Red Village, Red Nghe-Tinh, Red City

For a long time, the phrases "Red Village", "Red Nghe - Tinh", especially "Vinh - Red City" have been used a lot in rally speeches, book titles, and song titles. Occasionally, on Vinh City TV, we also hear the announcer say: Vinh - Heroic Red City...

Many people, especially young people, are interested in understanding the origin of the place names that are added with the word "Red". I came up with the idea to find out.

The word "Red" was born in the Russian October Revolution in 1917, such as "Red Square", "Red Army", "Red Guard"... In Vietnam, the word "Red" appeared in the Nghe-Tinh Soviet movement in the years 1930-1931, such as "Red Peasant Association", "Red Red Guard" (in the countryside), "Red Trade Union", "Red Society", "Red Relief" (in the city). The enemy of the revolution is called "Red Wave". Macsty, Director of the Political Department of the French Indochina Governor-General's Office, wrote: "The Red Wave was caused by communist propaganda in the years 1930-1931 in some regions of Central Vietnam..." (History of Nghe-Tinh, Vol. 1, Nghe-Tinh Publishing House, 1984).

When the movement grew strongly, a new form of government consisting of workers, peasants, soldiers and poor people was born in many villages and communes in the rural areas of Nghe - Tinh, called the Soviet Government (Quoted from Giac Ngo Newspaper, issue dated September 21, 1930, according to the book History of Nghe - Tinh, mentioned above).

In a letter to the International Peasants on November 5, 1930, talking about the Nghe - Tinh Soviet movement, leader Nguyen Ai Quoc affirmed: "Currently, in some Red villages, the Peasant Soviet has been established. One of those localities is Yen Dung Thuong village". (ie Hung Dung ward, Vinh city today). So, calling the Red Hung Dung village now is the successor of the Red Yen Dung Thuong village in the Nghe - Tinh Soviet movement from 1930-1931.

When the struggle reached its peak, the two provinces of Nghe An and Ha Tinh had 33 districts, 111 cantons, and 1,234 communes rising up against feudal imperialism; that is, the revolutionary Red color had surged and spread throughout the homeland of Nghe - Tinh. In a report titled "Red Nghe - Tinh", sent to the Executive Committee of the Communist International on February 19, 1931, Nguyen Ai Quoc assessed: "During the period of French conquest and in the national revolutionary movement of 1905-1925, Nghe - Tinh was famous. In the current struggle, workers and farmers of Nghe - Tinh still maintain their revolutionary tradition, Nghe - Tinh truly deserves the title of Red!".

So, the phrase "Red Nghe - Tinh" was used by leader Nguyen Ai Quoc to call the Nghe - Tinh Soviet movement (1930-1931). As for the phrase "Vinh - Red City", the city's history book only recorded: "Vinh - Ben Thuy had the Red Farmers' Association, Red Students' Association, Red Relief Association, Communist Youth Union, and Women's Liberation Association, which were also organizations with Red qualities, so later Vinh was also called the Red City" (History of Vinh City, volume 1, 1998). Thus, the title "Vinh - Red City" was later (ie after 1930-1931), but by whom was it called, was it in writing or orally, and when exactly, the book History of Vinh City has not mentioned?

According to the explanation of some revolutionary veterans and conservationists and museum workers of Nghe An province, the appearance of the title "Vinh - Red City" did not have all the conditions as for "Red Village" or "Red Nghe - Tinh". But in the Nghe - Tinh Soviet movement (1930-1931), Vinh - Ben Thuy was an urban area with a strong movement among workers and the poor. "Kia Ben Thuy stood at the forefront", the lyric in the revolutionary propaganda song at that time said that.

On the other hand, Yen Dung Thuong village of Vinh - Ben Thuy was called "Red Village" at that time, and is still called Red Village - Hung Dung, belonging to Vinh City. The honor of Hung Dung is also the honor of the city. So later, there was a story of attaching the title "Red Village" and "Red City" every time a production and fighting movement was launched to encourage and call on the people...

Studying some documents about the phrases "Red Village", "Nghe - Tinh Do" and "Vinh - Red City" may not be complete, however I would like to boldly introduce them to readers, hoping that everyone, especially provincial and city leaders through the periods, will discover, adjust and supplement them so that today's youth can better understand their homeland!

Vu An