On the morning of October 30, as the early sun peeked over the trees, the grounds of the Điện Biên Phủ Victory Museum were bustling with the footsteps and laughter of the delegation of officials and students from Saint Petersburg city, Russian Federation, and the Lê Quý Đôn Gifted High School. With eager eyes, the students filed into the exhibition area, where thousands of carefully preserved artifacts evoke the memories and heroic spirit of that fiery time.

In the artifact exhibition space, students from Lê Quý Đôn Gifted High School and their friends from Saint Petersburg city listened intently to the explanations, their eyes following every photograph, trench model, and hand-pulled cannon. Some students stood in silence before the old memorabilia; others jotted down emotions they couldn’t yet name into small notebooks. Under the focused gaze of the international students, each artifact seemed to still carry the breath of the battlefield, a reminder of the pride of a small but resilient nation that dared to face danger to win independence, freedom, and peace.

Leaving the exhibition area, the delegation of officials and students from Saint Petersburg city eagerly prepared for outdoor activities such as: “Crossing thousands of high mountains - Supplying food, carrying ammunition” and “Cooking rice on a Hoàng Cầm kitchen - A soldier’s rice ball.” Under the gentle autumn sun, groups of students gathered around the Hoàng Cầm kitchens, carefully lighting fires as instructed by the museum guide. Amidst the smoke that spread low to the ground, thin as mist, and mingled with the aroma of new rice, the whole group shared stories about food culture, studies, and life. With resounding laughter, the atmosphere of the experience became warm and close, like a bridge connecting two cultures and two generations of students.

Rodion Kochiashvili, from High School No.488, a member of the Saint Petersburg city delegation, shared: “I didn’t think cooking rice on this kind of stove would be so difficult. But it feels very interesting and close to the lives of the soldiers back then. I could feel a part of their resilience and brave spirit.”

As part of the exchange program at educational institutions in Điện Biên province, the delegation of officials and students from Saint Petersburg city visited Lương Thế Vinh Lower and Upper Secondary School. From early morning, the schoolyard was bustling with voices and laughter, everyone excited, awaiting the moment to meet their friends from distant Russia. In the joy of the meeting, groups of students held hands, their eyes bright and smiles friendly, erasing the language barrier.

To create a lasting memory, the Saint Petersburg delegation and the Lương Thế Vinh students painted colorful pictures, capturing their feelings about friendship, peace, and the solidarity between the two peoples. The brushstrokes, though perhaps naive, each held a small, colorful story, where the students embedded their joy, dreams, innocent thoughts, and sincere feelings for their Russian friends, while also expressing the spirit of unity and close connection between the two nations.

Nikishina Natalia, Head of the Saint Petersburg city delegation, shared: “Before coming here, we were very eager to learn about the culture, history, and school life of Vietnamese students. Here, by directly participating in activities and experiences, we clearly felt the dynamism, innocence, and enthusiasm of the Vietnamese students. Through these moments of exchange, we saw the friendliness, unity, and bond between the students of our two countries. We hope that experiences like this will continue to be organized, so that the students have the opportunity to understand each other better, learn from one another, and cultivate the friendship between the two generations of Vietnamese and Russian students.”

From October 29 to November 9, the 19-member delegation of officials and students from Saint Petersburg city held exchanges at many educational and training institutions in Điện Biên province. Each destination was an experience, filled with emotion and the immense, warm affection that Điện Biên’s teachers and students gave to their friends from the land of white birches.

Mai Đình Nam, Chairman of the Board of Điện Biên Pedagogical College, shared: “The presence of the delegation of officials and students from Saint Petersburg city is a vivid testament to the great traditional friendship and close cooperation between the people of Vietnam and the Russian Federation in general, and between Điện Biên province and Saint Petersburg city in particular. This visit and exchange is an invaluable opportunity for our teachers and students to exchange experiences, learn from one another, enhance cultural understanding, and especially to further tighten the solidarity and friendship between the youth of our two countries.”

Parting with Điện Biên with fond reluctance, the bus carrying the delegation of officials and students from Saint Petersburg city slowly rolled off the campus of Điện Biên Pedagogical College. In the fading afternoon light, the bus gradually disappeared behind the high mountains of the Northwest, but the image of pure friendship, the affectionate gazes, and the shared moments between the students of the two countries lingered, like a beautiful memory from a meaningful journey of exchange.