The holiday date — International Friendship Day — was established in 2011 by a resolution of the UN General Assembly. It is friendship that brings people closer, uniting them in the fight against global threats and challenges, such as poverty, violence, human rights violations, diseases and epidemics. This is the main message of this holiday.
It is difficult to imagine modern society without friendship, solidarity, and cooperation. Much attention has always been paid to the development of friendly relations in Dmitrov.
Dmitrov’s twin cities include 11 cities
Twinning relations in Dmitrov have been developing for decades. Today, Dmitrov District is friends with Italy (Polignano a Mare, Santa Marinella, Udine), China (Zhaoqing and Shaoxing urban districts), Belarus (Pukhovichi District), Transnistria (Rybnitsa), Abkhazia (Pitsunda), and also with Russian cities – Feodosia (Crimea), Lobnya and Mozhaisk (Moscow Region).
In August, another city will be added to the above-mentioned cities – Crimean Yalta. It is planned to conclude an agreement on friendship and cooperation with this city, as with others.
Photo: pxhere.com
At the international camp in Harbin
The Language Study Center LSC is actively working to establish and develop friendly relations between schoolchildren. This is the first private language school in our district, created back in 1992.
Teenagers and children studying at the center have the opportunity to visit different countries in order to learn foreign languages, get acquainted with foreign cultures, and expand their social circle.
Recently, a group of Chinese language students attended an international camp in Harbin.
Photo: LSC Language Study Centre/Svetlana Zakurdaeva
For two weeks, the children studied the language with a Chinese teacher, visited the Heilongjiang Provincial Museum, the Jilesi Buddhist Temple Complex (“achieving the highest joy”), the famous Saint Sophia Cathedral, the historically significant first large bridge for the Chinese Eastern Railway, the Dragon TV Tower, had a wonderful time at Harbin Disneyland, but most importantly, they made Chinese friends, relaxed and recharged with positive energy.
“Chinese friends, or “hao penyu”, showed up every day. Most often, acquaintance began with a request to take a photo together or with the question: “Are you from Russia?” The Chinese are attracted by the color of our hair, eyes, height, different speech. They are not shy about showing their emotions and sometimes such a naive, childish interest in a foreigner. Well, and after that followed the phrase “sao wo”, that is, scan my QR code in the Chinese application Weixin,” said the leaders of the group, Chinese language teachers Svetlana and Alexey Zakurdaev.
Photo: LSC Language Study Centre/Svetlana Zakurdaeva
The friendship continues
Having returned home, the children continue to communicate with their “hao penyu”, invite each other to visit, make plans to meet next year, and remember funny moments.
Photo: LSC Language Study Centre/Svetlana Zakurdaeva
“In public places, many Chinese people came up to us to take photos or exchange phone numbers. We spoke to them in Chinese, sometimes using a translator, and some Chinese students even spoke a little Russian. We were pleased with the friendliness and responsiveness of these people. We had never had such language practice. We studied Chinese for two weeks and consolidated the knowledge we had received in the center during lessons, became more confident in talking with the Chinese, and were happy that they understood us,” said Timur Irzhanov.
Photo: LSC Language Study Centre/Svetlana Zakurdaeva
During the trip, children and adults heard many times: “Long live the friendship between China and Russia!”, which greatly inspired the Dmitrov residents.
“Since the formation of the PRC, the friendship between our countries, despite the geopolitical processes of the 20th century, has always remained in the hearts of ordinary people. And by organizing a trip to northeastern China, we were able to see with our own eyes this warm, welcoming attitude not only from those who officially hosted us, but also from random passersby,” added Svetlana Zakurdaeva.
Earlier, Regions reported that a free children’s playground opened in the Dmitrov District.
