Posted on 10/22/2019 11:36:56 PM PDT by NorseViking
Moscow (AFP) - Decked out in gold jewellery and high-end fashion, Walter and Cindy Tchassem descend on a Moscow fast-food joint escorted by bodyguards.
Both originally from Cameroon, the couple are at the centre of a music and restaurant business empire in Russia.
"People can't understand how we did it, it's unique," Walter, 37, tells AFP at an outlet of the couple's Black Star burger chain on Moscow's Novy Arbat commercial strip.
"But I always say to them: When you believe in yourself and you work hard, anything is possible."
As President Vladimir Putin hosts African leaders this week for the first ever Russia-Africa summit, the Tchassems are a high-profile example of African entrepreneurial success in the country.
The son of a Cameroonian diplomat in Moscow, Walter has lived in Russia for 25 years and taken Russian citizenship.
He co-founded Black Star in 2006 with two school friends, hip-hop artist Timati and businessman Pavel Kuryanov.
Originally a music label, Black Star has grown into a major brand, expanding into street-wear and restaurants, with about 100 shops and burger chain outlets throughout the former Soviet Union and plans to expand into Europe.
Walter says it's hardly surprising Moscow is looking to build ties with fast-growing Africa.
"In the long-term it's Africa that will be the winner, because Russia offers a lot of opportunities," he says.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
Legit point. Also Walter has rich parents.
Well, Pushkin’s grandfather was a successful Russian general of African origin.
So Russia’s national poet was one-quarter African
Blah blah blah....young Russians are leaving as fast as possible.
That would be the Gannibal family...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abram_Petrovich_Gannibal
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivan_Gannibal
Holy crap!
They’re cannibals?
AFAIK Abram took the name of Hannibal Barca who was a Carthagenian general during the first Punic War.
Carthage started as a Phoenician colony. The Phoenicians came from what is currently Lebanon.
He identified with Africa as a territory and not based on race. Ephiopia and Eritrea both claiming Abram, Ivan and Pushkin as their descendants but most likely the guys are rooting from Cameroon too.
Russian has no equivalent `H’. Hard G is substituted in words that begin with H.
So Hannibal becomes Gannibal, Havana becomes Gabana, etc.
Carthage had Hannibal, Hasdrubal, and Hamilcar Barca, IIRC.
They were North African & the same color as modern inhabitants, but it has become PC to depict Carthaginians as sub Saharan blacks.
It is hard for Russian-speaker to spell H. As for Sub-Saharan and North Africa you are right. Although Gannibals being Sub-Saharan were quite accomplished people. Abram was a talented engineer, his son a successful Naval commander during Catherine’s Turkish campaign and also a founder of city of Kherson. Pushkin is among the top figures of Russian literature.
Always wondered why Russian guttural X (Kh) isn’t substituted for H. My first name starts with H and Russian speakers gave it the G treatment.
Pushkin was only 37 when he was killed in a duel.
It works with rare combinations of vowels.
It’s ironic if you read the debate over Pushkins African grandfathers origin it was as divisive and politically correct a debate then as race always is now
Eritrea
Ethiopia
Chad
Cameroon
Too bad they didn’t have cameras that would clear that up somewhat
I can tell an Eritrean a mile away
Modern Negroid cheerleaders claim Gannibal is Central African
Older Russians liked to claim he was Hamitic
I have no clue
But I didn’t. Know ottomans ventured as far south as Cameroon
Well, hamitic theory makes sense too.
If they want to dig him up we’d know or run tests on his modern descendent I guess
Man what a life from such turmoil as a child to grandeur
It helped to be loved by Peter the Great
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