From Lenin to Ho Chi Minh, from Ulyanovsk to Nghe An - The path that weaves great friendships

After the victory of the October Revolution in Russia in December 1917, the Soviet government was established here.

In May 1924, Simbirsk was once again renamed Ulyanovsk to commemorate the achievements of leader VILenin.

In 2015, Ulyanovsk became the first Russian city to be included in the UNESCO Creative Cities Network program in the field of Literature. Ulyanovsk is developing at a “surprising” pace.

Land of outstanding talents

Embraced by the Volga River, Ulyanovsk enjoys a temperate continental climate. A distinctive feature is the constant fresh breezes blowing from the Volga, which keep the air in Ulyanovsk clear, cool, and filled with the scent of the surrounding forests.

Also due to the temperate continental climate, Ulyanovsk has a typical Russian winter and sunny summer. However, during the rainy season in Ulyanovsk there will be heavy rains and strong winds.

The population of Ulyanovsk is about 1,390,000 people, with more than 657,000 people in the city of Ulyanovsk alone. Ulyanovsk is characterized by its multi-ethnic composition, including Russians (72.8%), Tatars (11.4%), Chuvash (8.3%), and Mordovians (4.4%).

A positive demographic factor is the significant annual population growth due to the strong birth rate and the gradual decline in the death rate. The number of pensioners accounts for about 21% of the population, the proportion of workers is 60%, and the population under working age is 19%. The male-female ratio is approximately equal, but there are about 4 more women. The average life expectancy of women here is about 70 years, while that of men is 59 years.

The Volga is known as the river of the Russian soul, and Ulyanovsk is also nourished by that river. The people here are very friendly and kind. Not only is it the cradle of revolutionary tradition, Ulyanovsk is also the homeland of other outstanding figures of the Russian people, including historian Nikolai Karamzin, famous realist writer Ivan Goncharov, poet Nikolai Yazykov and many other outstanding talents.

Home of famous museums

The city of Ulyanovsk is divided into four districts: Leninsky, Zasviyazhsky, Zheleznodorozhny and Zavolzhsky.

Leninsky District is known as the most famous district of all time. Even in the Tsarist period, it was home to wealthy aristocrats and merchants. Many of the houses of these aristocrats have survived the test of time. Many of them are still standing and are still in use. The ancient buildings give the city center a special, unique look, exuding a sense of solemnity.

One of the most important landmarks in Ulyanovsk, located in the Leninsky district, is the two-story house No. 68, where Lenin lived. His father bought the house in 1878 on Moskovskaya Street (now Lenin Street). Today, the house has become a historical museum, where visitors can visit and learn about Lenin's life, childhood and career.

Lenin Street is often called the Street of Museums. Because this street has existed since the founding of Simbirsk. The street is like a living exhibition of history. The pre-revolutionary houses have been restored, and the appearance of the street in those years has been preserved as much as possible. Walking along this street, many visitors feel nostalgic, as if time has gone back hundreds of years.

In addition to the Lenin Museum, on this Lenin Street there are a number of famous museums in Russia such as: Museum of Urban Life "Simbirsk in the late 19th - early 20th century" (number 90); Balalaika Museum (number 78); Museum of Small Shops (number 76); Museum of "Carpenter's Workshop" (number 76a); Museum of "Simbirsk - Ulyanovsk Post Office" (number 50a); Museum of "Simbirsk Printing House" (number 73); Roerich Spiritual Cultural Center (number 71)...

Not only Lenin Street, but Ulyanovsk in general is considered the homeland of Russian museums, and has "unique" museums.

One of them is the Simbirtsit Stone Museum. Ulyanovsk is not only rich in cultural and architectural heritage. Nature has generously endowed the land not only with quiet landscapes along the Volga River, but also other treasures.

Several centuries ago, a unique decorative stone - simbircite was discovered. The unique texture of this mineral is explained by the peculiarities of its origin and formation. Calcium, which is derived from agate, is formed inside the shells of ammonite mollusks. Due to this complex process, which lasted 60 - 80 million years, the original structure of the stone was transformed beyond recognition. Veins, color shades and strange watercolor bands of various shades were formed inside it.

Developed industry

If Leninsky district has an ancient appearance, then Zavolzhsky district is a symbol of the times, it is also called the New Town.

It concentrates on the construction of large industrial complexes, including the country's largest production sectors such as aircraft manufacturing. Located on the right bank of the Volga River, Zavolzhsky has created a miniature "Ulyanovsk" with wide avenues and high-rise buildings.

Ulyanovsk is a city with a developed industry. The most famous is the Ulyanovsk Automobile Plant, which produces the famous UAZ cars. These SUVs are always in high demand. They are used by the military, medical services, agricultural enterprises, and private individuals. Therefore, the factory's productivity is always at maximum. UAZ is one of the most iconic and respected car brands in Russia.

The aircraft manufacturing complex is located in the Zavolzhsky district. The world's largest aircraft - Ruslan with record carrying capacity, was created and manufactured here.

Aircraft manufacturing is a strong industry in Ulyanovsk, as the government is increasingly paying attention to and focusing on the sector. For example, Russian officials are proposing to open a hub in Ulyanovsk for aircraft manufacturers, as only Ulyanovsk's Vostochny airport has a 5 km runway and is capable of handling heavy aircraft.

