JP/Alexandra Hansen
In light of the 60th anniversary of Indonesian-Russian diplomatic relations, the Russian ambassador to Indonesia is thinking of home, and how in Indonesia he is reminded of it every day.
On this special day, Ambassador Alexander A. Ivanov recalls his times as a child in Moscow, as “the best of times”.
Growing up in Russia in the ‘50s and ‘60s there was a real sense of national pride, which displayed itself in innumerable poems and songs. Ambassador Ivanov recounts its heavy influence in song composition and says the college years he spent involved with Russian music as some of the best of his life.
He says that this is one of the things that makes Indonesia feel like home.
“The music here is very, very similar to Russian music. The same melodies, and even the same lyrics. It is very reminiscent of home.”
While Ambassador Ivanov may not feel as though he has come very far from his boyhood in Moscow, he certainly has.
Studying at Moscow State Institute of International Relations, there was a heavy focus on education on foreign affairs.
He studied European and American foreign policy, and learned English and Bangla.
After graduating from university, he joined the ministry of foreign affairs and became heavily involved in Southeast Asian countries, including Indonesia.
His first trip away from Russia was to visit the land of the language he had studied, Bangladesh.
His first experience, he says, was a challenge.
“Not because of the language, my language skills greatly improved while I was there, but because of the different culture and traditions. All I had known was Russia, so it was all very foreign to me.”
He soon became adept at the foreign lifestyle however, and went on to work and live in other Asian nations, such as Japan, where he worked as a political councilor for four years.
He also worked in the Department of Foreign Policy dealing with European security, and spent a lot of his time in European countries, mainly in Italy, where he became proficient in the language.
Upon arriving in Indonesia with his wife (where they have now been for three years), Ambassador Ivanov says he was amazed at the sheer size of Jakarta.
“I did not expect it to be so large, to have so many skyscrapers, to be so modern.”
His first experiences with the people in Jakarta were pleasant ones.
“I immediately loved the people here, they are always so happy, so friendly, [and] they are always smiling.”
He noticed the similarities between Russia and Indonesia at once. While the climates are polar opposites, the culture is very similar, he says.
“They both have very similar features; they are big countries, multiethnic and multireligious countries [Russia has a substantial Muslim population], and both have a heavy focus on the peaceful coexistence of the different groups.”
Ambassador Ivanov loves Indonesia for its culture and its nature, and plans to showcase these,
along with Russia’s, in a photo exhibition.
They will hold the exhibition at the Russian Cultural Center in celebration of the jubilee, displaying the different landscapes of Russia and Indonesia.
The snowy landscape of Russia is what Ambassador Ivanov misses the most, along with his 35-year-old daughter.
“I love to ski, but when I visit my home I rarely get time, due to the duties an ambassador obviously has. Visiting various ministries and NGOs means little time for skiing.”
For the ambassador, moving to snowless Indonesia meant finding a new hobby.
He starts and ends each day the same way; with at least a half-hour swim in the mornings, and exercises his love of reading in the evenings before bed.
His other great loves are quite reminiscent of home and very typical for a Russian-born: ballet and classical music.
In 2007 and 2009, the ambassador invited famous Russian musicians to come to Jakarta to play and he hopes to be able to do more to bring the beautiful classical music of Russia to Indonesia.
He was astonished to learn that there is a ballet studio in Jakarta, the principal of which practices Russian ballet, often renowned as the greatest in the world.
Ambassador Ivanov hopes to see more Russian influences such as this, and aims for it to be made possible for Indonesian students to learn the Russian language.
The embassy runs scholarship programs enabling Indonesian students to study in Russia, and is producing an Indonesian-Russian text book.
“It would be very beneficial to any Indonesian student to receive such a high-standard education, as is offered in Russia. It promotes people-to-people contact between the two countries; they will make friends there and maintain contact between Russia and Indonesia.”
Especially on a day like today, Ambassador Ivanov says he is reminded of the importance of relations such as this between Russia and Indonesia. They are important for two reasons in the ambassador’s eyes.
“First, because we have a historical friendship. Russia was a great support to Indonesia in its first years of independence and the relationship continued to grow from there. Second, because we have a similar concept of the new world.
“We’re national partners in the modern world with very similar features; we’re both very constructive and influential in the global arena, especially now that Indonesia is in the G20 and was a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council on both of which Russia is a permanent member.”
Ambassador Ivanov hopes these ties continue to strengthen and that tourism between the two countries flourishes.
“Ninety thousand Russians visited Bali last year, that may not be as much as other countries like Australia, but we spent more,” he laughs.
“It’s in our national character.”
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