Through Vietnam’s cooperation with the former Soviet Union, [Nikolai] Gogol also entered Vietnamese artistic tradition. In the 1980s, at the height of their alliance, a tuong, or royal opera, based on Gogol’s work Taras Bulba was staged at Ha Noi’s Opera House for two nights. Hundreds of thousands of students and workers were trained in Russia and other republics, which led them to become aficionados of Russian literature, poetry and language.

Vietnam celebrates 200th birthday of Gogol