I remember it was a difficult time. Only five years had passed since the liberation of South Vietnam and the reunification of the country in 1975, preceded by 30 years of national liberation war that demanded enormous material costs, especially human effort. But the development of the University continued unabated even during that difficult period for the country. In the 1960s and 70s, teachers and students had to temporarily leave their beloved university, evacuating to remote rural areas to avoid American bombing raids. Among them, many young, talented teachers and students went to the front lines and sacrificed their lives for the Fatherland. However, lectures and scientific seminars, examinations and tests continued to be conducted simultaneously, with teachers teaching and conducting scientific research.
In the 1980s, the country was still recovering economically and facing many difficulties. At that time, I worked at the Foreign Languages Department of Hanoi University. Back then, students often rode old bicycles, didn't have enough to eat, and dressed simply and shabbily. Many students were sometimes late for class because they had to repair their bicycles along the way.
I remember in 1983, our Soviet experts organized a gathering for Russian language students. We decorated a Christmas tree and placed Russian riddles on it as a fun word game. One of the riddles was, "No windows, no doors, but the room is packed with people" – we suggested the word "HOUSE," and the students almost unanimously exclaimed, "Hanoi University!" To our surprise, the students explained, "There are no windows, no doors, and there are so many of us students, but the classrooms aren't big enough; we're all crammed in."
That was the reality at the time. Classes at the school were conducted in very difficult conditions: small, cramped classrooms with a few wooden desks, benches, and old blackboards; the windows were only covered with curtains, and there were no doors because the school building had been severely damaged by the war. In addition, electricity was frequently cut off. On gloomy days during the rainy season, the curtains had to be drawn to let in the dim sunlight and the chill; in winter, both students and teachers had to wear gloves in class. But the students at that time in Hanoi were diligent and hardworking, perhaps unlike anything I had ever seen before. They tried their best to complete all their homework assignments meticulously. Although the materials were printed on yellowed, faded paper, and the textbooks were also printed on a rough, low-quality paper because the learning materials were not only used in the lecture hall but also passed from person to person. In return, the students, with their passion, memorized the poems of Pushkin, Lermontov, and Esenin! Once, when the second-year students read Konstantin Simonov's poem "Waiting for You," we immediately remembered the Vietnamese translation of this poem by the famous poet To Huu. We began comparing the original with the translation, not only in terms of meaning, but also in the rhythm of the verses. I was very impressed by the subtlety and accuracy of the students' observations, their love and knowledge of poetry. It is not without reason that President Ho Chi Minh, in a meeting with the poet Pavel Antokolsky, who translated "Prison Diary" into Russian, said that everyone in Vietnam writes poetry.
My students were interested in everything, beyond their studies. They often asked me about the city of Kazan and Kazan State University, about classes and the hobbies of their peers in distant Russia. They actively participated in extracurricular activities that we tried to use to awaken their scientific and creative abilities. They became actors when they performed scenes from D.I. Fonvizin's comedy "The Ignorant Man," and were delighted to feel they knew more Russian than the illiterate Mitrofanushka. Then, with a high sense of responsibility, the students prepared well and carried out their mission as "tour guides" around Hanoi for Russian "tourists," including myself. I must admit that, thanks to the help of these student guides, I have learned about many of Hanoi's old streets and scenic spots, which I will forever cherish.
Today, my former students have graduated and are working not only in Vietnam, but also in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kyiv, and Kazan (after completing their second year, some were sent here for a one-year bridging program). In many letters they send me, they always remember Hanoi University, the cradle that provided them with a good education and opportunities for successful careers in many different fields where knowledge of the Russian language is required.
I remember my colleagues – Vietnamese Russian studies scholars – who worked alongside me for two years at the Faculty of Foreign Languages, Hanoi University, which three years ago (in 2018) celebrated its glorious 40th anniversary. The head of the faculty at that time was the late Associate Professor Dr. Hoang Lai, an expert who defended his doctoral dissertation in Leningrad (now St. Petersburg) in 1978 and earned the respect of all the faculty members. Teachers and students in the Faculty at that time would seek his advice on important matters (whether it was teaching, facilities, or even family issues). Professor Hoang Lai was very concerned about the professional development of the teachers in the Russian Language and Literature Department. He also helped us Soviet experts quickly adapt to teaching, pedagogical methods, and scientific research with our Vietnamese colleagues, not only at the departmental level but also at the faculty and university levels.
Several years later, in 1990, we met again at the MAPRIAL International Conference (International Association of Teachers of Russian Language and Literature) in Moscow. At that time, Associate Professor Hoang Lai chaired a subcommittee of Vietnamese Russian studies scholars. We had another opportunity to meet and exchange ideas as close friends and colleagues. It must be said that at Hanoi University, I was treated like "family."
