Sharing his perspective on beauty from space, Russian cosmonaut Sergey Kud-Sverchkov was in Cape Town for the unveiling of a collection of photographs captured from the International Space Station (ISS) including images of the Mother City.

During their six-month space exploration, Kud-Sverchkov, along with fellow cosmonaut Ivan Wagner, captured a collection of stunning images of the Unesco Creative Cities from BRICS nations.

The images, which were taken on Earth and from space, are currently showcased at the BRICS Universe exhibition at the Iziko Museum.

Kud-Sverchkov said the images portrayed how there is “beauty everywhere”.

A total of 48 Russian and 41 foreign photographers are involved in the project.

“There are small parts of our planet, such as the cities and they’re different when you look at it from space … There are some cities which are very famous, such as Cape Town because it’s a very old trading port … and of course, this is the closest big city to Antarctica.

Russian cosmonaut Sergey Kud-Sverchkov speaking to Dr Iqbal Survé about images he took of Cape Town from outer space at the BRICS Universe Exhibition held at the Iziko South African Museum on Thursday. Picture: Ian Landsberg / Independent Newspapers

“This is why when I took pictures of South Africa, I haven’t only taken pictures of only Cape Town but included was … the Orange River, Johannesburg … we have a bunch of (pictures). But when we decided to select some, we selected Cape Town because it’s famous for Table (Mountain) and its unique tourist attractions,” said Kud-Sverchkov.

“Even if I could not see (Cape Town) in person, I could see it from space. People who live here can see the streets and they can see the beauty of the Waterfront and Table Mountain. People who live there want to share that beauty with others. We can share photos around the world, we can share what Cape Town looks like from outer space … It was not just to share pictures from space but to create a feeling of unity and make people feel closer,” said Kud-Sverchkov.

The exploration aboard the Soyuz MS-17 broke the world record for the shortest time taken to reach the ISS, within three hours.

Kud-Sverchkov said at the speed at which they travelled – 28,000km/h (8km/second) – they could see 16 sunrises and 16 sunsets in one day.

“It was good to share about this exploration with kids because it broadens their horizon and being able to view this at a planetarium at the museum allows them to think global,” said Kud-Sverchkov.

Russian cosmonaut Sergey Kud-Sverchkov speaking at the BRICS Universe Exhibition held at the Iziko South African Museum on Thursday about the images of Cape Town he took from outer space. Picture: Ian Landsberg / Independent Newspapers

Director of Education at Iziko Museums, Hylton Arnolds, said: “Iziko Museums of South Africa is delighted to host the South African leg of the BRICS Universe showcase, featuring a stunning collection of images captured from the ISS and photographers on Earth. These visuals beautifully depict the events, emotions, nature, and heritage of the Unesco Creative Cities in BRICS. Our collaboration with the Nizhny Novgorod Grechko Planetarium underscores the importance of international co-operation in expanding access to science education and promoting the wonders of astronomy.”

In a speech at the opening of the exhibition, Dr Iqbal Survé, Sekunjalo Chairman and chairperson of the BRICS Media Forum, said: “When you look down from that space capsule at what we call Mother Earth, our planet, what is so significant is how small our planet is from high above in the sky. Sometimes we forget that we are a tiny part of the universe, and it is for that reason that we need to celebrate our humanity, to share our common experiences, and to recognise what makes human beings great, rather than emphasising our differences.”