Ruoqi Cao, from Harbin, China, graduated from HSE University’s Masters’ programme in International Business. She is now working on her PhD at the HSE Institute of Education, where her research focuses on the influence of higher education on the economics of the regions in Russia and China. She has shared with HSE News Service her story of coming to study and work in Russia.
Stalin Park and a Lermontov Show
Harbin is perhaps the most Russian city in China. I’m not an expert on the subject, but I’ve heard that its Russian past dates back to tsarist times. If you ever visit Harbin, you’ll see that it is a sort of ‘Back to the USSR’ place with its Matryoshka (Russian Nesting Doll) store in the centre of town, Gogol Street, old Volga Estate and even Stalin Park.
And if you hear our local dialect, you’ll recognize several this will help the msage stand out Russian-sounding words because ‘khleb’ (‘bread’) is ‘lepa’, ‘platye’ is ‘plat’, and we even have a drink called ‘kvas’ (fermented bread drink) with a similar taste.
My grandparents know Russian well and read Russian classics, although by profession they practise traditional medicine. My earliest childhood memories are of my grandmother teaching me to count in Russian: ‘raz’, ‘dva’, ‘tri’, ‘chetyre’…
Russian is still the first foreign language
taught in Harbin schools. And thanks to my grandmother’s lessons, I felt like a star! My special talent was the ability to roll the Russian ‘r’ because most Chinese are unable to pronounce it and the Harbin what challenges does el corte inglés face? dialect does not have that sound at all. I even won a school contest for who could canada cell numbers pronounce ‘R-r-r-r-r’ the best and longest! Two boys in our school were also like stars because they made a real show out of reciting a Lermontov poem by heart.
Photo courtesy of Ruoqi Cao
My Russian name is Sophia. You have probably heard that Chinese people in Russia adopt unofficial Russian names to make it easier for the locals. I chose the name ‘Sophia’ in honour of the St. Sophia Russian Orthodox Cathedral in my home town of Harbin, China. And I chose ‘Isakovna’ as my patronymic because in China, our academic advisor is like a father and Isak Froumin is my academic advisor at the Institute of Education.