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在俄罗斯，了解中国的年轻人正越来越多，尤其是那些读中文专业的学生，他们对历史与当代的中国文化都感兴趣，希望有机会到中国来旅游、学习或者工作。而中俄校际的交流与互派留学生，还有孔子学院在当地的汉语推广，每年一度的中俄文化年活动的举办，使得两国年轻人的交往越来越频繁，加深了彼此的了解与友谊。我是在赴俄罗斯远东送中国留学生的过程中结识俄罗斯年轻人的，也是从他们的身上，我感受到了这个民族独特的品质。
娜斯佳希望能在中国工作
初识娜斯佳是在2010年的3月初，那是我第一次去俄罗斯，在远东共青城阿穆尔国立人文师范大学，她在俄罗斯学生中汉语非常突出，被挑选出来给我做翻译。是她带着我在冰雪覆盖的阿穆尔河畔领略严寒中傲然挺立的白桦；是她在俄罗斯远东的共青团员群雕前给我讲述一个个城市名字的由来；是她在方志博物馆向我讲述人们在这块土地上繁衍生息、与恶劣的自然环境抗争的历史。她告诉我在俄罗斯的语境里，白桦林是理想与爱的天堂，作为一种文化的意象，白桦已经注入了他们的生活，与祖国之爱连在一起。她用比较纯正又好听的中国话朗诵道：“有一株白桦，立在我窗旁，覆盖着积雪，像披着银霜。”她说叶赛宁的成名作就是这首《白桦》，我禁不住地鼓掌。眺望远处莽莽苍苍的远东群山，在这位学汉语的俄罗斯学生面前，我朗诵起了毛泽东的《沁园春·雪》：“北国风光/千里冰封/万里雪飘/望长城内外/惟余莽莽/大河上下/顿失滔滔……”我问娜斯佳是否听过这首词，她说没有，但喜欢。我想当我下次再来的时候，会带几本中国的书送给这个好学的年轻人。
从结识娜斯佳开始到现在已经有两年多的时间了，我们一直保持着通信联系。在2010年12月上旬，我外出开会，特意从大连走，去学校看望了她，这让她非常惊喜。现在她在大连外国语大学读比较文学专业，很快就要进行论文答辩了，论文题目是《鲁迅与契诃夫作品比较研究》，她是在大连外国语大学该专业第一个即将毕业的外国留学生。她在信中向我表露说希望有机会能留在中国工作，她丈夫也很支持她的这种想法。她是在去年暑期结婚的，新婚的丈夫非常支持她在中国的学习。在她写给我的英文信件中，字里行间洋溢着对丈夫的赞美，没有丈夫的理解与支持，她恐怕就不会回中国继续她的学业了。在俄罗斯男人节（The day of the motherland guardian,直译为“祖国守护者日”，俄罗斯把这一天作为男人节，表明在俄罗斯，男人的保家卫国的神圣使命。这一天，男人与男孩都将得到礼物与亲人的祝福）的那一天，她给丈夫的礼物是她亲手编织的袜子与手套。她说，在重要的日子里，将亲手制作的礼物送给我所爱的人，会得到加倍的珍惜与感动。
从娜斯佳身上，我感受到俄罗斯青年那种积极向上与朴素的传统美德，还有她对待婚姻的态度。在共青城读书期间，她与我们的留学生结为好朋友，彼此学习对方的语言并了解不同的民族文化。本文第13页照片中的三个中国留学生已经毕业，其中一个在北京工作，一个在哈尔滨工作，一个转到莫斯科大学读研究生，他们在共青城学习期间，俄语都学得很好，曾几次获邀到娜斯佳家里聚会，在俄罗斯，这是主人最友好的表示。
阿丽娜在黑龙江大学
读汉语言博士
阿丽娜在俄罗斯共青城阿穆尔国立人文师范大学外事处工作，现在就读于黑龙江大学汉语言博士学位。她的博士论文题目是《俄罗斯与中国高等教育改革的比较研究》，以俄罗斯远东地区和中国黑龙江省高等学校为研究对象，她对黑龙江每一所有俄罗斯留学生的院校都进行了调查研究，获得第一手资料，我也帮助她做了一点这方面的工作，包括1998至2010年间不同层次、不同专业的俄罗斯留学生的招生情况，她这种严谨的治学态度给我留下了深刻印象。
在2012年的春天，中国的摄影家蓝沙先生在共青城的工艺美术馆举办主题为“以人性的名义”的个人摄影展，蓝沙和我是朋友，我把这一消息通过Email告诉在俄罗斯共青城的阿丽娜，还有孔子学院的中方老师孙向宇博士。孙博士组织了中国留学生以及孔子学院的俄罗斯汉语学生、老师参观了摄影展。孙博士说在俄罗斯远东看到来自祖国的摄影展是一件很自豪的事，也是一次中华文化走出去的真实感受，对于俄罗斯的汉语学生来说是一次近距离的中国文化的体验。阿丽娜看过展览后很有感慨，她说一般外国人到中国旅游很少去农村，蓝沙先生的作品把她带到遥远的贵州大山里，看到原生态的人物与自然景观，了解了那里的人们简单而幸福的渴望。阿丽娜在2009年5月去过山东孔子故里曲阜，是中国政府给获得政府奖学金的学生安排的文化实习，她去过中国的佳木斯、齐齐哈尔、大庆、长春、沈阳、大连、济南、南京、上海，这些城市中她说特别喜欢南京和济南，登泰山给她留下终身难忘的记忆。
他有个挺拔的中国名字叫高峰
