THE word "diving" appeared in the Russian language not so long ago. The activity attracts Russians, who prefer to visit islands and coastal cities.
Diving has been popular since the 1950s. Public interest grew thanks to the explorer, Jacques Cousteau, who invented scuba gear in 1943 and published a fascinating article about underwater archaeology in the 'National Geographic' magazine in 1953.
I would say this activity opens up a wonderful world: it allows people to get acquainted with underwater inhabitants.
And Malaysia is one of many countries offering an "underwater paradise". The waters of the South China Sea and Sulawesi also provide excellent conditions for divers of all skill levels.
An abundance of marine life, depths of up to 1,000m and good visibility underwater is a diver's dream. The best resorts with a wide selection of professional diving centres are on the islands of Sipadan, Tioman and Redang.
Cousteau, who visited Sipadan in the 1970s and made the film 'Ghost of the Sea Turtle' (1989), called this island one of the last pearls of our planet.
I know something about the beauty of the underwater world of Malaysia from my own experience. My daughter, Anastasia, who fell in love with diving in Malaysia, got me involved in this amazing sport.
Malaysia's participation in the 9th International Diving Show from Feb 8 to 11 in Moscow (the largest in Russia and Eastern Europe) aroused great interest.
A friend, Nikolai, was delighted with the attractions Malaysia has to offer.
"This is a great show, and I especially liked the Malaysian exhibition. I can't wait to go to Malaysia during my summer vacation."
Deputy director of Tourism Malaysia (Moscow office), Zulkifli Mohamed, as if in answer to Nikolai, said:
"Malaysia welcomes a significant number of tourists each year, particularly those interested in diving. Diving tourism is one of our strengths. Malaysia is committed to the ecological well-being of its marine parks, home to some of the rarest marine life.
"Seasoned divers are well aware of this, and we are eager to share this advantage with newcomers."
The new Malaysian ambassador to Russia, Datuk Cheong Loon Lai, shared his impressions of the show with me:
"The feedback on Tourism Malaysia's participation in the diving show is very positive.
"The interest of Russian travellers underscores the growing recognition of the unique diving experiences in Malaysia. This will help to drive tourism traffic.
"Indeed, the main challenge before us now is flight connectivity. In other words, establishing direct flights between Russia and Malaysia."
Pogadaev, writing from Moscow, is a former lecturer at Universiti Malaya