A female scholar is sharing her love for Russia after becoming the first Vietnamese scientist to be honored with the Medal of Pushkin, an award from the Russian government honoring achievements in the arts and culture, education, humanities, and literature

Nguyen Tuyet Minh, an Associate Professor and Doctor of Science, is proud to share the special memories she created during her time spent in the European country, particularly in the wake of her most recent achievement.

When Tuoi Tre (Youth) reporters showed up at Minh’s home to interview her about the honor, they were awed by the Russia-related memorabilia adorning the walls and shelves.

“I have been given another chance to return to Russia. I consider it my second home,” the academic said.

Minh’s last visit to the European nation took place just a few months ago during a trip with old and friends and teachers.

“At the age of 79, I thought I was bidding a final farewell to Russia when the trip ended,” she added.

The award came as a complete surprise for the scholar.

“Others candidates can boast noticeable achievements and contributions to Russia. However, I believe they picked me because of the diversity of my work,” she continued.

Minh spent 26 years completing the Grand Vietnamese-Russian Dictionary, a joint project between the Soviet Union Science Academy, now called the Russian Science Academy, and the Social Science Committee, commonly known as the Vietnam Social Science Academy.    

The intellectual started learning about Russia and its language when she was 15 years old and completed her doctoral and doctor of science programs in the European country.

Minh also played a crucial role in the development of a Russian language textbook for foreign-language students, taught Russian to generations of students, published research, wrote books about the language, and participated in cultural exchanges between two countries.

“Pretty much all of my work has been related to the Russian language,” she stated.

The first 100 students

Minh first came to Russia in 1954 as a part of 100 member Vietnamese student delegation, the first of its kind, sent to the nation for language acquisition.

“We had one and a half years to study. Because there was no Russian-Vietnamese dictionary back then, the teachers taught us by pointing at objects and teaching us how to say them in Russian,” she elaborated.

Education in Russia focuses on self-study, the scholar continued, adding that the skill plays an important role in her job.

After returning to Vietnam in 1990, she spent 15 years serving as the vice head of the Faculty of Russian language and culture at the University of Languages and International Study in Hanoi.

Her husband and daughter also in Russia related fields.

The academic is set to receive her Medal of Pushkin at the Kremlin Palace in Moscow on January 4, 2018.

Former General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Nong Duc Manh was the first Vietnamese citizen to be honored with the recognition.

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