2010年3月初，当我从俄罗斯共青城乘火车返回时途经离中国同江口岸最近的一个城市叫比罗比詹，由于第二天没有回国的班车，要等到第三天才能走。一个人在宾馆里，我盘算着第二天怎么过。我知道比罗比詹师范学院是我们的友好院校，但我不认识他们学校的任何人，他们更不认识我，我就给国内我们大学国际文化交流中心的一位老师打了一个电话，他告诉我可以给这所学校外事处的高峰（也叫阿廖沙）打电话，但电话却一直打不通，于是我就到宾馆前边的服装市场问路，这里的店主都是中国人，多是靠近中俄边界的同江人，他们告诉我比罗比詹师范大学就在宾馆前面这条街向东走50米的位置。到了校门口，我发现这所学校不像国内的大学，有大门或围墙、大楼，这里看不到与周围有什么太大的差别。就是普通的一栋楼，从正门进入后，要在类似国内的收发室登记，我不会俄语，说了半天英语和汉语，收发室的老太太听不懂，虽然也很和善的样子，但我还是不被允许上楼，我就盼着能碰见学生，因为我的印象是俄罗斯的年轻人英语都说得不错，这个时候进来了一个男学生，我和他打招呼，我用英语问了他学什么专业，是否想过有机会去中国，还谈到了阿廖沙。从他的眼神判断，他知道阿廖沙，他还用手机给阿廖沙打了电话，显然他也没有打通。我给了他一张我的名片，我拿出一本通讯录让他在上面留下Email地址。他示意我在下面等一下，就上楼了。约有5分钟的时间，下来两个女生，一个是学生模样，一个是老师。女学生用汉语给我介绍那位老师，说是他们的外语系主任，自己叫澳利娅，“你是佳木斯大学的，你想了解什么？”她用有点生硬的汉语和我对话。“我想了解一下学校的情况，比如教研室、汉语教学情况等。”我们一起上了楼，由系主任介绍，澳利娅做翻译，我参观了几个房间，当我们走进汉语课堂的时候，汉语老师朝我走来：“你是佳木斯大学来的？”我非常惊讶她汉语讲得那么流畅，“你是在哪里学的汉语，说得这么好？”我问道。“佳木斯大学国际文化交流中心”，她抑扬顿挫地回答，让我倍感亲切，原来是在我们大学学习过！在她的办公室，她给高峰打电话，电话通了，她告诉说佳木斯大学来人了，她把电话交给了我，电话的那端高峰让我在这里等他，说他很快就到。 高峰的个头可不像他的名字，不要说在俄罗斯，在中国也算矮个子。他开车带我到留学生宿舍，参观了留学生房间和公共厨房，整个宿舍楼里安静整洁。随后他开车陪我去他办公室，3分钟的路程，他说学生就在这里上课，距离很近很方便，还好像自言自语：“真奇怪，共青城那么远，你们往那儿送学生。”我回应道：可能是历史的原因吧，两所学校有协议。一进他的办公室，他就和我说上你的QQ吧，我就在QQ的“说说”上写下了“人在俄罗斯远东，一切都好！”算是给国内的QQ好友通报一下平安。中午的时候，我们在中国同江人开的中餐馆就餐，他们分管外事的原副校长出席。高峰说吃上几顿俄餐后你有可能就会想念中国的饭菜了，他的汉语说得比较流畅。他们两个人都见证了与我们大学不同时期的友好往来，虽然是第一次见到我，但就像对待老朋友一样，不需要一个预热的过程。在这里，我得到了访问行程计划外的“非常中国”的友好接待，很温暖。
作为友好邻邦，中俄都是疆域辽阔的国家。奔腾不息的黄河、长江，绵延逶迤的伏尔加河像流动的历史书卷，记载了两个民族辉煌的文明与历经苦难而繁荣发展的历程。俄罗斯青年在我眼中，认真、直率，外表冷峻、漂亮，爱恨分明，对待朋友内心温暖、热诚。中国的江西鄱阳湖畔也有一座共青城，那是因为当年上海青年在那里耕耘、奋斗而得名，中俄这两座共青城是友好城市，中俄有许多相同的地方，而中俄青年人之间的友谊也预示着中俄关系美好的未来。
（作者系中国佳木斯大学国际学院副院长）
Russian Youths I Have Met
By Zheng Lixin
As vice president of International College of Jiamusi University in Heilongjiang Province in northeastern China, I have met many young Russians during my trips to Russian Far East when I escorted Chinese students to study there. I am under the impression that young people in Russia are becoming increasingly aware of China and that they are taking a greater interest in learning about Chinese culture, doing a sightseeing tour in China or even working in China. The following accounts are about three young people I have met in Russian Far East.
Nastya
I met her in early March 2010 during my first visit to the Amur State University of Humanities and Pedagogy in Komsomolsk-on-Amur. She was chosen to be my interpreter as she was one of the best Russian students who spoke Chinese fluently. I was deeply impressed by her fluency. In December 2010, I visited her at Dalian International Studies University where she was majoring in comparative studies. She was delighted to see me on the campus. At that time she was about to defend her dissertation on comparison between works of Lu Xun and Chekhov. She was to become the university’s first foreign graduate specialized in that field. She wrote me that she wished to stay in China and find a job and that her husband supported her ambition.
