Notes and Essays -- John Brown

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China has become trendy for Russians who once worshiped everything Western. Young people are learning Mandarin, and Chinese culture and goods have become ubiquitous in Moscow. Chiho, a restaurant chain in Moscow. Chinese restaurants have been sprouting in cities across Russia. By  Ivan Nechepurenko Photographs by  Nanna Heitmann Reporting from Moscow for  The New York Times June 30, 2025,   5:00 a.m. ET Standing under a pagoda roof at the entrance to a sprawling Chinese-themed park in Moscow, Alyona Iyevskaya was doing homework for her university. Against a backdrop of ornate pavilions, arched bridges, a pond and a statue of Confucius, a friend filmed her on a camera phone gushing about the park — in Mandarin. Ms. Iyevskaya, 19, said she chose to study the language at Moscow City University, where she is a first-year student, because she believes China is on the rise and her prospects will be better if she speaks the language. Many Moscow universities now offer simi...