St Petersburg University has marked Hồ Chí Minh’s 132nd anniversary. He was the first President of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. The traditional solemn event brought together representatives of the academic community and the Vietnamese community of the city.

Professor Vladimir Kolotov, Director of the Ho Chí Minh Institute of St Petersburg University, Head of the Department of History of the Far East Countries, delivered a welcoming speech to the audience. ‘Every year since 2010, we have gathered here to honour the memory of the great son of the Vietnamese people,’ he said. ‘We will continue the traditions of friendship and cooperation between our countries.’ Vladimir Kolotov recalled that almost a century ago Hồ Chí Minh visited St Petersburg for the first time. Later, in the 1950s, the countries would agree on the education of Vietnamese students in the Soviet Union and Soviet students in Vietnam. This marked the beginning of the active development of Vietnamese studies in our country.

Aleksei Vorontsov, President of the Interregional Public Organisation ‘Peter the Great Academy of Sciences and Arts’, said that the USSR had helped Vietnam during the most difficult war years.

Today, in difficult conditions, when Western countries led by the United States are trying to isolate our country, Vietnam shows broad cooperation in all areas: economy, policy, culture.

Aleksei Vorontsov, President of the Interregional Public Organisation "Peter the Great Academy of Sciences and Arts"

On behalf of the national community, Dao Dai Hai expressed gratitude to the University and Professor Vladimir Kolotov for the opportunity to annually gather in front of the monument to the political leader of Vietnam in the Modern Sculpture Park at St Petersburg University. Dao Dai Hai is the Deputy Chairperson of the Vietnamese community in St Petersburg. The ceremony participants were also addressed by Than Van Zui, Head of the Vietnamese Student Association in St Petersburg, and Ha Thi Ziem, Deputy Secretary of the St Petersburg branch of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union of Vietnam.

At the end of the event, flowers were laid at the monument to Hồ Chí Minh.