While at Amur State University, she mixed well with Chinese students studying there and enjoyed friendship with them. I appreciated her use of the opportunity to learn Chinese culture from Chinese students. Her Chinese friends at Amur State University benefited a great deal from the friendship with Nastya.
Alina
She is now studying for her PhD degree in Chinese at Heilongjiang University. Before she came to China, she worked for the foreign affairs office at the Amur State University of Humanities and Pedagogy in Komsomolsk-on-Amur. Her PhD dissertation focuses upon a comparative study on higher education reform in Russia and China. She did research on all the higher education institutions in Heilongjiang Province where Russian students take courses. I helped her collect information, including the information on Russian students enrolled in all the majors and at all levels from 1998 to 2010. I was deeply impressed by the way she did her research. In the spring of 2012, Chinese photographer Lan Sha held an exhibition in Komsomolsk. I emailed Alina about this event and I also wrote to Dr. Sun Xiangyu working at Confucius Institute at the Amur State University of Humanities and Pedagogy in Komsomolsk-on-Amur. Sun brought Russian students and teachers at Confucius Institute to visit the exhibition, for he felt that the visit was an opportunity to see China close at hand for these Russian students. Alina visited the exhibition too. She commented that the photos exposed her to the life and natural beauty of the remote areas of China, which foreigners on a package tour usually do not have a chance to see.
In May 2009, Alina visited Qufu, the birthplace of Confucius, in Shandong Province. The trip was organized for foreign students studying in China on government scholarships and the purpose was to enable these students to experience Chinese culture in depth. Alina has visited quite a few Chinese cities such as Jiamusi, Qiqiha’er, Daqing, Changchun, Shenyang, Dalian, Jinan, Nanjing and Shanghai. Nanjing and Jinan appeal a great deal to her.
