Which country awarded Nelson Mandela the Order of Lenin in 1990?

The Soviet Union awarded Nelson Mandela the Order of Lenin in 1990.

The Order of Lenin was the highest civilian decoration of the Soviet Union. Mandela received it in 1990, shortly after his release from prison, as recognition of his anti-apartheid struggle and the close relationship between the African National Congress and the Soviet Union during the liberation movement.

The ANC had received political, military, and diplomatic support from the Soviet Union during the apartheid era. Umkhonto we Sizwe cadres trained in countries aligned with the Soviet bloc, while the ANC’s armed struggle and political campaign were strongly opposed by the apartheid government and its allies.

Mandela’s receipt of the award does not mean he was a Soviet citizen or communist party leader. It reflected the Soviet government’s support for the anti-apartheid cause. The Soviet Union dissolved in 1991, so later references often describe the honor using the historical country name rather than modern Russia.