3:26:35 PM | 7/8/2005
Spiritual Value of Russian Cultural Identity is Highly Appreciated, Says Overseas Vietnamese
Not focusing much on business and profit as top priority, the Nguyen Hong Company is targeting to satisfy the artistic demand of customers, especially those who used to live and work in . As a result, the company's handicraft products with deep Russian cultural identity are of high quality, cultural and artistic value.
Having lived and worked in for a long time, Le Dinh Luan, director of the Nguyen Hong Company, understands the great feelings and joy of relatives and close friends when they receive souvenirs, which depict memories of the beautiful country of . He always dreamed of establishing a company, specialising in souvenirs and traditional Russian handicrafts in the hope of appreciating the spiritual value of Russian cultural identity. As a result, he set up the Nguyen Hong Company in in 2002.
The company now produces 500 items of handicrafts which were once famous in . These include amber paintings, alcohol drinking glasses and piggy banks, and especially the matrioshka, which is the most famous souvenir of and has become a specific cultural phonemenon of high artistic value. Originating from a Latin root 'mater' and means 'Mother,' matrioshka symbolises racial preservation of a nation and the human race. Matrioshka features faces of farm girls with scarfs and baskets full of beautiful flowers, symbolising the beauty of women.
Matrioshka are made of poplar wood, a native Russian tree which possesses great qualities. Each set of matrioshka has between three and 50 nesting pieces. Some matrioshka are around one metre high, which could hardly be seen even in . To make a matrioshka, it takes craftmen around two years to process the wood. They experience 15 more jobs before the shape of the doll is formed. Artists then paint the doll. They paint the daily life or the fairy world, or faces of famous people, such as politicians, footballers or artists, on each doll.
Apart from hundreds of samples of dolls, artisans produce towers with romantic rhythms of famous Russian songs, including 'Kachiusha' and 'Moscow Night,' albums, trays, and especially paintings with covers made from poplar trees. With various shapes of cover, craftmen create paintings. They also create jewellery items made of amber - fossilised resin of ancient trees which forms through a natural fossilisation of the original organic compounds - are believed by Russian people to bring luck, health and happiness for those who wear them.
Luan has great passion for Russian traditional handicrafts, in particular matrioshka, as they are not only souvenirs but also have great strength. Also, they are artistic works, depicting feelings and characteristics of Russian artists. "We have always tried our best to help our customers understand the value of Russian traditional products and distinguished real products from Chinese-made products sold at cheap prices in the market," Luan said.
After more than two years in operation, products of the Nguyen Hong Company have been available in most provinces and cities nationwide. Apart from its representative offices in , the company has set up a Hanoi-based office and has over 100 shops and agents in
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