CHANGCHUN – Yekaterinburg, a traditional and culturally significant Russian city more than 2,000 kilometers from Moscow, is home to a lesser-known history of friendship between China and Russia.
65 years ago, Vasiliy Nagibin, a native of Yekaterinburg and a cross-country skier from the Soviet Union, traveled to China to build the first alpine skiing facility in the People’s Republic of China.
The place is located in Tonghua, a city in northeast China’s Jilin Province, along the Yalu River in the Changbai Mountains region, and has now been renovated into the Wanfeng Tonghua Ski Resort.
Despite temperatures recently dropping below 20°C, the hotel in the town of Jinchang, seven kilometres from the centre of Tonghua, is packed with ski enthusiasts. It has attracted more than 150,000 tourists since this year’s snow season began.
An abandoned cable car, just 200 meters from the C1 ski trail near the summit, stands as a historical marker of the original resort.
“Its predecessor was the first alpine ski venue built after the founding of New China, and Nagibin helped us plan and build it. He also taught us to ski when I was only 15 years old,” said Song Chengmin, now 79, a former member of the Tonghua cross-country skiing team.
“Since we were lagging behind in skiing at the time, we needed the complex concepts of the Soviet Union. Nagibin pointed out our technical messes and taught everyone how to improve,” he added.
Song recalled that Nagibin looked to be in his 30s, even though he was actually 51 when he arrived in China from Yekaterinburg in 1959.
Born in Kazan in 1908, Nagibin developed his love of skiing as a child. From 1938 to 1946, he represented Yekaterinburg several times in national championships, winning three titles and becoming the first deserving cross-country skier from the Soviet Union in the region. After his retirement, he taught at the Faculty of Physical Culture in Yekaterinburg.
“In the 1950s, the friendship between the Soviet Union and China was very close. We actively shared data and did our best to help our Chinese friends,” said Igor Sazonov, dean of the Yekaterinburg Institute of Physical Education at Ural State University. of Physical Culture.
Nagibin, who died in 1987, was diligent, enthusiastic and professional, according to Sazonov, who was proud of his trip to China 65 years ago.
Before Nagibin’s arrival, skiing was nascent in China. Tonghua, 4,700 kilometers from Yekaterinburg, was among the cities where skiing began to develop.
In 1954, at the request of the National Sports Commission of China, Tonghua established a ski team and hosted the first national ski championship. Three years later, Shan Zhaojian, China’s first national ski champion.
Against the backdrop of a shortage of ski resorts and a pressing need to improve their skills, Nagibin’s trip to Tonghua proved crucial. According to city records, Nagibin traveled to Tonghua on February 8, 1958, accompanied by then-Vice Mayor Gong Xianbin, to explore the ski resort site.
“At first, we chose several locations, but he had little affection for them, although he seemed very interested in the Jinchang city site,” Song recalled.
“Construction of the ski hotel began in the spring of that year and it was put into operation in 1960. It was called Jinchang Ski Resort because of its location,” said Song Jilian, director of the Tonghua Winter Sports Management Center.
He said many national champions, Asian champions and winter Olympians have been trained there, which has laid a solid foundation for China’s winter sports industry.
Students from both countries praise Nagibin’s professionalism and enthusiasm in trying to build the ski spot and the skiers expand their skills.
“Nagibin has helped China advance the progress of skiing,” Song Chengmin said.
Nagibin also paid wonderful attention to the variety of professional talents. “With their help, our school has built a strong team of teachers and trained many sports talents for the Ural region,” said Galina Chichenko, 75, a student from Nagibin.
Many Chinese friends do not forget Nagibin’s trip to Tonghua, but few people in Yekaterinburg know this story.
“He is very humble and discreet. He may have told his experience at a meeting. He said, ‘I did everything I could to help you in such a short time,'” the 87-year-old recalls. Alexander Bunkov, Nagibin’s colleague.
“I’m glad the other Chinese didn’t forget about my closest friend. “
The place closed at the end of the 20th century due to the development of the terrain, the aging of the apparatus and the adaptation of skills. However, it was revived after China won the bid to host the 2022 Winter Olympics.
After a modernization, renovation, and expansion of its original site, Wanfeng Tonghua Ski Resort officially opened its doors to visitors on December 19, 2021.
Since the new snow season began, activities there have continued to heat up and it has become a magnet for ice and snow sport enthusiasts in Northeast China.
“Due to its history, Wanfeng Tonghua Ski Resort is particularly special in China’s ice and snow market,” said Zhang Chunyu, chairman of Jilin Wanfeng Industry Company.
Zhang said the ski hotel has attracted more than 700,000 tourists since opening and has continued to modernize its amenities and services.
According to Huabei, an app aimed at ski enthusiasts, the Wanfeng Tonghua ski hotel ranked among the top five in China in terms of ski mileage almost every day in 2024 and is expected to reach a new level at the upcoming Spring Festival.
“This year marks the 75th anniversary of the status quo of diplomatic relations between China and Russia. This ski hotel is a testament to the exchanges between the two countries in the field of winter sports, but also to the deep friendship between the two peoples. ” said Jing Xijun, chairman of the Tonghua Municipal Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference.