Remembering the Russian scientist who devoted his life to Vietnam

On June 16, leading Vietnam scholars, colleagues and relatives paid tribute to journalist, Vietnam scholar, Doctor of History, and leading researcher of the Center for Vietnam and ASEAN Studies at the Institute of Contemporary China and Asia, Russian Academy of Social Sciences Evgeny Kobelev at a memorial service on the day of his death.

Counselor, Head of Political Department of the Embassy of Vietnam in the Russian Federation Nguyen Thi Thanh Thuy and the Embassy delegation attended.

According to the VNA correspondent in Russia, at the ceremony, Counselor Nguyen Thi Thanh Thuy emphasized that Vietnam will always remember Mr. Kobelev as a close and loyal friend of Vietnam, one of the first Vietnam scholars in the Soviet Union, who devoted his whole life to Vietnam and made worthy contributions to the common cause of the two countries.

Dr. Vladimir Mazyrin - Director of the Center for Vietnam and ASEAN Studies at the Institute of Contemporary China and Asia - said that Mr. Kobelev's professionalism, simplicity and honesty, along with his talent and dedication to work, have made him respected by everyone.

He will always be a beloved teacher and colleague to all staff of the Center as well as the entire research community on Vietnam in Russia.

Sharing with VNA reporters, Ms. Tatyana Gorchakova - Mr. Kobelev's daughter - said that her father chose Vietnam as his field of study and devoted his whole life to the country he sincerely loved. He left behind many works for posterity, most notably books about President Ho Chi Minh such as "Comrade Ho Chi Minh ," "Russians talk about Ho Chi Minh," "President Ho Chi Minh with Russia"...

These works are highly appreciated by researchers for their documentary information and especially for their precise and extremely attractive language. For Tatyana, the greatest legacy from her father is the spirit of dedication to work, or as he often said: Either do not do it, or if you do it, do it with 100% effort.

A long-time close friend of Mr. Kobelev is Mr. Nguyen Quoc Hung, Director of the Vietnam - Russia Cooperation Promotion Fund "Tradition and Friendship", Vice President of the Union of Vietnamese Organizations in Russia.

Mr. Quoc Hung still remembers clearly the last conversation with his respected great friend and also regrets about the many plans he could not carry out with Mr. Kobelev in promoting mutual understanding and strengthening cooperation between the two countries.

According to Mr. Nguyen Quoc Hung, Mr. Kobelev's research works on Vietnam are valuable sources of information for researchers and are solid "bricks" to build the close friendship between the people of the two countries in the Vietnam-Russia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

The memorial line of a respectable man was added by junior colleagues, relatives and friends, to finally have a comprehensive image of him - a loyal friend, an enthusiastic senior, a knowledgeable researcher, a talented diplomat, a great journalist and author, a sincere friend who loved Vietnam with all his heart and was also loved by all Vietnamese people.

As the last big name in the first generation of Vietnamese studies, Mr. Evgeny Vasilievich Kobelev was born in 1938 in the city of Ulyanovsk in the Soviet Union (now Russia).

He is a journalist, Vietnamologist, and leading expert on Ho Chi Minh in Russia. He has devoted his entire life to Vietnam in many positions, from when he was a student studying Vietnamese to when he was a TASS reporter in Vietnam during the fierce years of the resistance war against the US, then in charge of relations with the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam, protecting Vietnam's legitimate interests at important international conferences during the war years.

After peace was restored in Vietnam, he made great efforts to strengthen Russia-Vietnam friendship as the first Vice President of the Russia-Vietnam Friendship Association from 2008 to 2018.

He is also the founder and directly participated in establishing the Center for Vietnam and ASEAN Studies in 2008, which has now become the leading institution in Russia in comprehensive research on Vietnam and Southeast Asia.

Vietnam highly appreciates Mr. Kobelev's great contributions to the development of Russia-Vietnam relations and has awarded him the Friendship Medal and commemorative medal for his achievements and contributions to the development of social sciences, as well as for peace and friendship among nations./.