HCM CITY — More than 200 titles of books featuring Russia and its people are on display at the HCM City Book Street on Nguyễn Văn Bình Street in District 1 as  part of the Russian Culture Week launched by the city government on Monday.

The event, Ký Ức Nước Nga (Memory of Russia), celebrates the 100th anniversary of the Great Russian Revolution of October. It displays books on history, literature, arts, science and technology.

Books for children are also included. Many works, published in the 1970s and 80s, include reports on Russia’s culture and lifestyle.   

“Some books by famous writers, such as Korney Chukovsky and L.A. Bunhin, and translated by Vietnamese authors, have left a strong impression on readers for two decades,” said Trần Hoàng Nhan, who visited the showcase’s opening ceremony on Wednesday. 

Nhan, a native of Hà Nội, was sent to study in Moscow in 1965. “For Vietnamese who studied in Russia in the 1950s and 1960s, Russia and its people have been part of our lives. My friends and I visited the exhibition because it helps us remember Russia, our second homeland,” he said.

Nhan also participated in a book reading by primary school students from District 1’s Cultural House for Children. The event featured Doctor Aybolit, one of Chukovsky’s most famous books, which was popular among Vietnamese readers of different generations.

Three Vietnamese books about the Russian Revolution of October were also introduced.  

A photo exhibition on Nguyễn Huệ Pedestrian Street in District 1 is also being held.

The exhibition displays more than 100 black-and-white and colour works related to the theme Tinh Thần Cách Mạng Tháng 10 Nga Mãi Mãi Sáng Ngời (The Spirit of the Great Russian Revolution of October Is Still Alive).

Many photos capture Russian landscapes, architecture and people in cultural activities and daily life.

Organised by the city’s People’s Committee, in co-operation with its partners, the book exhibition will close on November 8, while the photo event runs through November 11. — VNS