First built in the 1930s, the Moscow metro is one of the busiest metro systems in the world. In 2017, China Railway Construction Corporation Limited (CRCC) started business in Russia and won the first Chinese enterprise contract for a metro project in Europe -- the southwest section of the third transfer ring line of the Moscow metro.
Get involved in local life, create easy and friendly image
As a Chinese enterprise aiming to go global, CRCC seized the opportunity of the growing cooperation and all-round development between China and Russia and shouldered the southwest section of the third transfer ring metro line in Moscow. While guaranteeing production and operation, the company also used the project to promote cultural exchange and integration of the two nations.
During Chinese Spring Festival Chinese employees of CRCC invite Russian colleagues to make dumplings together and send them the Chinese character "fu", which means blessing and happiness. [Photo provided to sasac.gov.cn]
At the construction and office sites, Chinese and Russian employees were always seen communicating and working together. The project once had nearly 2,000 staff members, more than 1,800 of them Russian. At the project department, many Chinese people spoke Russian and Russian employees spoke Chinese. Although they could not speak the languages fluently, everybody was happy and delighted. Learning Russian was quite hard for Chinese staff members and the language training time was set after work time. The project department signed an agreement with a local language training institute to carry out Russian training. Chinese people's passion in learning Russian inspired the Russian employees, which led to their starting to learn Chinese. The lectures were given by Chinese staff members and more than 40 Russian employees participated in the course.
During Chinese Spring Festival, the Chinese staff members invited their Russian colleagues to make dumplings together and gave them the Chinese character "fu", which means blessing and happiness. Feb 23 each year is Defender of the Fatherland Day, dubbed "Men's Day". Chinese and Russian female staff members at CRCC Russian branch would then send gifts to their male colleagues. By promoting both Chinese and Russian cultures, CRCC created an easy and comradely image that strengthened cultural identity of both countries and team cohesiveness.
"Internet celebrity" projects promote cultural integration
With a long history, a mature construction system and disciplined regulations, the Moscow Metro has won a reputation as an "underground art museum". Walking through the metro stations is like walking through magnificent art halls. Using perfect artistic designs, project chief designer Zhou Jimin and his team introduced Chinese design concepts and combined Chinese engineering technologies with local regulations and standards, bringing Chinese patterns to the Moscow metro.
On Dec 7, 2021, Russian president Vladimir Putin announced operation of the southwest section of the third transfer ring line via video link. Attracted by red pillars painted with traditional Chinese patterns like auspicious clouds many local people posted pictures of the station on social media, saying that "the station is beautiful and fashionable" and "the metro finally comes to my door."
CRCC had specially developed five 6.28-meter diameter tunnel boring machines (TBMs) for the project, which were named Maria, Darya, Eugenia, Galina and Polina, names derived from a popular TV show in Russia.
The names made many Russian staff members feel easy. They said that the TBMs were like their familiar friends instead of engineering machinery. It made them feel as if they were working with friends.
During construction, the mayor of Moscow inspected the project several times and twitted on VK, a mainstream social media in Russia and Instagram to express his appreciation to the Chinese builders.
On Dec 7, 2021, the southwest section of the third transfer ring line of the Moscow metro decorated with Chinese cultural patterns starts operation. [Photo provided to sasac.gov.cn]
Bilateral interaction promotes cultural exchange between China and Russia
Culture becomes diversified because of exchange and mutual learning. CRCC actively told stories popular among both Chinese and Russian people and worked together with media of both countries to promote cultural integration and exchanges. Experts and scholars were also invited to boost China-Russia cultural integration.
CRCC worked together with the project's buyer to invite journalists from mainstream media in Russia to the construction site to report on the operation of the TBMs. The company also invited Russian journalists to China for talks with heads of the company describing its history and current situation, which encouraged Russian media to publicize CRCC's efforts in the project and its cultural promotions.
On Dec 31, 2021, the southwest section of the Moscow metro was included in People's Daily's "Top 10 International News" items as a demonstration of co-construction of the Belt and Road. More than 20 mainstream media and their new media and overseas social media pages posted over 90 reports on the project.
In Russia, CRCC successively contracted several projects other than the Moscow metro, offering opportunities to make Chinese solutions, technologies and equipment go global. The series of China-Russia cooperation projects not only depicted the fruitful result of cooperation between the two countries in the new era, but were also filled with the efforts and dreams of CRCC staff members. The projects deepened cultural exchange and integration of the two countries and promoted inheritance of China-Russia friendship from generation to generation. They are now business cards showcasing China-Russia cultural integration.
(Executive editor: Li Zhiyong)
