When a Russian girl from city of Komsomolsk-on-Amur was going to Harbin for studying, she could not assume finding her destiny there.
As a beginning, four years ago 25-years-old Marina Kushnarenko decided to study the Chinese language. In Heyluntszyan State University girl was persuaded to give Russian language lessons to one of the employee. Soon she noticed that her student is not so much interested in Russian verbs, but his pretty teacher. "Malina",as Chinese friend called the girl, was not going to stay in China, so decided to stop the advances fundamentally. But Chzhunven was persistent. When he had told her about his love, Marina already was fairly speaking Chinese. It's the language young family communicates today.
- He bribed me with his reliability, a serious attitude to life, family - she recalls one year after the wedding.
"New dwellers of Harbin"
Settled down in Harbin, Marina had established relationships with compatriots, and after a while headed the Russian club. In the city with Russian history there is a lot of people from the former Soviet Union. There are about 200 mixed marriages.
With the help of Russian Club, new dwellers of Harbin from Russia retain connections with the old-timers - children and grandchildren of immigrants of the first and second waves.
- We want to unite the compatriots - our heroine says. - We make tours on the historic Harbin, lay flowers to the monument to Soviet soldiers and organize action "St George Ribbon" on the Victory Day, we put in order the territory of the Holy Iverskiy Temple (General Kappel, associate of Alexander Kolchak was buried here). And if possible, we make parcels to the Russian prisoners that are in Chinese prisons...
But now the deals of club are on the second plan. Since four months ago the family has a son Timur and Marina holds most of the time at home.
Oddly, Chzhunven dreamed of a daughter. In China, the law prohibits making ultrasound and find out in advance the gender of the child. It is linked to the fact that young couples get rid of unborn girls. Incidentally, the Chinese one-child policy does not apply to international families, so it is possible that little Timur will have a brother or sister.
Marina by her own experience convinced that the stories about the caring Chinese fathers - are not a myth.
- Here in Cina, the men have a lot of responsibilities in family. But I am probably more lucky, Chzhunven has good character - she admits. - He comes from work and washes the diapers, he can cook dinner or clean the apartment. In short, he does not object to any housework, no problem.
No discords for the food - wife cooks Russian dishes, her husband cooks Chinese.
The interpreter and journalist Jana, Chinese girl accompanied us the visiting, once said how gently spouses address to each other:
- In our families we do not call the husband "dear, sweet." We call so the children only. But Marina is producing this so naturally...
The difference of mental experiences has been balanced by common values - they both cherish family and believe that the most important is understanding and respect. Well, if you have found a common language in the main point then a different upbringing, skin color and shape of eyes are no longer relevant, young people feel sure.
Prestigious wife
When I was going to arise for visit, I called Marina, she, unlike most Russian wives, had not been objected. Usually our girls go on about the Chinese men, who for some reason do not wish to advertise the family routine and avoid the journalists. When we met, it became clear that Marina settles all in the family.
To the question: "Who is the "boss" of the house?" the husband having no reflection points on his beloved.
As the interpreter Jana said, in China it is agreed that the current affairs of the family have been decided by the wife, and serious problems - by both spouses.
It is prestigious to have a Russian wife in the Celestial. And Chzhunven confesses not without the pride that friends envy him. When spouses walking along with little Timur, passersby look at an international family with interest and well-dispose, that incidentally, can not be said about the attitude to Russian-Chinese families in our homeland...
Marina does not cease thought of returning home. This is a sore point for her. But so far, she says it is not possible. The reason is not the ignorance of her husband the Russian language and consequently the inevitable problems with the work. Russian wife is afraid to move her Chinese husband to her motherland, because she is not confident in his safety.
- I will simply be afraid to let a spouse leave the home - the girl says frankly.
Little Timur, as well his mother, has Russian citizenship. In this case it is easier to obtain documents to travel to Russia, and Marina is going to spend the summer with her parents in the Khabarovsk district.
The difficulties of translation
The walls of the kitchen in three-room apartment, which is bought out from University by Chzhunven, are decorated with Russian alphabet. It turned out that Marina's mother-in-law began to study Russian language in order to better understand her daughter in law. Grandmother and grandfather came here every night to help nurse the grandson.
The son's decision to marry Russian girl caught them as a surprise, but they did not object. Just wanted to know what she is in the eastern horoscope. And, having learned that the girl was born in the year of goat, noted with a happy: "Goat and Cat is a good union." Now the parents are helping her to get along with life in a foreign country and of course, respect her for having learned their language.
According to our heroine, she has not a traditional Chinese family. In the China it is agreed that all major decisions concerning the child are taken by grandmother (husband's mother). But Marina as soon as learned that she was pregnant immediately placed on all the dots above "i". She told relatives that she herself will care about a child.
Chinese women are with children up to three months, after this the child is given to nurse or grandmother. Marina decided not to rush to work, the salary of her husband provides the family of the average standard of living.
- We are well fed, everything is cheap here, and what is most important we can afford to fly to Russia and to rest in the Chinese resorts - the girl says.
In her prospect there is the trip to home, meeting with relatives. Chzhunven with his visa will be able to stay with Russian kinsfolks not longer than two weeks. Then he will come back to Harbin to be waiting for his Malina...
Commentary.
Anna Hamatova, professor, director of the Institute of East of FESU:
- The Chinese are getting married foreign dirls (not only Russian women) primarily because of the country's one-child policy, at the same time the international family can have two or more children. In addition, in the country ther is artificially created situation where men prevail over the women. So there are the problems in the Chinese population, in other words, our neighbors do not have enough their own brides.
There is another feature there. The Chineses are educated in a spirit of teamwork, opposed to, say so, personalizators - the Americans, that is why there is the cult of the family in China. The man, based on the canons of Confucianism, is obliged to take care of his wife and children, that is in our understanding a reliable man's shoulder... We have many girls students, which having a period of trial in China, entered into marriages with Chinese men. Another issue - whether the girls can stay in this country forever?
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