HÀ NỘI — President Hồ Chí Minh spent many years in Russia, where he found the great ideas of Vladimir Lenin to be a guiding light and a powerful source of motivation in his pursuit of national liberation. Documents, images and artefacts from this important period of his life are now on display at an exhibition in Hà Nội.

The exhibition, entitled Hồ Chí Minh’s Footsteps in the Homeland of the October Revolution, is organised by the Hồ Chí Minh Museum in coordination with the Department of Political Theory, the Archives Department of the Party Central Committee Office and other related units.

It is one of the activities marking the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Việt Nam and Russia (30/1/1950–2025) and the 108th anniversary of the Great October Revolution (7/11/1917–2025).

“President Hồ Chí Minh is a hero of national liberation and a great figure of Vietnamese culture. He devoted his entire life to the struggle for national independence and freedom, peace and social progress,” said Dr Vũ Mạnh Hà, director of the Hồ Chí Minh Museum.

“On his journey to find a way to save the country, the victory of the Great October Revolution in Russia and Lenin’s ideology became a guiding light and a strong driving force behind his revolutionary thinking, helping him find the right path to national liberation.

“He came to Russia to live, study and take part in activities, thereby building deep revolutionary ties with Russia and its people. After Việt Nam’s independence, he also made several visits to the country and to other member republics of the Soviet Union.”

“His footprints in the homeland of the October Revolution stand as evidence of his revolutionary path. They reflect the profound affection he held for the Russian people and the solidarity and friendship between the two nations,” he said.

Documents and artefacts related to Hồ Chí Minh’s three visits to Russia (1923–1924, 1927 and 1934–1938) provide an authentic view of the environment in which he studied and carried out revolutionary work during a critical stage of his career.

The exhibition is organised around three main themes. The first, Seeking the Image of a Nation, recounts how in 1920 Nguyễn Ái Quốc–Hồ Chí Minh identified a path to national liberation through Lenin’s ideas and, during his three visits to Russia, studied, took part in revolutionary activities, built close ties with the Russian people and applied strategies aimed at liberating a colonised nation.

The second theme, Strengthening Friendship, highlights how, over 75 years, relations between Việt Nam and the Soviet Union have developed in a sustained manner from the foundations laid by President Hồ Chí Minh and successive generations of leaders.

Việt Nam and the Soviet Union established official diplomatic relations in 1950. As President, Hồ Chí Minh visited the Soviet Union on many occasions, cultivating the traditional friendship between the country and the bloc. He visited all 15 Soviet republics, leaving enduring symbols of friendship across the former Soviet Union.

The final theme, Enduring Việt Nam–Russia Friendship, highlights the 75-year relationship between the two countries, marked by loyalty and a long-standing traditional bond.

From the significant support provided by the Soviet Union during Việt Nam’s national liberation course to the establishment of the Strategic Partnership in 2001 and the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2012, relations between Việt Nam and Russia have continued to deepen and expand.

At the exhibition, visitors can view rare artefacts and items shown to the public for the first time, including the book The Fifth World Congress of the Communist International, 1924, a photo collection of Hồ Chí Minh’s visit to the Soviet Union in 1955 and autograph collections from the Ural Geological Museum, offering a vivid insight into his diplomatic activities in the 20th century.

Other items on display include a stamp set issued by the Soviet Union in 1990 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of President Hồ Chí Minh’s birth, a red scarf and Soviet children’s badges presented to the President, and iron ingots, stones and soil he brought home from Stalingrad following his friendship visit to the Soviet Union in 1957.

The exhibition will remain open until April 2026 at the Hồ Chí Minh Museum, No. 19 Ngọc Hà Street, Hà Nội. — VNS