The beauty of the wind farm in Ulyanovsk is compared to the famous windmills in Amsterdam (Netherlands). This place not only provides green energy for Ulyanovsk but also is a favorite "check-in" spot for "travel enthusiasts" with spectacular photos among dozens of large windmills. The best time to visit this wind farm is in late summer or early autumn.

In 1282, the Yuan-Mongol invaders used the excuse of using the road to attack Champa to invade our country. The enemy's situation was like split bamboo, the army was in panic. Faced with that situation, King Tran Nhan Tong declared: "Coi Ke(*) cuu su quan tu ky/Hoan Dien do ton thap van binh" (You need to remember the old story of Coi Ke/Hoan Dien still has 100,000 soldiers).

During the reign of King Le Thai To, the Lam Son uprising against the Ming invaders (China) lasted more than 10 years, and the uprising only achieved complete victory after Le Loi moved all of his resistance forces to Hoan Chau land.

Also in this land, when leading a large army to the North to fight 290,000 Manchu troops, King Quang Trung - Nguyen Hue stopped to recruit tens of thousands of soldiers. Thanks to that, he contributed to the great victory in the Spring of the year Ky Dau 1789.

In the resistance wars against foreign invaders, Nghe An land has always been considered a special strategic position. Summarizing the 9 years of resistance war against French colonialism, General Secretary Le Duan once said: "Without Thanh - Nghe - Tinh, there would be no Dien Bien Phu campaign, no victory in the resistance war against France".

Nghe An - a land of outstanding people has given birth to many heroes, making worthy contributions to the cause of building and defending the Fatherland throughout history. These are historical figures such as: Emperor Mai Thuc Loan, Grand Tutor Cuong Quoc Cong Nguyen Xi, Grand Tutor Tan Quoc Cong Nguyen Canh Hoan; patriots: Phan Boi Chau, Vuong Thuc Quy; staunch revolutionaries: Pham Hong Thai, Le Hong Phong, Nguyen Thi Minh Khai; culturalists, national reformers such as: Dang Thai Mai, Nguyen Truong To... In particular, the land of Nghe An gave birth to the national liberation hero, great culturalist, outstanding celebrity of Vietnam and the world: Ho Chi Minh. It was President Ho Chi Minh who opened the path to national liberation, bringing independence, freedom and happiness to the Vietnamese people.

Light of the October Revolution

During more than 30 years of wandering in search of a way to save the country, when discovering the truth of the times that “The October Revolution opened the way to liberation for nations and all mankind”, in June 1923, leader Nguyen Ai Quoc traveled a long distance, trying to set foot in the country of V. Lenin. Under the light of “Lenin’s Theses on the National and Colonial Questions”, Nguyen Ai Quoc led the Vietnamese revolution to follow the path of the Russian October Revolution. The embodiment of the “sweet fruit” of the thesis was the birth of the Communist Party of Vietnam - the result of the creative application of Leninism and Ho Chi Minh’s thought.

Having access to the light from Lenin's Theses, and never having met V.I. Lenin, leader Nguyen Ai Quoc always considered Lenin a great teacher. It was the two great ideas of the 20th century that illuminated Vietnam's revolutionary path, leading the Vietnamese people to escape from feudalism, build a socialist foundation, and increasingly assert themselves in the international arena.

Since the early days of the country's founding, President Ho Chi Minh had attached great importance to developing relations with the Soviet Union, which became a top priority in Vietnam's foreign policy. However, the friendship of the young Vietnamese state at that time was not easy. There were many internal and external reasons that influenced the Soviet Union not to establish diplomatic relations with Vietnam in the 1940s of the 20th century. However, the turning point occurred in the first year of the 1950s of the 20th century. On January 14, 1950, when the Vietnamese people were fighting fiercely to expel the French colonialists, the Vietnamese Government issued a statement about its readiness to establish diplomatic relations with countries around the world. At this time, the Soviet Union as well as other socialist countries publicly established official diplomatic relations with Vietnam. This was a great political victory, of extremely important significance for Vietnam at that time, and even later.

Throughout the years of resistance war for national independence and national construction, the Party, State and people of Vietnam have always received the wholehearted support and assistance of the Party, State and people of the Soviet Union. Even in the most difficult times, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia still completely canceled Vietnam's debt. Construction experts, engineers, doctors, teachers and scientists from the Soviet Union and Russia have helped Vietnam rebuild the country, build economic and defense potential.

Moreover, in the context of Russia falling into a situation of near isolation in the international arena, Vietnam remains a loyal partner of Russia. Regardless of the changes in the “post-Soviet” space, for Vietnam, Russia has always been a great friend, still faithful to the friendship established by President Ho Chi Minh and V. Lenin.

Having gone through many wars, thanks to peace, Vietnam has risen from a poor country to a middle-income country, aiming to become a high-income developed country by 2045. Over the years, Vietnam's position and prestige in the region and in the international arena have been increasingly enhanced, contributing positively and responsibly to the maintenance of peace, cooperation, development and progress in the world.

Such results cannot be achieved without the enthusiastic support of the “great friend” - Russia. Not only sharing knowledge and building the country with Vietnam, but also helping to train high-quality human resources. Many alumni after graduating from universities in the Soviet Union and Russia have become leaders of the Party, State, ministries, departments and branches of Vietnam in general, and in Nghe An province in particular.

Such time-tested traditions of comradeship and mutual assistance serve as a solid foundation for Vietnam and Russia to continue to strengthen their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.