The success of the Russian October Revolution had a profound impact on revolutionary movements around the world, including in Việt Nam. Under the light of Marxism–Leninism and the October Revolution, Nguyễn Ái Quốc found in it a “miraculous handbook,” the path to national salvation for the Vietnamese people. In the photo: The people of Hà Nội seized the Residential Palace of the Tonkin Governor – the headquarters of the French-backed administration in northern Việt Nam, marking the success of the August Revolution in Việt Nam on August 19, 1945. VNA/VNS File Photo

MOSCOW - Teachers and students of the department of Vietnamese language at Moscow State Linguistic University (MGLU), together with many Vietnamese-language students from other prestigious universities in Moscow, recently held a “special class” aimed at improving their Vietnamese through revisiting lessons from the proletarian revolution, while also exploring interesting aspects of Việt Nam.

On the eve of the 108th anniversary of the October Revolution, through a bilingual presentation by lecturer Hồng Hoa and documentary footage, the question of how a revolution that took place in faraway Russia in 1917 could help an Asian nation like Việt Nam achieve independence and freedom in 1945 was vividly explained to students born a century after the event.

The October Revolution of 1917 not only liberated the Russian people but also became a source of inspiration for colonial nations striving for self-determination. Through the vision of the great revolutionary Nguyễn Ái Quồc, the path of national liberation associated with socialism reached Việt Nam, leading the working-class movement and culminating in the founding of the Communist Party of Việt Nam, a decisive factor behind the nation’s later victories.

The proletarian revolution in Russia also had a fervent supporter from Việt Nam, Tôn Đức Thắng, who later became the first President of the Socialist Republic of Việt Nam and the first Chairman of the Việt Nam–Soviet Friendship Association, affectionately known by the Vietnamese people as “Uncle Tôn.”

Mikhail, a third-year student at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO), said the “special class” provided him with valuable insights into the golden pages of Việt Nam–Soviet relations even before they were officially established. He found the lesson highly engaging, saying it helped him feel the living historical connection between the two countries and made Vietnam feel much closer.

The 108th anniversary of the Russian October Revolution was commemorated on November 7, a proletarian uprising that, in just ten days, “shook the world”. VNA/VNS