Expat Spotlight: Nikita Kostritsov - A Viet Patriot From Russia With Love

In the evening of May 23, 2022, when the fans crowded the street to celebrate the victory of the Vietnam's football team, many curious eyes focused on a Western man "di bao"/"going storm" in Hanoi. He was seen clapping his hands, shouting "Vietnam! Vietnam Vo Dich!" ("Victory Vietnam!"). The cheery image of him going out on the street that night and giving high-fives to with passersby was captured and shared online, impressing Vietnamese citizens.

In less than 24 hours, theo video became "viral" on TikTok, receiving tens of thousands of views. The comments blew up with kind words for a foreigner who cheered for Vietnam as if it is his own homeland.

Russian content creator Nikita Kostritsov of the Hello Nikki channel in his viral video.

The man in the video is Nikita Kostritsov (27, from Cremia, Russian Federation). As a new content creator, Nikita was surprised to receive so much love and support from the online community. All of the sudden, the channel reached the number of 100 followers, which got Nikita cheering "That's a crowd!" in Vietnamese. Recalling the time when he and his wife, Hoang Hai Yen (26, from Hanoi, Vietnam), were making YouTube and make TikTok videos for their own entertainment, being able to work as content creators full-time was in their wildest dream.

With a background in tourism and hospitality, Nikita is passionate about exploring cultures around the world. By documenting his journey in Vietnam, he can capture beautiful memories in their relationship.

After becoming viral on TikTok, many people recognized them, asked for autographs and took pictures when they saw the couple out and about. Most of the fan are the children, said Nikita. He loves having Vietnamese conversations with them. The Russian man was deeply impressed.

“I am grateful to be welcomed by Vietnamese people everywhere," exclaimed Nikita.

From the number of 100 followers in May 2022, the Hello Nikki channel has now more than 430,000 followers with more than tens of millions of views. Nikita is now a familiar face for the online community when it comes to discovering expat life in Vietnam. He gives reviews, even introductions and instructions of how to enjoy your time while in Vietnam, whether as a tourist or a resident.

Hello Nikki channel shows NIkita experiences Vietnamese things for the first time and give reactions

Nikita's first impressions to things in Vietnam are entertaining to watch, not only because he gives funny reactions but also honest ones. There is nothing about Vietnam that Nikita is not willing to try, but he makes sure to first learn and understand the story behind them. If it is food, he will try to summarize the detailed taste of Vietnamese cuisine. If it is a destination, he will focus on the authentic experience, rather than the trendy and tourishy attractions.

His love for Vietnamese people and culture values stem from his romantic love with his Vietnamese wife (Photo courtesy of Hello Niiki).

His authenticity shines throughout the content on Hello Nikki. Not just in front of the camera, he is expressive and full of energy even in reak life. Everyday, this young man is enthusiastic about trying a new Vietnamese things, ready to hop on his bike, roam around, try new things.

"Everyday I live here [in Vietnam], I learn a new lesson," said Nikita.

His love for Vietnamese people and culture values stem from his romantic love with his Vietnamese wife. Nikita and Yen recently married but before the marriage was official, the Russian groom already asked his in-laws to call him "con." He loves the way Vietnamese people honor family values, among other things.

"I love it when I saw the way Yen's family lives and the way the family members care for each there. Every holiday and Tet, Vietnamese people can be working on Mars, but they will come back home to celebrate with their family. I love that about Vietnam," said Nikita.

Russian content creator Nikita Kostritsov of the Hello Nikki channel in his viral video.

Although not fullly fluent, Nikita's communication skills in Vietnamese is also one of the most impressive things about his contents.

The Russian expat is named "Vietnamese Cultural Ambassador" by the online community. In true Vietnamese TikToker, he entertains his followers with funny dances filmed throughout Hanoi. He expresses his amazement with the Viet lifestyle, exclaiming "Ối giời ơi!" When he is afraid to try something or eat weird exotic food, his shaking body and dramatic face makes the internet fall in love with him.

His job also opened up opportunities for him to attend events connecting the two countries' communities of Vietnam and Russia (Photo courtesy of Hello Niiki).

Although the TikToker cannot resist a viral song, or cannot help but dance to a famous choreography, Nikita does not try to be trendy for views and likes in his videos. He takes the job of giving the fans honest reactions and authentic experiences seriously.

"On YouTube, I see foreigner creators who go to Vietnam but only choose famous places and places with a lot tourists. Yen and I want to go to places that are less touristy, see how people actually live in these places, and try the experiences that few people have."

Even in the city of Hanoi where he lives, the Russian man always look for hidden gems. So far, he had has a collection of favorite bun cha place, and coffee shop, even favorite morning run route. He knew the vendors in the market near his house. They exchange conversations in Vietnamese, and most importantly, share geniune laughters and engagement.

Nikita having photoshoot with famous landmarks in Hanoi (Photo courtesy of Hello Niiki).

His job also opened up opportunities for him to attend events connecting the two countries' communities of Vietnam and Russia, especially the online community in TikTok and YouTube. For his channel, Nikita wishes to be the friendly expat who share with the world about the beauty of Vietnamese culture in a fun way.

Russian content creator Nikita Kostritsov of the Hello Nikki channel (Photo courtesy of Hello Niiki).

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