russia, Indonesia also possesses a rich history and culture. Borobudur Temple is a prime example. Built during the Sailendra Dynasty, it was part of the Ancient Mataram Kingdom in the 8th and 9th centuries whose influence at that time reached the Malay Peninsula.
Although bilateral relations between Indonesia and Russia have only officially been commemorated for 75 years, historians note that the connection between the two countries was well-established long before that.
Russian academics began exploring Indonesia in the 19th century, with studies ranging from biological to anthropological research across Indonesia.
Miklukho-Maklai’s research, documented in "New Guinea Diaries 1871–1883", provided Europeans with an understanding of the local Papuan culture and served as a counter-narrative against racism toward black people. At the time, Papua was occupied by the Dutch in the west and by the Germans and British in the east.
At a time when Western scholars in the 1930s were still using the term Dutch East Indies, a Russian researcher, Alex Huber, dared to use the term Indonesia in his book titled "Indonesia, Socio-Economic Sketch." This terminology became an academic phenomenon at that time, as well as a symbol of Russia's alignment against Western colonialism. This contribution continued into the early years of Indonesian independence.
