On the occasion of the 110th anniversary of the birth of Prime Minister Pham Van Dong (March 1, 1906 - March 1, 2016) - an outstanding and close disciple of President Ho Chi Minh; a staunch and exemplary communist; a highly respected leader of the Party, State, and people of Vietnam, we respectfully present the article "Pham Van Dong - a great politician and cultural figure of the Party and the nation" by Professor Dr. Le Huu Nghia, Vice Chairman of the Central Theoretical Council.

President Ho Chi Minh and Prime Minister Pham Van Dong. Archival photo.

A prominent feature in the personality and activities of many leaders of our Party and State, from President Ho Chi Minh to comrades Le Duan, Truong Chinh, Pham Van Dong, etc., is the close connection between politics and culture, between politicians and cultural figures. These comrades were all leaders with a high level of cultural education. Deeply imbued with the true, good, and beautiful values ​​of national culture, with typical characteristics such as patriotism, love of labor, compassion, humanism, and humanitarianism, they became outstanding leaders and talented managers who made immense contributions to the revolution, the Fatherland, and the people.

Comrade Pham Van Dong, as stated in the eulogy of the Central Committee of the Party, was "an outstanding and close disciple of the great President Ho Chi Minh; a staunch and exemplary communist; a highly respected leader of our Party, State, and people; a deeply loyal son who dedicated his life to fighting for national independence, for socialism, and for the happiness of the people; a trusted friend of international friends; and a great cultural figure of the nation."

Comrade Pham Van Dong lived and worked alongside President Ho Chi Minh for many years (during the resistance war against French colonialism in the Viet Bac War Zone and later in Hanoi). Therefore, Pham Van Dong was deeply influenced by President Ho Chi Minh in terms of ideology, ethics, style, political thinking, and culture. He served as a member of the Politburo for 35 consecutive years (1951-1986), Prime Minister for 32 years (1955-1987), and Advisor to the Central Committee of the Party for 10 years (1986-1997).

That extensive background shows that he was a talented politician, a highly experienced and respected state activist, and a great cultural figure of the nation, as assessed by our Party. He had many creative ideas about culture, and his life and career itself exuded a cultural character, a cultural personality.

Pham Van Dong was a shining example of revolutionary morality, a model of learning and following Ho Chi Minh's ethics: diligence, frugality, integrity, righteousness, and selfless dedication. As an outstanding student and having worked alongside President Ho Chi Minh for many years, Pham Van Dong deeply appreciated his teachings: "Contributing to the Party and the people is a source of happiness." He was a model of moral cultivation and practice, dedicating his entire life to the revolution, remaining loyal to the Party and the country, devoted to the people, and exceptionally honest, simple, and humble.

These are the outstanding features of Pham Van Dong's cultural personality in any period and in any position – in imperialist prisons on Con Dao Island, in building the Viet Bac base area, as a special envoy of the Central Party and Government to build and consolidate the base area and the free zone of Inter-region V, or with the important responsibilities of Deputy Prime Minister, then Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Head of the Central Committee's Foreign Affairs Department, and then Chairman of the Council for Supporting the Battlefield during the resistance war against the US, saving the nation.

In every position he held, he devoted himself wholeheartedly to his work, knowing how to organize and mobilize the masses to achieve both victory in the resistance war and success in nation-building. Pham Van Dong's talent and virtue created the greatest effectiveness of a great politician and cultural figure.

Pham Van Dong was deeply interested in the fields of culture, education, science, literature, and art. He wrote many important and insightful articles and works on culture.

As the head of the government, despite his countless responsibilities, he showed genuine concern for intellectuals and artists, treating them with the sincerity of a friend. He always nurtured and cultivated scientific talents for the country, readily engaging in open and frank dialogue, listening attentively to everyone's opinions. He demanded that intellectuals and artists "live with the struggle, live with the revolutionary cause of the nation, meaning they must live the greatest reality of our people, which is also the great reality of the people of the world." He believed they must immerse themselves in the great reality of the people to be creative and produce excellent works. Artists must have life experience, they must "immerse themselves in life, understand life." This great reality demands that artists elevate themselves to the same level as that reality.

He argued that, "Among the methods of conducting ideological education, culture and arts have the most profound, lasting, and impactful effect." This is because culture and art closely link ideological content with emotional content. According to him, emotions create a deeper, more enduring, and unforgettable impression on people's hearts compared to other cognitive activities. However, one should not fall into sentimentality, which can easily lead to a loss of clear-sightedness and clarity, creating a state of being "moved to tears" by all phenomena but then failing to act or making decisive decisions. He emphasized that artists and writers must be "clear-sighted and clear-minded," possessing both clear reasoning and a humane heart, while also having unwavering fortitude.

The comrade emphasized that works of art must possess "full ideological value and full artistic value," with content and artistic form being unified, neither prioritizing the other while neglecting the other, and vice versa. Because the purpose of literature and art is to serve the people, "literary and artistic creation is to provide spiritual nourishment for our people," and the people demand that works of literature and art have good content and attractive, engaging, and captivating forms. Only then can culture contribute to building a new kind of person.

As a leader and a great cultural figure of the nation, Pham Van Dong always showed deep and sincere concern for artists and writers. From their work and lives to their training and development, and even their creative and performance guidelines, he meticulously researched and provided profound and heartfelt guidance. Many renowned scientists, artists, and intellectuals in our country regarded Comrade Pham Van Dong as their elder brother because of his talent, intellect, character, and his kind and tolerant heart.

Pham Van Dong not only possessed profound and creative ideas about culture and art, but also had deep and passionate thoughts about education, demonstrating his greatness as an educator. As Chairman of the Central Committee for Educational Reform for many years, he demanded that every teacher answer the question: What should we teach? Why should we teach? Schools must prioritize comprehensive education for students, encompassing moral, intellectual, physical, and aesthetic development. They must focus on and excel in revolutionary moral education. Schools must be structured as proper schools, classes as proper classes, teachers as proper teachers, students as proper students, teaching as proper teaching, and learning as proper learning; education must be clearly defined as a top national priority and the future of the nation.

From there, he concluded that "true innovation is culture, and new culture integrates as one with innovation," "innovation is the undertaking of culture and intellect," and that "the light of culture must be brought into economic activity." Innovation is not about erasing the past, but about reviving the past that needs to be restored, preserved, and protected, and of course, it must be combined appropriately with modernity.

Thus, with a profound and comprehensive understanding of the nation's culture and historical practices, coupled with the high cultural and revolutionary worldview of a communist, Pham Van Dong elevated cultural thinking to a theoretical level of philosophical and highly generalized significance. He made immense contributions not only to the revolution in general but also to the building and development of the nation's culture. It is believed that Pham Van Dong's ideas and guidance on culture will continue to have theoretical and practical significance for our country in building and developing an advanced Vietnamese culture, rich in national identity, and fostering the comprehensive development of Vietnamese people, meeting the requirements of sustainable national development and firmly defending the socialist Fatherland, as affirmed in the Resolution of the 12th National Congress of the Party.

According to Chinhphu.vn