In September 2025, JAM Publishing House in Russia released three new books by Mishukova. Among them, Viet Nam. Major Holidays focuses on Tet Nguyen Dan (the Lunar New Year Festival) in Viet Nam. The book was published to commemorate the author’s 30 years of research on Viet Nam, spanning from 1995 to 2025.
In the book, Mishukova writes about Tet Nguyen Dan based on her own lived experiences across various aspects. Her first encounters with Vietnamese Tet left her with particularly special impressions.
She recalled being introduced to Tet traditions, customs, and festive dishes in 1996, when she was a first-year student in Vladivostok. Her Vietnamese language teacher invited several students to her home to celebrate Tet in a warm, family-like atmosphere, just as in genuine Vietnamese households.
In 1998, she celebrated Tet in Ha Noi. Since then, she has taken part in and experienced numerous Lunar New Year activities with Vietnamese people across different regions of the country.
Through many years of living and working in Viet Nam, Mishukova has preserved moments and deep impressions of this important traditional holiday.
According to her, the word “Tet” is simple and concise, yet it conveys meanings that are intimate and dear to the Vietnamese heart. Any foreigner can pronounce “Tet” accurately in Vietnamese.
Tet holds immense significance for Vietnamese people. It marks the beginning of a new month, a new season, and a new year. Tet arrives at a unique moment — the transition between the old year and the new, between cycles of heaven, earth, and all things.
In addition to highlighting traditional customs, Mishukova’s new book also introduces modern innovations in contemporary Tet Nguyen Dan.
Notably, the appendix contains “Memoirs of Orientalists”, in which her colleagues recount their own memories of Tet Nguyen Dan in Viet Nam during their time living and working there.
Tet holds immense significance for Vietnamese people. It marks the beginning of a new month, a new season, and a new year. Tet arrives at a unique moment — the transition between the old year and the new, between cycles of heaven, earth, and all things.
Mishukova enthusiastically remarked on the Vietnamese character trait that impressed her most: the more prosperous and successful modern Viet Nam becomes, the more its people value their traditions.
When asked what she appreciates most about Vietnamese culture, she cheerfully replied that it is the harmony between innovation, modernity, and tradition.
Mishukova began studying Vietnamese in 1995 at university in her hometown of Vladivostok. After graduating and completing postgraduate studies, she worked at the Institute of Oriental Studies at Far Eastern Federal University. In 2007, she became Deputy Head of the Vietnamese Department. Later, she moved into business and tourism.
She has received numerous commendations and certificates of merit from Vietnamese agencies, including a certificate of merit from Viet Nam’s Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism in 2012, and a consolation prize at the 11th National Award for External Relations Information in 2025.