Alyosha
I met Alyosha in March 2010 when I stopped over at Birobidzhan on my way back home. I needed to spend a whole day in the city as the earliest coach for China wouldn’t leave until the day after the next day. Birobidzhan Teachers College had friendly ties with our university, but I did not know anybody personally there. So I called a colleague at the international cultural exchange center at our University back home. He gave me the name of Alyosha and his phone number. I could not get through to the number. So I went to visit a garment market in front of the hotel and found many Chinese businesspeople there. I chatted with them making enquiry about the college. They said the college was about 50 meters away in the east from the hotel.
The gatekeeper of the college refused to let me in. I tried Chinese and English. She was very friendly but adamant. Then I saw a student coming out. I chatted with him in English and asked about Alyosha. Fortunately, he seemed to know Alyosha. Again, he failed to get through to the number. He asked me to wait and rushed upstairs. A moment later, a student and a teacher came downstairs. The student said the teacher was the dean of foreign languages department at the college. The student said her name was Oliya. So Oliya acted as interpreter. I introduced myself and said I was staying in the city for the day and I hoped to know more about the college. The dean took me around and showed me a few classrooms. Then we came to a classroom where a teacher was teaching Chinese. I was surprised to find her speaking Chinese very fluently. I asked where she had studied Chinese. It turned out that she had studied Chinese at the international cultural exchanges center at our university! In her office, she called Alyosha. Alyosha came. He did not look like how his Chinese name高峰 (towering peak) described him. Even in China, he would look like a short man. He took me to visit dorms for overseas students and the student public kitchen. Then he drove me to his office. It was a 3-minute drive. He said the students enjoyed the closeness of classrooms. He wondered why our university sent students to Komsomolsk-on-Amur as it was so far away. I explained that the two universities went back in many years.
We had lunch together at a Chinese restaurant in the city. We invited the ex-vice-president in charge of international programs over. Alyosha and the vice president were witnesses to the exchange programs of my university at different times. Though we met for the first time, we chatted amiably as if we had known each other for a long while. My unscheduled visit to the collage was warmly appreciated and I felt touched by friendship I saw everywhere I went.
