Steady cultural exchanges, such as those during the "Year of
China" in Russia this year, will help the two neighbors understand
each other better and become "good friends."
That's what Alexey Rodionov, a promising young Russian scholar
on Chinese language and literature, said in an online interview
with China Daily.
The St Petersburg State University's Confucius Institute deputy
director, whose love of Chinese literature and culture is
exemplary, said a three-volume collection of contemporary Chinese
writers' works would hit the shelves in Russia in late summer.
"The collection will be a breakthrough and allow Russians to
read the works of writers other than Zhuang Zi or Li Bai."
Such is his understanding of Chinese and his own culture and so
vast is his knowledge of literature and communication that he
sounds prophetic when he says: "Cultural communication can work as
a thermos to maintain the warmth in a relationship and pass it down
from one generation to another."
Rodionov attaches high value to continuous cultural dialogue,
and considers literature to be an important tool for cultural
communication.
"Our world may be more harmonious and peaceful if Russia and
other Western countries pay more attention to China and understand
more about the Doctrine of Mean and other teachings of Confucius,"
he said.
He still remembers the time when people-to-people exchanges
between Russia and China were disrupted. But for him China has
always been close to home because he grew up in Blagoveschensk,
with Heihe in Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province just across
the Heilongjiang River.
But despite that, "China was also as far as the moon," Rodionov
said, because of Russians' baseless fear of their neighbors. He
recalls huge posters saying: "Beware, comrades, the border to the
country dominated by Mao Zedong Thought is only 1 km away."
He, however, chose his path with conviction, for he wanted a
lifelong association with China.
Before 1986, he said, only three or four Chinese were living in
his home city. But by the late 1980s, the Chinese had become a part
of the local life, encouraging him further to major in Chinese in
college.
"The competition (for Chinese language studies) was fierce at
the time and it has continued to be the same," he said.
In a year, he discovered that China had more to offer than down
jackets, vegetables and chopsticks.
And among the other attractions, Rodionov was drawn to China's
rich literary heritage, especially the Four Classic Books (The
Great Learning, The Doctrine of the Mean, The
Analects of Confucius, Mencius), the Five Classics of
Chinese Writing (The Book of Songs, The Book of
History, The Book of Changes, The Book of Rites,
The Spring and Autumn Annals) and the Poems of the Tang (AD
618-907) and Song (960-1279) dynasties. He was drawn, too, to the
great men of letters of the last century, such as Lao She
(1899-1966) and Cao Yu (1910-1996).?
He delved into modern Chinese literature and spent a lot of time
studying the life and works of Lao She. "I realized that I must
learn about Chinese culture before I could understand and evaluate
the behavior of the Chinese and their thoughts," he said.
He also realized that, "although the Russians are
psychologically closer to the Chinese than other Westerners, they
still weigh China on European cultural standards' scales which may
lead to misunderstanding."
Rodionov conceded that the Chinese know much more about Russia
than vice versa. "In the 20th century, China was the country that
did the most to introduce foreign cultures into its own, and
Russian culture was a favorite with Chinese intellectuals,
especially in the 1920s-30s and 1950s-60s."
He acknowledged that there was mistrust between the two peoples,
especially those doing business across the border. But again, these
people lacked cultural education and were unable to understand and
accept the other's customs.
"The Chinese working and studying in St Petersburg or Moscow are
much more respected," he said.
What do the Chinese think about the Russians? The Chinese he has
worked and talked with are very friendly, he said, although he
knows many Chinese are not happy with the way they are treated in
Russia.
"But I believe Chinese friends will become increasingly
satisfied with their studies, life and work in Russia," he
said.
"The way to do away with mistrust and overcome injustice is
speak out and open the topics for discussion," Rodionov said.
(China Daily March 27, 2007)
