"Beautiful place and wonderful Russian style": Chinese guest praises the Department Store stand in Harbin

The first day of work of the National Centre RUSSIA stand, with its flagship Department Store project, at the 10th Russian-Chinese EXPO in Harbin demonstrated enormous interest in Russia among international visitors. One vivid example was the excitement surrounding the clothing collection featuring quotes by Russian President Vladimir Putin, presented at the exposition. A Chinese guest, who introduced himself using the Russian name Vladimir, offered his own explanation for the popularity of these items.

"First of all, I would like to thank your President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin for the fact that there are many people in Russia who want to be friends and cooperate with us. I am a Chinese lawyer in Russia and have already worked with various companies in your country — for example, with MGIMO University. And I think all this is possible thanks to our presidents, and it is very good for both our countries," the visitor said.

The guest travelled to Harbin from Beijing and admitted that the National Centre RUSSIA stand became a real discovery for him: "It is a very beautiful place, and I especially liked the clothing with the words of President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin written on it. It is very beautiful, and I have already bought one piece of clothing. And the colour is very, very nice." He also added that he had already picked out other items at the Department Store: "You can really feel authentic and wonderful Russian style here, but it is also understandable and appealing to Chinese people."

The Department Store stand in Harbin presents Russia in miniature — through culture, ancient crafts, generations of artisans and modern technologies. The display features delicacies, accessories, tableware and folk art crafts from various regions of the country, as well as a joint project by a Chinese brand and Russian artist and designer Lisa Anisimova — a collection of clothing and accessories created at the intersection of two cultures.

One of the key elements of the exposition is the model of the National Centre RUSSIA building, which will appear on Krasnopresnenskaya Embankment in Moscow in 2029. The image of the protective covering, which became the leitmotif of the architectural concept, is presented alongside samples of mosaics, tiles, woodwork and lace planned for use in the interiors.

In addition to the items featuring statements by President Vladimir Putin, the strongest response from international audiences comes from items in which traditional national motifs are reinterpreted in a modern way while remaining recognisable. Among them are shawls from the Sverdlovsk Region, amber jewellery from Kaliningrad, Bashkir porcelain and exclusive roly-poly toys from Kotovsk.