My limited exposure to the young people in Russian Far East gives me the impression that they are sincere and honest, that they look cool and handsome, and that they are warm-hearted to their friends and dare to love.
娜斯佳希望能在中国工作
初识娜斯佳是在2010年的3月初，那是我第一次去俄罗斯，在远东共青城阿穆尔国立人文师范大学，她在俄罗斯学生中汉语非常突出，被挑选出来给我做翻译。是她带着我在冰雪覆盖的阿穆尔河畔领略严寒中傲然挺立的白桦；是她在俄罗斯远东的共青团员群雕前给我讲述一个个城市名字的由来；是她在方志博物馆向我讲述人们在这块土地上繁衍生息、与恶劣的自然环境抗争的历史。她告诉我在俄罗斯的语境里，白桦林是理想与爱的天堂，作为一种文化的意象，白桦已经注入了他们的生活，与祖国之爱连在一起。她用比较纯正又好听的中国话朗诵道：“有一株白桦，立在我窗旁，覆盖着积雪，像披着银霜。”她说叶赛宁的成名作就是这首《白桦》，我禁不住地鼓掌。眺望远处莽莽苍苍的远东群山，在这位学汉语的俄罗斯学生面前，我朗诵起了毛泽东的《沁园春·雪》：“北国风光/千里冰封/万里雪飘/望长城内外/惟余莽莽/大河上下/顿失滔滔……”我问娜斯佳是否听过这首词，她说没有，但喜欢。我想当我下次再来的时候，会带几本中国的书送给这个好学的年轻人。
从结识娜斯佳开始到现在已经有两年多的时间了，我们一直保持着通信联系。在2010年12月上旬，我外出开会，特意从大连走，去学校看望了她，这让她非常惊喜。现在她在大连外国语大学读比较文学专业，很快就要进行论文答辩了，论文题目是《鲁迅与契诃夫作品比较研究》，她是在大连外国语大学该专业第一个即将毕业的外国留学生。她在信中向我表露说希望有机会能留在中国工作，她丈夫也很支持她的这种想法。她是在去年暑期结婚的，新婚的丈夫非常支持她在中国的学习。在她写给我的英文信件中，字里行间洋溢着对丈夫的赞美，没有丈夫的理解与支持，她恐怕就不会回中国继续她的学业了。在俄罗斯男人节（The day of the motherland guardian,直译为“祖国守护者日”，俄罗斯把这一天作为男人节，表明在俄罗斯，男人的保家卫国的神圣使命。这一天，男人与男孩都将得到礼物与亲人的祝福）的那一天，她给丈夫的礼物是她亲手编织的袜子与手套。她说，在重要的日子里，将亲手制作的礼物送给我所爱的人，会得到加倍的珍惜与感动。
从娜斯佳身上，我感受到俄罗斯青年那种积极向上与朴素的传统美德，还有她对待婚姻的态度。在共青城读书期间，她与我们的留学生结为好朋友，彼此学习对方的语言并了解不同的民族文化。本文第13页照片中的三个中国留学生已经毕业，其中一个在北京工作，一个在哈尔滨工作，一个转到莫斯科大学读研究生，他们在共青城学习期间，俄语都学得很好，曾几次获邀到娜斯佳家里聚会，在俄罗斯，这是主人最友好的表示。
阿丽娜在黑龙江大学
读汉语言博士
阿丽娜在俄罗斯共青城阿穆尔国立人文师范大学外事处工作，现在就读于黑龙江大学汉语言博士学位。她的博士论文题目是《俄罗斯与中国高等教育改革的比较研究》，以俄罗斯远东地区和中国黑龙江省高等学校为研究对象，她对黑龙江每一所有俄罗斯留学生的院校都进行了调查研究，获得第一手资料，我也帮助她做了一点这方面的工作，包括1998至2010年间不同层次、不同专业的俄罗斯留学生的招生情况，她这种严谨的治学态度给我留下了深刻印象。
在2012年的春天，中国的摄影家蓝沙先生在共青城的工艺美术馆举办主题为“以人性的名义”的个人摄影展，蓝沙和我是朋友，我把这一消息通过Email告诉在俄罗斯共青城的阿丽娜，还有孔子学院的中方老师孙向宇博士。孙博士组织了中国留学生以及孔子学院的俄罗斯汉语学生、老师参观了摄影展。孙博士说在俄罗斯远东看到来自祖国的摄影展是一件很自豪的事，也是一次中华文化走出去的真实感受，对于俄罗斯的汉语学生来说是一次近距离的中国文化的体验。阿丽娜看过展览后很有感慨，她说一般外国人到中国旅游很少去农村，蓝沙先生的作品把她带到遥远的贵州大山里，看到原生态的人物与自然景观，了解了那里的人们简单而幸福的渴望。阿丽娜在2009年5月去过山东孔子故里曲阜，是中国政府给获得政府奖学金的学生安排的文化实习，她去过中国的佳木斯、齐齐哈尔、大庆、长春、沈阳、大连、济南、南京、上海，这些城市中她说特别喜欢南京和济南，登泰山给她留下终身难忘的记忆。
他有个挺拔的中国名字叫高峰
