Encouraging the nation to be strong in the face of the economic crisis, Queen Elizabeth II has advised all to make do with little – just like ‘Eugene’ Karamyshev, a student from Russia, Express Gazeta Online says.

A tram driver, as well as a higher education student and part-time village teacher from the city of Magnitogorsk in the Urals, Eugene – originally Evgeny – Karamyshev can really be called an example of patriotism and optimism, which struck the Queen’s heartstrings.

“The economic crisis has paralysed many Russian enterprises and plants. Some people work for miserable money in order not to lose a job. Salaries got lower but I’m not losing courage. I’m just not borrowing money and not lending it. And certainly, I believe in the wise politics of our government and President Medvedev,” Evgeny says, as quoted by Express Gazeta Online.

It appeared that the 31-year-old tram driver from the Urals has been in correspondence with Queen Elizabeth II for 12 years already.

As it often happens, it all started with a joke. Once Evgeny’s university English teacher praised him, and the group mates said that now Evgeny’s level of proficiency is so high that he can write a letter to the Queen without fear.

And Evgeny tried – successfully, to his astonishment. Since then he has allegedly got 22 letters from the Queen, and seven from Prince Charles.

“Don’t think that I do it for fame or profit,” Evgeny says, “I just like the history of Great Britain very much since I was a child, as well as its castles and contemporaries’ memoirs about the members of the royal family. That’s why I decided to just get acquainted with them a bit closer.”