Interview with a student from Peru studying in Russia

1) Please introduce yourself, what is your name, how old are you, where are you from, how long have you been in Russia?

My name is Ervins Garcia, I am 33 years old, I am from Peru, I have been in Russia for one year and three months.

2) Tell us a little about the training program in Russia, how does the government organize education?

I am a student of the Energy Efficiency in Construction program at the Faculty of Civil Engineering of Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University. The Russian Cultural Center in Peru is responsible for organizing the information stage and the first stage of the scholarship program. The second stage is conducted by the Russian Ministry of Education, applicants are monitored through its website.

3) Why do they go to study in Russia, what other study options are there?

Personally, I really like Russia, it’s a very interesting country with a rich history, lots of beautiful places to visit and access to a very important culture.

I would also like to study in Brazil, but for political reasons, the number of scholarships provided by the government has been reduced.

4) What specialties are usually chosen?

I chose the Energy Efficiency in Construction program at the Faculty of Civil Engineering. But educational programs exist for all professions.

5) What are the advantages of the program and study in Russia?

The level of education is higher, I believe that it is more efficient, and a number of standards are being introduced in Russia to modernize construction and improve energy efficiency, which greatly affects the education in my specialty. In addition, students have the opportunity to enroll in other courses free of charge, including those organized by other foreign universities.

6) Do students usually stay to work in Russia or return to their homeland?

It seems to me that most students return to their country, others are looking for opportunities in Europe and fewer of those who are looking for an opportunity to stay in Russia, but this is my point of view, I may be wrong, I did not check the statistics.

7) What, in your opinion, are the main differences between culture and mentality?

It attaches great importance to the development of culture, it is easy to get to libraries, bookstores, theaters, museums, cultural events and sporting events. In my country it is not given the same importance. Also here people work less.

8) How do you like the food, the climate. Is there any food that you liked?

I really like Russian sweets and variety of bread. They also have a lot of very good drinks and a variety of beers.

I also like the climate because it is different in my country. Here, every season of the year gives different landscapes, it’s wonderful.

9) What do you like and dislike about Russia?

I like :

Transport system

Cultural events

Education

Climate

I don’t like:

It’s hard to make friends

10) What funny, unpleasant incidents were there?

When I had to leave Russia and return, foreigners were forced to take a COVID test, while Russians who were on the same bus were not required to do so, which seemed illogical to me.

11) Can you recommend your friends to go here, what are the recommendations before the trip?

Yes, I recommend you to come, it’s a very pleasant experience. I would recommend that they choose the right program they want to study and the university they are going to. It seems to me that Moscow and St. Petersburg have the best universities. If they have doubts, they can get the opinion or recommendations of students through the social networks of various universities and their departments, the university staff and students are very active and there is always someone ready to help.

12) What did you manage to visit from the sights, what did you like?

In St. Petersburg, I really liked the architecture of the historical center, the Hermitage, the Peter and Paul Fortress, the Pushkin Museum. In Moscow, VDNKh, Red Square, the Kremlin. I also liked the city of Rostov-on-Don, these cities have a lot of history.

13) Did you manage to find Russian friends?

Yes, mostly with people I do language exchanges with who are interested in learning Spanish.

14) Are there any difficulties with living here, with people, cultural differences, communication?

Yes, it can be somewhat difficult, but it is also interesting to learn about new customs and traditions, it motivates you to learn new languages. One must be careful about jokes, and it is important to accept the ways of others and strive to learn from them.

15) How difficult was it to learn Russian, how long did it take?

I still do not speak Russian well, it is very difficult, especially if you are not surrounded by Russians, in the student hostel we were surrounded by foreign students and we mostly communicated in English.

Thanks to Ervins for the interview. I wish you positive emotions and a good experience in Russia.