Translation. Region: Russian Federal
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
At the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping will pay a state visit to Russia from May 7 to 10 and take part in the celebrations in Moscow dedicated to the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War. Russian sinologist, director of the Confucius Institute at the Russian State University for the Humanities (RSUH) Taras Ivchenko (Chinese name – Yi Fucheng) is looking forward to this event with great interest.
“To deepen cooperation between countries, we must first build a bridge of communication, and language is such a bridge,” Yi Fucheng said figuratively in an exclusive interview with Zhongxin News Agency, speaking about the importance of teaching Chinese for humanitarian exchanges between the two countries. “Our task is to make this bridge even stronger and more reliable.”
As the director of the first Confucius Institute in Moscow, Yi Fucheng has witnessed the entire process of its development since its founding in 2007. He said that at RSUH, about 400 students study Chinese in various departments, including such specialties as philosophy, linguistics, international relations, political science, cultural studies, and others. In his teaching practice, Yi Fucheng always pays attention to how to help students truly understand the culture behind the Chinese language.
“It is not enough for cultural promoters to simply talk about China. They cannot limit themselves to talking about dumplings, calligraphy, or poetry from the Tang (618-907) and Song (960-1279) dynasties. They must explain the culinary traditions, aesthetic tastes, and deep meanings of poetry behind them. Only in this way can the charm of culture be truly revealed,” Yi Fucheng emphasized.
In September 2023, the first Orchid Award ceremony was held in Beijing, where Yi Fucheng was awarded the Friendship Ambassador Award. The award is a recognition of his long-standing efforts to promote cultural exchanges between China and Russia, as well as a reflection of his love for the Chinese language.
Today, more and more young Russians are “discovering” the world of Chinese through social media. Short videos and real-time comments make communication between the youth of the two countries more intense. And Fucheng is happy about this: “Expanding exchange is good.” However, he also reminds that language learning should delve into the culture itself.
In his classes, he tries to instill this in-depth approach in his students. Not only does he encourage them to participate in cultural activities, but he also recommends books with philosophical depth. “For example, Qian Mu’s Public Lectures on Chinese Thought or Feng Youlan’s A Brief History of Chinese Philosophy. I often suggest that students try reading them, although they say it’s difficult,” he smiles. “But I always tell them, ‘If you get down to it, difficult things will become easy.’ The more difficult it is, the more interesting and valuable it is to learn.” In his opinion, interest is the starting point in learning a language, but only a constant desire for knowledge allows a person to move forward.
In addition to traditional culture, Yi Fucheng emphasizes the importance of understanding modern China. Speeches by Chinese leaders and government reports are required reading in his classes. “You need to learn to feel the precision of expression and the way of thinking of the country’s political language hidden behind the words.”
In March 2013, during President Xi Jinping’s visit to Russia, a meeting was held with Russian sinologists, students studying Chinese, and media representatives. Yi Fucheng was invited to the meeting and acted as one of the representatives. He still remembers the event well.
As a Sinologist, Yi Fucheng hopes that in the future the two countries can deepen cooperation in education and people-to-people exchanges by implementing more educational projects.