Young Vietnamese people in the Russian Federation have connected to support and encourage each other to study, spread Vietnamese culture and contribute back to their motherland…

From Students to the Youth Union and Organization of Vietnamese Overseas Students

Nguyen Quang Hai (born in 1998, a native of Da Nang) is currently a Master's student at Tyumen State University. Recalling the first days when he came to Russia 6 years ago, Hai was instantly enchanted by Russia upon his arrival.

“In 2016, 5 other students and I went to Tyumen city to study. I felt very shocked when the plane landed in a totally strange land. We had to walk about 20m under the snow and the cold weather of minus 20 Celsius degrees. The warm clothes we bought in Vietnam could not prevent the bone-chilling cold in Russia."

During the Soviet era, the Vietnamese community in Tyumen had about 200 people. Nowadays, there are only 4-5 Vietnamese families living in the region. In 2016, there was only 1 Vietnamese student studying at Tyumen. Therefore, all Vietnamese people here care about new students.

“An uncle came to the airport to pick me up and take me to the dormitory. After that, an upperclasswoman and a Kazakh student guided me through the procedures, paperwork, and buying food," said Hai.

From a new student to Russia for the first time, Quang Hai has now become the "big brother" for many Vietnamese students in Tyumen city. Upon receiving the list of new students from the University, the Department of International Cooperation of the Vietnamese Ministry of Education and Training, and through friends, the Youth Union and the Organization of Overseas Students in Tyumen contacted the students to provide necessary information and advice, including a list of essential items to bring to Russia. Self-sufficient students are also supported to buy air tickets from Vietnam to Tyumen.

The representative of Vietnamese students informed the school of the landing time so that the school could arrange a bus to pick them up. New student supporting tasks such as airport pickup, dormitory check-in procedures, food preparation, admission procedures, bank account opening, etc. are assigned to each person.

New students in 2020 and 2021 classes must self-isolate for a period of 7 days due to the Covid-19 pandemic. During that time, the upperclassmen took turns preparing food and drinks and supporting paying the visa extension fee in case new students have not changed USD to RUB

Brigde-buidling Sports and Cultural Activities

In March 2022, Le Minh Ngoc (born in 2000, a native of Hai Duong province) and her friends in the women's football team of the Plekhanov Russian University of Economics went to the training ground to compete at the Vietnam Student Sports Festival in Russia.

In the first training sessions when there was snow on the field near the dormitory, the team had to rent a field to practice. To have a field that cost reasonably, female players often choose yards that are quite far away, taking about 1 hour of commuting. Two weeks before the game, the girls started to practice with an intensity of 2-3 sessions per week. Because they had to attend school during the day, the practice session usually started at 7 p.m.

After more than 2 years of interruption due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the 2022 Sports Festival received a great response and support from the members of the Vietnamese Youth Union and students. Ngoc and the entire Plekhanov team have been waiting so long for this year's Sports Festival because they stopped at the Play-off round in the 2019 Games. Most of the players are in 3rd and 4th years, so they are all focused on practicing.

Ngoc happily recalls her triumphs on the pitch during her team's final match.

“Our opponent was the coalition of Pushkin Russian National Language Institute and Ministry of Internal Affairs. They are a very strong team that plays very well, but it seems that the luck was in favor of the Plekhanov team. The match ended in a 0:0 draw and we had to take a penalty shootout to decide who would be the champion. Although I was not assigned a penalty kick, I stood watching and my heart was pounding. When the last kick was taken, everything seemed to explode. I feel very proud that the whole team tried and did our best. The championship is a well-deserved reward for all of us."

The sports festival not only creates a playground for health training, brings people closer together but also helps Ngoc and her friends grow up. Attending the Games for the first time, Ngoc was a first-year student, taken care of by many upperclasswomen. This year, Ngoc becomes a senior, guiding others to practice, preparing logistics, arranging training schedules, and preparing jerseys for the whole team... Besides the medal, that's the most meaningful reward for Ngoc.

Youth connection activities are organized not only in Moscow but also in other cities such as St. Petersburg, Vladivostok, Tyumen, etc. Le Van Khanh, 3rd year Ph.D. student at St. Petersburg Polytechnic University and also Secretary of the Youth Union of St. Petersburg spoke about the importance of providing for Vietnamese students abroad.

“The Youth Union always determines the most important task is to connect the young people in St. Petersburg. Activities to support new students from Vietnam in terms of study, procedures and life, the traditional Tet celebration for students are always highlighted by the Executive Committee of the Youth Union."

Since the beginning of 2022, the Svlen Dating program has been held quarterly. In each time, the program will introduce to the audience two male and female couples studying in St. Petersburg. They will introduce themselves, share interesting stories about studying and living in the city, as well as their future plans.

According to Nguyen Thai Son from the Saint Petersburg National Research University of Information Technologies, Mechanics, and Optics (ITMO), Svlen Dating has novel, interesting and engaging content. “Participating in the program, I have the opportunity to make more friends, to help each other in life away from home," said Son.

Nguyen Viet Linh, Secretary of the Youth Union in the Russian Federation understands the importance of the organization.

"The Union's activities in Russia not only create a playground for exchanges and strengthen the spirit of solidarity in the student community, but also help the students to improve life skills, confidently prove themselves, and at the same time educate the young generation about patriotism."