2010年3月初，当我从俄罗斯共青城乘火车返回时途经离中国同江口岸最近的一个城市叫比罗比詹，由于第二天没有回国的班车，要等到第三天才能走。一个人在宾馆里，我盘算着第二天怎么过。我知道比罗比詹师范学院是我们的友好院校，但我不认识他们学校的任何人，他们更不认识我，我就给国内我们大学国际文化交流中心的一位老师打了一个电话，他告诉我可以给这所学校外事处的高峰（也叫阿廖沙）打电话，但电话却一直打不通，于是我就到宾馆前边的服装市场问路，这里的店主都是中国人，多是靠近中俄边界的同江人，他们告诉我比罗比詹师范大学就在宾馆前面这条街向东走50米的位置。到了校门口，我发现这所学校不像国内的大学，有大门或围墙、大楼，这里看不到与周围有什么太大的差别。就是普通的一栋楼，从正门进入后，要在类似国内的收发室登记，我不会俄语，说了半天英语和汉语，收发室的老太太听不懂，虽然也很和善的样子，但我还是不被允许上楼，我就盼着能碰见学生，因为我的印象是俄罗斯的年轻人英语都说得不错，这个时候进来了一个男学生，我和他打招呼，我用英语问了他学什么专业，是否想过有机会去中国，还谈到了阿廖沙。从他的眼神判断，他知道阿廖沙，他还用手机给阿廖沙打了电话，显然他也没有打通。我给了他一张我的名片，我拿出一本通讯录让他在上面留下Email地址。他示意我在下面等一下，就上楼了。约有5分钟的时间，下来两个女生，一个是学生模样，一个是老师。女学生用汉语给我介绍那位老师，说是他们的外语系主任，自己叫澳利娅，“你是佳木斯大学的，你想了解什么？”她用有点生硬的汉语和我对话。“我想了解一下学校的情况，比如教研室、汉语教学情况等。”我们一起上了楼，由系主任介绍，澳利娅做翻译，我参观了几个房间，当我们走进汉语课堂的时候，汉语老师朝我走来：“你是佳木斯大学来的？”我非常惊讶她汉语讲得那么流畅，“你是在哪里学的汉语，说得这么好？”我问道。“佳木斯大学国际文化交流中心”，她抑扬顿挫地回答，让我倍感亲切，原来是在我们大学学习过！在她的办公室，她给高峰打电话，电话通了，她告诉说佳木斯大学来人了，她把电话交给了我，电话的那端高峰让我在这里等他，说他很快就到。 高峰的个头可不像他的名字，不要说在俄罗斯，在中国也算矮个子。他开车带我到留学生宿舍，参观了留学生房间和公共厨房，整个宿舍楼里安静整洁。随后他开车陪我去他办公室，3分钟的路程，他说学生就在这里上课，距离很近很方便，还好像自言自语：“真奇怪，共青城那么远，你们往那儿送学生。”我回应道：可能是历史的原因吧，两所学校有协议。一进他的办公室，他就和我说上你的QQ吧，我就在QQ的“说说”上写下了“人在俄罗斯远东，一切都好！”算是给国内的QQ好友通报一下平安。中午的时候，我们在中国同江人开的中餐馆就餐，他们分管外事的原副校长出席。高峰说吃上几顿俄餐后你有可能就会想念中国的饭菜了，他的汉语说得比较流畅。他们两个人都见证了与我们大学不同时期的友好往来，虽然是第一次见到我，但就像对待老朋友一样，不需要一个预热的过程。在这里，我得到了访问行程计划外的“非常中国”的友好接待，很温暖。
作为友好邻邦，中俄都是疆域辽阔的国家。奔腾不息的黄河、长江，绵延逶迤的伏尔加河像流动的历史书卷，记载了两个民族辉煌的文明与历经苦难而繁荣发展的历程。俄罗斯青年在我眼中，认真、直率，外表冷峻、漂亮，爱恨分明，对待朋友内心温暖、热诚。中国的江西鄱阳湖畔也有一座共青城，那是因为当年上海青年在那里耕耘、奋斗而得名，中俄这两座共青城是友好城市，中俄有许多相同的地方，而中俄青年人之间的友谊也预示着中俄关系美好的未来。
（作者系中国佳木斯大学国际学院副院长）
Russian Youths I Have Met
By Zheng Lixin
As vice president of International College of Jiamusi University in Heilongjiang Province in northeastern China, I have met many young Russians during my trips to Russian Far East when I escorted Chinese students to study there. I am under the impression that young people in Russia are becoming increasingly aware of China and that they are taking a greater interest in learning about Chinese culture, doing a sightseeing tour in China or even working in China. The following accounts are about three young people I have met in Russian Far East.
Nastya
I met her in early March 2010 during my first visit to the Amur State University of Humanities and Pedagogy in Komsomolsk-on-Amur. She was chosen to be my interpreter as she was one of the best Russian students who spoke Chinese fluently. I was deeply impressed by her fluency. In December 2010, I visited her at Dalian International Studies University where she was majoring in comparative studies. She was delighted to see me on the campus. At that time she was about to defend her dissertation on comparison between works of Lu Xun and Chekhov. She was to become the university’s first foreign graduate specialized in that field. She wrote me that she wished to stay in China and find a job and that her husband supported her ambition.
