Moscow news
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05-Jul-2007
Korean Culture Gets Lift in Moscow
A Russo-Korean cultural center is scheduled to be built on Profsoyuznaya Ulitsa in the South-West of Moscow for completion in 2009.
Following a decree signed by Mayor Yury Luzhkov, the funder All-Russia Union of Koreans, has been given 0.74 hectares of land on Profsoyuznaya on a long-term lease of 49 years. "It will be a multi-purpose complex," The Moscow News was told by Mr. Vasily Tsoi, president of the All-Russia Union of Koreans. "There will be a library, a cinema, restaurants serving national food, and supermarkets selling special products and national clothes."
More than half of the complex, however, will be a business center, Tsoi continued. "It will be a cultural, educational and business center where a number of Korean companies will be represented. Language courses will also be offered."
The first Korean settlers arrived in the Far East of Russia in the mid-19th century. They quickly immersed themselves in the Russian way of life, exerting influence in the cultural, economic, and political affairs of the region. "There are currently over 200,000 Koreans in Russia," said Tsoi, "and their number is increasing. There were 550,000 during the early Soviet period, but many are now in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan."
This occurred because In the 1930s Stalin deported the entire population to Central Asia, particularly to Kazakhstan, where they remained until perestroika. "The All-Russia Union of Koreans aims to make sure Koreans are well adapted in Russia," Tsoi explined. "Since our ancestors settled here over 150 years ago we have long been Russified. Unfortunately our ethnic individuality was completely wiped out during the Soviet period. We severed ties with our motherland and lost all our traditions as everyone became ?Soviet'. Whilst retaining our Russian citizenship, we now need to rebuild and preserve our national identity. Generally we feel very at home in Russia. Of course there are always some cases of xenophobia, and we help people affected in these cases. We like other nations to respect us just as we respect and value them."
Korea already has a strong presence in Russia, with 3 Korean schools established in Moscow, St. Petersburg and Rostov. Spicy Korean salads are available in every Russian supermarket. "The famous Soviet rock artist Viktor Tsoi, who died in 1990, was of Korean descent. The authors Anotoly Kim and Nikolai Pak are well known in Russia, and there is even a Korean scientists' society," said Tsoi. "We do have quite a bitter Soviet history, so although we want to revive our culture and national history, we have to remember all aspects of our past."
Tsoi is confident that the cultural center will reinforce and improve Russo-Korean relations. "As I said, we have become fully Russified. Russia is our home. We have taken on the Russian language and literature, and therefore the culture. Through this we obtain a mutual cultural enrichment."
The Moscow News