Moscow (VNA) – A Russian student has freshly presented a visiting delegation from Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh Museum a special historical document – a book on the Communist International’s fifth congress, published in 1925, which contains speeches by Nguyen Ai Quoc, an alias of the founder of modern Vietnam President Ho Chi Minh at the time.

What makes the gift remarkable is that it came from the heartfelt initiative of Pavel Bolshkov, a student of the Vietnamese language at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO) under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia. The young man searched for, purchased, and donated the book with the support of his teacher, Svetlana Glazunova, a Vietnamese language lecturer and daughter of late Vietnamologist Evgheni Glazunov.

Originally intending to find books signed by Ho Chi Minh in Russian as a gift for Party General Secretary To Lam during his visit to Russia in May, Pavel instead came across this century-old publication of the fifth congress. Though it did not reach the top leader of the Communist Party of Vietnam, thanks to the Russia – Vietnam cooperation development promotion fund, Pavel’s token of respect was transferred to the Ho Chi Minh Museum at a recent ceremony in the Moscow Centre of Oriental Literature.

Lecturer Svetlana Glazunova shared that the nearly one-thousand-page book, gathering valuable speeches, was published by the Moscow state publishing house in 1925, and is a “stenographic” edition of the fifth congress. This means its content was printed in its original form, with little to no editing, reflecting the authentic atmosphere of the event. It was at this congress that colonies' issues were recognised and brought into focus, paving the way for the foundation of communist parties in colonies, including Vietnam. According to Glazunova, it makes the book exceptionally valuable, enriching the historical documentation of that era.

Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh Museum Do Thi Thu Hang noted that while the museum already holds the President’s writings found in the book, their inclusion in such a monumental volume is highly significant. It serves as vivid testimony to the late Vietnamese leader’s international stature and crucial role in the global communist and workers’ movement.

🎐 The fifth congress of the Communist International took place in Moscow from June 17 to July 8, 1924, with 504 delegates representing 49 communist and workers’ parties, speaking for over 1.3 million party members worldwide, along with 10 international organisations. Nguyen Ai Quoc attended as a member of the French Communist Party, delivering a pivotal presentation on revolutionary strategy in colonised countries with the hope of seeking a path of liberation for oppressed nations like Vietnam./.