We would like to introduce an article by Russian journalist Sergey Afonin on President Ho Chi Minh.

“In the early days of autumn 2010, Vietnamese people solemnly commemorated 65 years since the day Ho Chi Minh had read the declaration of independence, giving birth to the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, which opened a new period of history in the people’s process of fighting for independence and freedom. Ho Chi Minh regarded the declaration paper, composed by himself in a house in Ha Noi that is now a historical relic, as his best writing. Ironically, there have been individuals of Vietnamese blood, blatantly stating that Ho Chi Minh had the paper written by someone else. They even enticed other Overseas Vietnamese into defaming Ho Chi Minh.

Given my adoration of President Ho Chi Minh, my love for Vietnam and my time spent there, I would say that the most objective appraisal about Ho Chi Minh should belong to those who have accompanied him along his pathway to liberate the nation, and foreigners who had met him in person.

I had three golden chances to meet Ho Chi Minh in Ha Noi – in 1961, 1964 and 1969. In my opinion, Ho Chi Minh had an immense knowledge and a deep insight into the world. He highly appreciated Lenin’s ideology and the experience drawn from the October Revolution in the former USSR.

When working at the Foreign Affairs Department of the USSR Communist Party’s Central Committee, I met with Vietnamese comrades including Ton Duc Thang, Pham Van Dong, Vo Nguyen Giap, Nguyen Luong Bang, Le Duan, Le Duc Tho, Van Tien Dung, To Huu, Vo Chi Cong, Vo Van Kiet, Nguyen Huu Tho and Nguyen Thi Dinh.

Like Ho Chi Minh, they demonstrated revolutionary ethics and loyalty to their Motherland and people.

Upon meeting a number of peasants, workers, intellectuals and veterans during the American war, I sensed their wholehearted love and respect for their leader. In their eyes, Ho Chi Minh was outstanding but simple, a man who had devoted all his life to his nation and people. Ho Chi Minh, with his amiable manner and simplicity, has set and will forever be a good example of morality for all good-willed people in the world, despite distortions. There has been a huge number of memoirs and books on Ho Chi Minh that feature him in a genuine manner. Thus, I cannot tolerate the DVD titled, ‘The Truth about Ho Chi Minh’ which alleged that Ho Chi Minh had ignored the national interest and misled the nation.

The fact that Ho Chi Minh’s ideology has been internationally recognised and studied, and followed in Vietnam as well as around the world, has repudiated all falsified information discrediting him.

Doctor of History Evgheny Kobelev, Head of the Vietnam and ASEAN Studies Department of the Russian Academy of Sciences and I have written two books about Ho Chi Minh and read almost every publication on him. Ho Chi Minh’s active working time at the International Communist Party had laid the foundation for the establishment of the Vietnam Communist Party, facilitating the next successes of Vietnam’s struggle against the French colonists and the Japanese and US imperialists. Speaking at the fiercest moment of the American War, President Ho stressed: ‘Never do we fear. Nothing is more precious than independence and freedom!’ I personally witnessed how the motto had encouraged the whole nation to fight for liberation. The motto on the value of independence and freedom was then inscribed on a wall in Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, in the capital city of Hanoi.

Ho Chi Minh’s testament expresses the core of his ideology, his immense love for Vietnamese people, his firm belief in Vietnam’s revolution, his optimistic nature and his trust in international friends.

To my jubilance, under the leadership of the Vietnamese Communist Party and the Vietnam Fatherland Front, the two parts of the country have been united. Vietnam has become an independent, free, peaceful, democratic and prosperous country as President Ho wished, which has made all friends of Vietnamese people happy. I myself saw the big changes of Vietnam during my trip to the country to attend a workshop titled, ‘Ho Chi Minh’s ideology heritage at the present day’, held in Hanoi in May, 2010.

On his visit to Vietnam in October 2010, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev also praised the country’s modern-oriented development in the past 10 years./.