Viktor Batanov， a Ukraine music director with Hangzhou Normal University since 2006， was honored with West Lake Friendship Award 2009 by Zhejiang Provincial Government for his unique contribution to the prosperity of arts in the province. The annual award by the provincial government is designed to honor foreign experts working in Zhejiang for their outstanding contributions to the province’s social and economic progress.

Viktor Batanov came to Hangzhou in September 2006. At the university the Ukraine has been working as music conductor of the symphony orchestra， as art director of the chamber music， as teacher of double bass. He has taken part in over 300 performances in Hangzhou， including some high-profile events such as the city’s celebration of the 70th anniversary of the red arm’s long march in 2006， city’s colleges’ celebration of the 30th anniversary of reform and opening up in 2008， and a performance by the visiting Ukrainian National Culture Delegation. Moreover， he has been taking a highly active part in promoting elegant culture across campuses， a province-wide project.

Born into a family of musicians in Vinnitsa， Ukraine in April 1980， Viktor Batanov grew up to be a musician. He studied in a music school and began to play for the symphony orchestra of Vinnitsa and the symphony orchestra of his school. When he entered the Odessa National Conservatory of Music at 22， he had played as a professional bass player for five years. Founded in 1913， the conservatory offered the talented young Batanov opportunities to take part in various music exchange programs in various countries. He became a conductor of chamber music.

Then one day Viktor ran into Ma Wei， a Chinese girl and pianist， in the public kitchen of the student dorm. From Baotou City， Inner Mongolia， she began to play piano at 8 and taught piano after graduation from the Art College of Inner Mongolia University. She resigned from the college and came to Odessa in 2000 to study piano and musicology. It happened that Ma Wei and Viktor Batanov were neighbors across the corridor. As one studied piano and the other was engaged in the study of orchestral music， they pursued different paths. But they were destined to meet as they lived just across the corridor.

When Viktor saw Ma Wei in the student kitchen， he was with a Chinese friend. He asked the friend to translate his “how beautiful you are” to Ma Wei. But Ma Wei understood the Russian words. It was their first meeting.

One day， Ma Wei knocked at Viktor’s door asking him to help her with the lock on her door. The lock was out of order and she didn’t know how to get it fixed. Viktor got it fixed and the two began to date. After half a year， they went steady.

Ma Wei graduated as a PhD from Odessa National Conservatory of Music and came back to China in 2005. She was hired to teach music at the Music College of Zhejiang Normal University.

After learning that Hangzhou Normal University was seeking a music director who could double as a teacher for its newly established symphony orchestra， Ma Wei recommended Viktor Batanov.

In September 2006， Viktor Batanov arrived. The young man soon proved to be more than a music teacher. Under the omnipotent guidance of the versatile Ukraine， the HNU orchestra has matured professionally and successfully transformed from a student orchestra into a professional orchestra qualified for public concerts. His colleagues agree unanimously that Viktor has played a critical and unique part in bringing symphony in its original charm， a European musical genre， to the city. Over the past three years， Viktor has conducted more than 300 performances.

Viktor Batanov’s music capability is fully appreciated and recognized by the university and his colleagues in the city. He now doubles as a guest conductor for Zhejiang Symphony Orchestra and Hangzhou Philharmonic. He will conduct a jointly performance by Zhejiang Symphony Orchestra and the Secret Garden of Norway at the Norwegian Pavilion at 2010 Shanghai World Expo.

Viktor works at the music college at the foot of Jade Emperor Hill on the southeastern side of the West Lake and he lives on the campus of the university in Wenyi Road， on the other side of the lake. When he first arrived， he was so fascinated with the West Lake that he often walked to work in the morning and walked back home in the evening. The 2.5-hour journey allowed him to enjoy the poetry of the lake.

He has adapted well to the Chinese culture. He thinks he is half Chinese now. The Ukrainian celebrates Chinese Spring Festival with his in-law family. He chooses to stay in Hangzhou， instead of going to Inner Mongolia or back to Ukraine. □