At present 559 families with a total number of 1,250 Russians are living and working in the “Russian Village” - the common name for the five-storey buildings in precinct 7, Vung Tau city. They are all working as engineers or experts at the Vietsovpetro Oil and Gas Joint Venture Enterprise (VSP).

Some of them have lived there since the inception of VSP, about 30 years ago while some of the new comers have lived there for only a year.

Our new home

“I enjoy the Tet atmosphere in Vietnam and I am very happy to have two New Year celebrations in a year,” said Ludmila while arranging a colorful fruit plate.

Her husband Lomakin Leonid told her “You have to go to the market to buy food for Tet as the Vietnamese people do”.

Preparing for the Tet party

Antoshchenko, a young assistant to the first deputy director of the VSP who can speak fluent Vietnamese said, “I have to find excuses to avoid parties during the three days of Tet as my Vietnamese friends all want me to come to their home and have meals with their families. Of course, they will make many toasts, and…I’ll get drunk!”

Though Tet is several days away, the warm chat with the Russian experts has made us all feel the merry festival atmosphere.

The Leonid has lived in the Vung Tau for 11 years. Ludmila recalled, “I still remember the first Tet that I and my son celebrated when my husband was on the oil rig. A group of people, dressed as dancers in a lion dance, came to my apartment to wish us the best for the New Year. My son was overjoyed and took out a camera and took many pictures. Even now, we sometimes look at them again and have a good laugh.”

She said “That Tet taught me a good lesson – I have to buy food in advance for the festival!” I asked why? “My Vietnamese friends told me that the abundant food during the festival is an indication of the prosperity in the New Year. Further more during the three-day festival all the shops are closed”, Ludmila said.

She added “this year she has guests coming from Russia- she will take them to the night flower market. Vietnamese markets before Tet are very interesting as every thing needed for the celebration is on sale”.

Vietnam is closer

We visited another apartment right in the basement. The owner was a young and beautiful Russian lady, Tachiana. She greeted us in very good Vietnamese “come in please!”.

Her husband, Vietnamese engineer Pham Van Hoi, works at the National Institute for Petroleum Research and Design.

Hoi said “ My wife’s Vietnamese is not very good, but she understand what other people say. My nine-year old daughter, Lisa can speak fluent Vietnamese. She is looking forward to Tet to pay a visit to her grandparents in Thai Binh province”.

Tachiana has just finished a two-month course on cooking Vietnamese food at the women’s club of the VSP. She enjoys living in Vietnam, particularly in the winter season as she comes from the Ukraine.

Tachian said “During my first visit to my husband’s native village during Tet, I felt a little uneasy. People in the village came to my parents-in-law’s house to have some tea. They asked me so many questions. On that day my husband became my interpreter.

But Hoi consoled me “They love you, so they ask you questions. That’s one of the habits of the Vietnamese.”  After a few days staying with Hoi’s family I realized the true love and hospitability the people there had for me.”

Then we were taken on a tour of the Shopping Centre in the “Russian Village” by its director Anna Docuchaieva Vasillievna.

“Most Russian and European food is available in the centre. But during the weekend, people still want to do some shopping in the streets”, said Vasillievna. “We, the Russian living in Vietnam, eat both Russian and Vietnamese food. We celebrate the calendar new year and the lunar new year”

“Though living here with plenty of sunshine, we still remember the snow. The geographical distance does mean any thing when the friendship between us, Vietnamese and Russian, has grown deep roots. We have shared together the fortunes and misfortunes in our lives” said Vaillievna.