While at Amur State University, she mixed well with Chinese students studying there and enjoyed friendship with them. I appreciated her use of the opportunity to learn Chinese culture from Chinese students. Her Chinese friends at Amur State University benefited a great deal from the friendship with Nastya.
Alina
She is now studying for her PhD degree in Chinese at Heilongjiang University. Before she came to China, she worked for the foreign affairs office at the Amur State University of Humanities and Pedagogy in Komsomolsk-on-Amur. Her PhD dissertation focuses upon a comparative study on higher education reform in Russia and China. She did research on all the higher education institutions in Heilongjiang Province where Russian students take courses. I helped her collect information, including the information on Russian students enrolled in all the majors and at all levels from 1998 to 2010. I was deeply impressed by the way she did her research. In the spring of 2012, Chinese photographer Lan Sha held an exhibition in Komsomolsk. I emailed Alina about this event and I also wrote to Dr. Sun Xiangyu working at Confucius Institute at the Amur State University of Humanities and Pedagogy in Komsomolsk-on-Amur. Sun brought Russian students and teachers at Confucius Institute to visit the exhibition, for he felt that the visit was an opportunity to see China close at hand for these Russian students. Alina visited the exhibition too. She commented that the photos exposed her to the life and natural beauty of the remote areas of China, which foreigners on a package tour usually do not have a chance to see.
In May 2009, Alina visited Qufu, the birthplace of Confucius, in Shandong Province. The trip was organized for foreign students studying in China on government scholarships and the purpose was to enable these students to experience Chinese culture in depth. Alina has visited quite a few Chinese cities such as Jiamusi, Qiqiha’er, Daqing, Changchun, Shenyang, Dalian, Jinan, Nanjing and Shanghai. Nanjing and Jinan appeal a great deal to her.
Alyosha
I met Alyosha in March 2010 when I stopped over at Birobidzhan on my way back home. I needed to spend a whole day in the city as the earliest coach for China wouldn’t leave until the day after the next day. Birobidzhan Teachers College had friendly ties with our university, but I did not know anybody personally there. So I called a colleague at the international cultural exchange center at our University back home. He gave me the name of Alyosha and his phone number. I could not get through to the number. So I went to visit a garment market in front of the hotel and found many Chinese businesspeople there. I chatted with them making enquiry about the college. They said the college was about 50 meters away in the east from the hotel.
The gatekeeper of the college refused to let me in. I tried Chinese and English. She was very friendly but adamant. Then I saw a student coming out. I chatted with him in English and asked about Alyosha. Fortunately, he seemed to know Alyosha. Again, he failed to get through to the number. He asked me to wait and rushed upstairs. A moment later, a student and a teacher came downstairs. The student said the teacher was the dean of foreign languages department at the college. The student said her name was Oliya. So Oliya acted as interpreter. I introduced myself and said I was staying in the city for the day and I hoped to know more about the college. The dean took me around and showed me a few classrooms. Then we came to a classroom where a teacher was teaching Chinese. I was surprised to find her speaking Chinese very fluently. I asked where she had studied Chinese. It turned out that she had studied Chinese at the international cultural exchanges center at our university! In her office, she called Alyosha. Alyosha came. He did not look like how his Chinese name高峰 (towering peak) described him. Even in China, he would look like a short man. He took me to visit dorms for overseas students and the student public kitchen. Then he drove me to his office. It was a 3-minute drive. He said the students enjoyed the closeness of classrooms. He wondered why our university sent students to Komsomolsk-on-Amur as it was so far away. I explained that the two universities went back in many years.
We had lunch together at a Chinese restaurant in the city. We invited the ex-vice-president in charge of international programs over. Alyosha and the vice president were witnesses to the exchange programs of my university at different times. Though we met for the first time, we chatted amiably as if we had known each other for a long while. My unscheduled visit to the collage was warmly appreciated and I felt touched by friendship I saw everywhere I went.
My limited exposure to the young people in Russian Far East gives me the impression that they are sincere and honest, that they look cool and handsome, and that they are warm-hearted to their friends and dare to love.