Despite the economic difficulties that have hit the Vietnamese community as well as other foreigners working in the city, Volga-Viet, with a staff of more than 700 Vietnamese workers, still ensures a stable life with steady jobs for them.

Sen and his family have been working here for more than five years and then rent a room in the company’s dormitory. They are quite satisfied with their living conditions as their neighbourhood is safe and they feel close to the rest of the Vietnamese community.

Life in many of the company’s dormitories looks like a dream that has come true for many Vietnamese in Russia.

Tractor is the only commercial area to serve as a large market for Volgagrad. Nearly one third of the stalls here belong to Vietnamese, all of them under the control of Volga-Viet. The company strictly adheres to market regulations. As a result, there is almost no illegal business in the Vietnamese community here. They not only follow federal and municipal laws. They work only as managers and hire locals as shop assistants.

According to An, the people working here have a stable income. More than 30 percent has a high income of about US$15,000 per month, 40 percent are middle- income and only 20 percent are in the low income bracket.

The administration here also likes the community. They find that the goods in the market are cheap but good in quality and suitable for the workers here.

Vietnamese booth in T'ractor market

Like many regions in Russia affected by the global economic downturn, businesses in Tractor have faced difficult times. The community’s efforts and the company’s policies such as freezing rental prices and providing the entrepreneurs with necessary business capital have helped them weather the storm.

Another branch of the company’s activities is agricultural production. No other Vietnamese enterprise in the city has a larger growing area for vegetables than Volga-Viet. The company has owned more than 200 ha of land for 49 years, providing agricultural products for Volgagrad in particular and the rest of Russia. After a 6 year efficiency analysis of the watering system for its large fields, the company has cooperated with Vietnamese experts and hired SNG countries to increase the length of the growing season and boost productivity.

We have visited the company’s fields and were impressed by the numerous thriving vegetables, tomatoes, potatoes, and pumpkins. All promise a successful harvest. The company has begun signing contracts for the delivery of fruits and vegetables to the supermarket system in the city and across the country. Volga- Viet is planning to invest in processing and preserving agricultural products after the crops are harvested and are finding partners in the region, serving as a model for many companies in Russia.

Constantin Aldreev, Honourable President of the Russia-Vietnam Friendship Association, expressed his respect to the staff of Volga-Viet in particular and the Vietnamese community in general, saying that the company has greatly contributed to the continuing prosperity of the community and the Ural region as well.