Ten-year-old Vania, a fifth-grade student in the Moscow Experiment School, has been taking Chinese language and culture lessons for more than four years.

The boy has four language lessons every week, one lesson about Chinese history and culture and two after-school language training lessons. Years of study have not only earned him language skills, they also have turned him into a big fan of Chinese culture.

Fascinated with Taiji and martial arts, Vania loves reading "Outlaws of the Marsh," one of China's four most famous classic novels featuring some martial art masters. He is especially interested in the chapter about the hero Wu Song, who battled a tiger bare-fisted after he got drunk. The chapter also is a favorite with lots of Chinese.

Vania lists Hollywood Mulan and Kung Fu Panda as his most-loved movies.

He also remembers quite a few traditional Chinese proverbs, notably "constant dripping will wear away a stone," which he said gives him the courage to keep up with his studies during the times when he gets frustrated with the difficulties.

Vania's older brother, now majoring in Chinese language and literature at Moscow University, also had years of study in the Moscow Experiment School, one of more than a dozen schools in the city that offer Chinese classes.

Vania and his brother's affection with the Chinese language and culture reflects a new trend in Russia: A growing number of young people are turning their eyes to their neighboring country amid expanding trade and economic and cultural exchanges between the two countries.

Relations between Russia and China have been improving rapidly in recent years. In 2008, China was Russia's second largest trading partner only after the European Union, while Russia ranked as China's ninth largest, according to the Chinese Ministry of Commerce.

People-to-people exchanges have also been increasing. The two countries last year lauched a series of cultural events and activities to celebrate the 60th anniversary of diplomatic ties. This year, starting from March, Russia will hold "the Year of Chinese Language," after "the Year of Russian Language" was successfully held in China in 2009.

Masha, a 9-year-old girl, has also been learning Chinese for the past four years. She attends the prestigious No. 11 School of Moscow, a famous school that offers Chinese lessons.

The Chinese language is very hard, and the characters are difficult to write, Masha said. But the language is interesting and she is always determined to keep up with her studies, she said.

Masha's father Almaz, a glassware businessman, is also a big fan of Chinese culture. He hoped his children could learn to understand, respect and love the Chinese culture and when they grow up could do some work to help deepen the mutual understanding between Russia and China.

Masha, who made a trip to China three years ago, has fond memories of Beijing. She looks forward to going there again.

Vania cannot wait for his first trip to China. He will take part in a martial art competition in Beijing in June. The Great Wall, the Forbidden City and the Beijing Olympic stadium top the list of places he wants to see.

Vania said, like his brother, he hopes to continue to learn Chinese in college in Beijing or Moscow and then become an interpreter when he grows up.

Masha would also like to major in Chinese in college and become a simultaneous interpreter after she graduates.

But she will only go to university in China and not in Russia.

"The food there is great and there is a lot of fun in life there," she said, with a big smile.

(Xinhua News Agency March 20, 2010)