Hanoi in the memories of overseas Vietnamese and Russian friends

Ms. Pham Thanh Xuan, Member of the Standing Committee of the Association of Vietnamese People in Russia :

I was born and raised in Hanoi. I have been away from Hanoi for 36 years. After many years away from Hanoi, when I returned, I felt very happy with the development of the capital.

Besides the old streets and dark brown tiled roofs, Hanoi now has larger, wider and more spacious and beautiful streets, making it very convenient to travel around.

Every time I return to Hanoi, we always remember the beauty of the capital's culture, especially its cuisine. There are many restaurants with delicious, sophisticated dishes and very enthusiastic service staff.

In particular, now in Hanoi there are many restaurants that are on the list of the prestigious Michelin culinary rating system. That also helps the capital's cuisine gain more position and height on the world culinary map. Through that, it attracts many tourists when coming to Vietnam.

Another thing that we feel very happy about when returning to Hanoi is that now many people are willing to join the functional forces to protect the security of the capital, helping the capital become greener, cleaner and more beautiful.

As a person living far away from home, every time I return to my homeland, I feel very secure and happy. Although I am far from Hanoi and have experienced different cities in the world, the love and pride for the capital will always exist in my heart.

Ms. Svetlana Glazunova, lecturer at the Moscow State University of International Relations (MGIMO) of the Russian Foreign Ministry:

I first came to Hanoi in 1993 when I was a student. And then, I had a few more times to Hanoi. The most recent time was in 2019, I came to Hanoi and saw that Hanoi had expanded a lot in area.

Hanoi has new, modern neighborhoods. Compared to the past, Hanoi has changed a lot with a very fast development speed. In the 1990s, when I first came to Hanoi, my feeling about Hanoi was the cultural “heart” of Vietnam. At that time, I had the opportunity to visit some other places in Vietnam, what I saw most clearly was that the pagodas and temples in Hanoi were very different, especially the old quarters had many interesting things.

The good news is that although Hanoi has expanded and modernized, it still retains its own unique cultural features. The symbol of Hanoi's Turtle Tower is still very familiar. As a Vietnamese teacher for Russian students, I always try to introduce and convey the wonderful things about Hanoi, with its historical sites and traditional customs, to my students so that they can get acquainted with the rich culture of Hanoi.

Nowadays, Hanoi is a modern city. I often hear my students talk about Hanoi after each of their internships. Hanoi through the eyes of young people now has full facilities, but still retains the old culture. The sidewalks in Hanoi are very interesting, still have their own unique characteristics. We love those things very much.

Petrunova Vyacheslavovna, a former student of the Russian State Pedagogical University named after AIHerzen:

I first came to Hanoi in the fall of 2017 to intern at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities. I immediately fell in love with Hanoi. For me, it is a city of contrasts. I lived in the bustling Hai Ba Trung district, which is home to many dormitories, simple, cheap cafes and shops for students.

I like to go to Hoan Kiem Lake area. There, I go for a walk or sit in a nice cafe, read a book and admire the beauty of the city.

I love cycling around the streets of Hanoi, looking at the city and the people. I am also very happy that Hanoi has a lot of parks, tall trees growing along both sides of the road, forming an arch shape and it is like you are driving through a green tunnel.

Overall Hanoi has been wonderful to me. Everyone I met was very friendly.

I have been to Hanoi a few times in recent years, the most recent time in late 2023. Every time I come to Hanoi, I feel that the city is developing rapidly, becoming more modern and richer.

I see that Hanoi has more and more cars, more modern shops, shopping malls and beautiful new residential areas. I am happy that Hanoi is developing more and more, becoming more modern and beautiful, while at the same time, the soul of the city and the “character” of Hanoi are still preserved.

Doctor of History Valery Perfilov, Russian cultural figure, senior scientist of the Lenin Memorial Complex in Ulyanovsk province :

I have been very fortunate to have been to Vietnam a few times. The first time I came to Vietnam was in 1982. In my memory, the situation in your country at that time was still quite difficult because the country had just gone through years of fierce war.

A few years later, I had the opportunity to visit Vietnam again, Hanoi. I was surprised because in just a short time, your country, especially the capital Hanoi, has changed rapidly.

Economic development, rich culture, rich identity. Congratulations to the capital Hanoi - the political, economic, and cultural center of Vietnam on the occasion of a great holiday.

I am very impressed by the Ho Chi Minh Museum and Mausoleum in Hanoi. These works in Vietnam and the Lenin Memorial in Ulyanovsk were designed by architect Harold Isakovich. In Ulyanovsk city - Lenin's hometown, Ho Chi Minh Avenue was built, the Monument to the outstanding leader of Vietnam was built and the school No. 76 was named after him. On the occasion of the Liberation Day of Hanoi, I would like to wish all the people of Hanoi the best, many achievements and prosperity.