How a Chinese student became ‘fascinated with the Russian language & literature’
Wenfeng Kan has been studying Russian for 10 years and even translates Russian literature into Chinese. He told ‘Gateway to Russia’ why he chose Russian and what the most difficult thing about learning the language is.
Why Russian?
Wenfeng Kan started learning Russian in 2016 at a university in China on the advice of his relatives. It matched his own expectations from his studies. Russian seemed to him such an unusual, even exotic language and he liked everything exotic.
In 2020, the young man entered the master's program at the Tianjin Foreign Studies University and, there, he studied the Russian language and Russian literature for three more years. Now, Wenfeng is already a second-year graduate student at the Pushkin State Russian Language Institute. He says he is learning the language, so that he can start teaching Russian himself.
The most difficult thing about learning Russian
Wenfeng Kan in the Pushkin Institute
Just like many other foreigners, the Chinese student found that the most problematic thing in Russian are the cases and declension. “We don't have such a grammatical category in Chinese, so it is extremely difficult for a beginner to wade through these mazes. At first, I had to memorize everything. But, after a while, I mastered the rules and it became easier,” Wenfeng says.
He also found Russian pronunciation quite difficult, especially the ‘R’ sound, because there is simply no such sound in Chinese.
A Chinese Russophile in Moscow
Wenfeng entered Moscow's Pushkin Institute in 2023 as part of the Chinese-Russian international student exchange program. His friends and professors in China advised him to enroll exactly there.
“They said it has an open, international atmosphere, with great students and professors. After all, many of my Russian language teachers in China studied exactly at the Pushkin Institute in the 1990s,” Wenfeng says.
Today, he has many Russian friends and often communicates with them to practice the language. “As a rule, they are my peers, we all met at university and keep in touch. On the Internet, I've also met a few Russian friends who are interested in Chinese,” Kan says.
From interest in the exotic to love of all things Russian
“As I learned more about Russia, I became more and more fascinated by Russian art, literature and Russian national character,” Kan says.
Taking a selfie with Pushkin's monument in St. Petersburg
In almost two years that he has been living in Russia, the young man has managed to visit many Russian cities: St. Petersburg, Yaroslavl, Ivanovo, Plyos, Volgograd and got to know the “real” Russia.
“I really like Russian architecture. I also really like Russian folk art.”
In Chekhov's Melikhovo estate outside Moscow
Russian literature has become a focus of academic endeavors. The Chinese graduate student is mastering not only Russian classics, but also getting acquainted with the prose of contemporary Russian writers like Eugene Vodolazkin, Alexei Varlamov, Guzel Yakhina and others.
Wenfeng is currently working on translating Vodolazkin's novel ‘Chagin’ into Chinese.
Façade of the Pushkin Institute in Moscow
‘Gateway to Russia’ is grateful to the Pushkin State Russian Language Institute for its help in preparing this interview.
In order to get free education at leading Russian universities, foreigners can fill out a questionnaire and submit an application at education-in-russia.com.
You can study at the Pushkin Institute for free in the Bachelor's, Master's and Doctorate programs. Read more about how to enroll at Pushkin Institute at pushkin.institute.
Moreover, the Pushkin Institute offers additional programs for those who want to learn Russian and for professional development of teachers. In particular, the institute holds an annual Summer School for foreign citizens. Detailed information is available here: clck.ru/3DmTTq.
For questions about candidate selection in your country, please contact Rossotrudnichestvo's representative offices or diplomatic missions of the Russian Federation.
