Studying at the HSE made me feel like I was part of something bigger!
I liked Moscow and Russia so much that I decided to come back after graduation, improve my Russian and take a shot at living and working here!
My year in Russia began in September 2021, after waiting a long long year in covid. Ever since the very first week I began to explore the university life falling in love with the HSE buildings (I think there’s no better place in the world to study better than in Pakrovka!), university life and with Moscow itself.
Some things were hard at first, like adapting to Russian food, to the weather and to how huge the city was - but thankfully I immediately made friends both locals and international that helped me through the process. Even professors and the manager of my program were extremely helpful! Not only by helping me through all the bureaucracy, but also by indicating me great projects and activities within the university and outside.
The university routine was amazing, going to classes and meeting with my classmates, having a drink together on the weekends, going crazy about our dissertation together… it made me feel like I was part of something bigger! I never felt left out even if I didn’t speak Russian, and they always tried to involve me into Russian culture.
After just couple months in Moscow, I went to visit Saint Petersburg during a long weekend in November. It was stunning! I was lucky enough to see it under the sun and it was just like I was back in time, in the times of kings and queens. There I even was able to go visit the Hermitage which took me a day to visit (and actually I visited only half of it!), I had some amaaazing typical donuts and just immersed myself in the Russian culture.
During the year, between a meeting with my supervisor for the dissertation and a workday as teacher assistant, I was also able to visit Kazan and find out more about Tatar history and try what ended up to be my favorite «Russian» food: ecipocimak! And I even went as far as the Arctic Circle by visiting Murmansk in winter and so being able to see the Northern Lights for a quarter the price it would’ve been in Finland or other northerner counties! There I also had a lot of fun in a Husky park and I was on a ladder with Santa’s helpers, the deer!
When in June I was finally done with writing my dissertation - of which I’m very proud, and I owe it to my supervisor in a good amount as he always supported me! - and the weather in Moscow was amazing every day, I spent most of my time discovering the amazing nature of the town, meeting with my friends and just enjoying life. The graduation day will always be a great memory to me, one of the best days of my life as it summoned up the amazing year I had in Moscow.
I liked Moscow and Russia so much that I decided to come back after graduation, improve my Russian and take a shot at living and working here!
Thank you to Francesca for sharing her memories with us!