In 1960-1961, Professor E.P. Busyghin was seconded from Kazan University to Vietnam to train ethnographers. He lectured on general ethnology at Hanoi University and participated in a four-month field trip to remote villages in the highlands. His ethnology textbook was published in Vietnamese. Professor E.P. Busyghin was awarded a Certificate of Merit and the Friendship Order by President Ho Chi Minh for these contributions. At his first official reception by the Board of Directors, the then Rector of Hanoi University, the late...
Professor Phan Huu Dat, a renowned historian and ethnographer, immediately asked me about Professor EPBusyghin and recalled his field trips to the highlands.
In my memory, Professor Phan Huu Dat was a kind and thoughtful teacher, a great scientist, and an excellent Rector who laid the first bricks for establishing and maintaining friendly relations between Vietnam and Russia. For us Soviet experts, he was not only concerned with our work but also close to us in our daily lives. In the difficult material conditions of the time, not only the Russian Language and Literature Department and the Faculty of Foreign Languages, but also the school's Board of Directors never forgot to congratulate us on holidays. For the first time, we were introduced to Vietnamese cuisine during Tet (Vietnamese New Year), received beautiful peach blossom branches as gifts, and the school arranged transportation for us.
I also had the opportunity to meet Rector Phan Huu Dat again in Kazan in 2004, when he was invited to attend the 200th anniversary celebration of Kazan University – a partner of Hanoi University. The organizing committee of the celebration tasked Professor EPBusyghin and me with meticulously preparing the living arrangements for Professor Phan Huu Dat. Besides the official events, Professor EPBusyghin personally took Professor Phan Huu Dat to visit the University's Ethnographic Museum and see the Rare Objects Exhibition Room with its rich collection of Chinese artifacts. Professor Phan Huu Dat suggested organizing a meeting with Vietnamese students who were then studying at Kazan University. At the meeting, he showed great interest in the students' academic achievements and living conditions. Afterwards, he received a whole stack of letters from students to their relatives in Vietnam.
At that time, the Russian Language and Literature Department at Hanoi University had quite a few teachers. We were introduced to the Russian language textbook for Vietnamese students that we were supposed to teach. We shared the best methods for teaching Russian literature to foreign language learners. Most of the teachers in the Russian Department attended my lectures on Russian-Soviet literature to improve their literary knowledge acquired at university. I remember very clearly Mr. Nguyen Tuan Kiet, a tall, well-built man who had fought on the front lines at a very young age. Mr. Kiet guided us through the basics of the Vietnamese language.
In 1987, Mr. Nguyen Xuan Hoa – a calm, cheerful, resourceful, and capable man – was assigned the position of Head of Department. Together with Mr. Hoa, we organized a scientific conference commemorating the 170th anniversary of the birth of the poet Taras Shevchenko at Hanoi University, and subsequently published a summary of the proceedings (not printed on glossy paper, but only mimeographed). During this time, Mr. Nguyen Xuan Hoa began translating the poetry of Aleksandr Blok and often consulted with me; later, he became known as the "Blok researcher" in the eyes of Vietnamese literary critics.
Thanks to the dedicated assistance of my colleagues in the Department, I was fortunate to get acquainted with the Russian language teachers and translators at the University of Foreign Languages, including Meritorious Teacher Vu The Khoi – one of the authors of the Russian language textbook used to teach first-year students of the Russian Language Department. Later, thanks to Mr. Vu The Khoi, I became acquainted with the translators of the work "Russian Writers," which was published at the time by the Literature Publishing House. These included translators Anh Truc, Hoang Thuy Toan, Le Van Nhan, and others.
In 2019, the Vietnam Writers Association invited me to attend the International Conference on Promoting Vietnamese Literature to the World in Hanoi, giving me the opportunity to return. Life in Vietnam has changed; Hanoi has become modern but still preserves its national identity.
In December 1993, Hanoi University was separated into the University of Natural Sciences and the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, both under the Vietnam National University, Hanoi, and achieved many great accomplishments.
I wish my beloved Hanoi University, on its 65th anniversary, continued success in training young educators and scientists, scientific development and prosperity, and strengthened relations with many universities of the Russian Federation in the spirit of the Joint Declaration on the Vision for a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the Russian Federation to 2030 between President Vladimir Putin of the Russian Federation and President Nguyen Xuan Phuc of Vietnam on November 30, 2021.
"Russia and Vietnam are determined to strengthen cooperation in education and training, and science and technology, considering this one of the key areas of cooperation between the two countries."
