By He Jiayu

At midday on 29 December 2019, when the reporter met Russian friend Repin, he was cleaning his new office at Guoqiang road in Gangzha district. He showed the two pieces of automatic chicken raising equipment which the company sells, ‘in the past when customers came we could only show them videos and albums, now we have real objects.’

Repin started to work and stay in China in 2006. He married a Chinese wife, speaks Chinese well and can read simple text. ‘I have stayed in Nantong for 8 years. I like this beautiful city.’ Repin said. In 2012, in order to provide customers service for those who purchased equipment, Texha Company where he worked planned to set up an office in Jiangsu. ‘The original plan was to have an office in Shanghai, but I felt that Nantong was good, close to Shanghai and Yancheng, and had good environment.’

The last time Repin was seen was at the New Year celebration of foreigners in Nantong organized by Nantong foreign affairs office. He and two international students from Laos sang a song my good buddy together. ‘I organized a band when I was in school, participated in a chorus, and I still like singing now.’ he won the 1st prize of Nantong foreigner singing competition with a Grandmother's Penghu Bay in both Chinese and Russian, and filled in Russian lyrics for many Chinese songs, such as socialism is good, beauty of autumn of Deng Lijun, and children’s songs like little bunny.

Repin said that he translated the lyric of Nantong, a good home, but he needs more time to practice singing it. ‘I will practice and record the song, because Nantong is really a good home.’