Nguyen Thi Hong Van’s Russian souvenir shop may be a bit of an oddity in the Vietnamese capital, but her gifts sell very well, she says, reflecting the enthusiasm Hanoians of all ages have for President Vladimir Putin, who will visit the city this week.
“Vietnamese people love Russian products very much,” she said, surrounded by Matryoshka dolls and caps featuring embroidered CCCP, the Cyrillic abbreviation for the Soviet Union (USSR).
Putin will visit Communist-ruled Vietnam, just over a month after he was sworn in for his fifth presidential term.
“I was very happy when I learned that Mr. Putin is coming to Vietnam because he is very talented, truly a world leader,” said Tran Xuan Cuong, a 57-year-old Hanoi resident, speaking in front of a statue of Lenin in the centre of the Vietnamese capital.
Nguyen Duy Khanh, a 34-year-old photographer, said: “Mr. Putin is a very talented and powerful president, and he is truly my idol. I really admire Mr. Putin”.
Russia and Vietnam have shared for decades the same Communist ideology and maintain very close relations, with Moscow being the top supplier of weapons to Hanoi. Russian firms also extract oil and gas in Vietnamese fields in the South China Sea that are claimed by China.
Tens of thousands of Vietnamese cadres went to study in the former Soviet Union during the Cold War, including top business leaders and the current head of the Communist Party Nguyen Phu Trong, a Marxist-Leninist ideologist.
The Vietnamese capital is dotted with Soviet-style buildings, including the museum of modern Vietnam’s founding father Ho Chi Minh, and an imposing Vietnam-Soviet friendship palace, built in the late 70s on the site where a bombed French exposition hall stood.
“The Russian spirit is a wonderful thing. It can be gentle and has a lot of affection and love for peace,” said Tran Xuan Viet, 83.
“I will always have respect and compassion for Putin. In fact, there are many things about him that I often … apply in my daily life,” he added.
Those feelings were shared by the youth as well.
“I quite like Russian President Putin. I hope this visit will increase solidarity, cooperation and friendship between Russia and Vietnam,” said Pham Hoang Hai Dang, a 20-year-old student.
Nguyen Huu Huy Khoi, 22, another student, 22, noted that Putin was “very tough”, but also “very friendly to everyone”.
“I like Mr. Putin very much,” he added.