In the memory of Viktor Alekseevich Petrov, former member of the Asia–Africa Solidarity Committee and the Soviet Committee to Support Vietnam under the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1973 to 1991, the solidarity movement with the Vietnamese people in the Soviet Union and around the world was “unprecedented.” From the days of intense anti-war protests to the present, now in his eighties, he still holds steadfast, loyal feelings toward Vietnam.

Once considered a "cradle" for training generations of Vietnamese officials and students, traditional friendly countries of the former Soviet Union, such as Belarus, Azerbaijan, and Kazakhstan, hold a special place in the hearts of many Vietnamese who matured under the Soviet educational system.

A ceremony was held in St. Petersburg city, Russia, on June 30 to inaugurate the statue of President Ho Chi Minh.

Veteran journalist Nguyễn Đăng Phát was among the first four Vietnamese students to graduate in journalism in the Soviet Union. He tells Việt Nam News's Hồng Minh his memories of students life.