Goodbye Saint Petersburg!

After 15 weeks in Saint Petersburg, the time has finally come to say goodbye and fly home to the UK! Although this was not my first time in Russia (I spent two weeks here in 2018 summer), my experience was completely different. I feel as though living here long-term, rather than just as a holiday, gave me much greater insight into the country and its culture.

Trip highlights

My favourite experience during my time in Saint Petersburg was my trip to Peterhof, closely followed by Catherine’s palace. I visited both of these places at the start, during August, and the sunny weather combined with the beautiful scenery made the days spent there especially picturesque. I’ve also become particularly fond of Georgian cuisine while here, and have enjoyed exploring the seemingly endless Georgian restaurants around the city. One thing I’m not looking forward to is returning to London prices, after having gotten used to regularly eating out in nice places for such reasonable prices.

My experience at Liden & Denz

I am extremely glad that I had the opportunity to join Liden & Denz as an intern, and would recommend the internship to anyone interested in studying Russian here. Writing blogs has given me the opportunity to visit and research places and aspects of Russian culture which I otherwise may not have discovered. Moreover, the intensive lessons which I received in return have undoubtedly helped my language improve in leaps and bounds. Spending 20 hours a week in a small-group class, I spoke more Russian than in the whole previous 5 years I spent studying it. Thanks to the teaching, I feel as though my confidence has vastly improved, particularly when speaking. I now feel as though I could hold a conversation with locals, without needing google translate on hand!

Next time…

If I had had more time here I would have liked to have travelled further around this huge country. I thoroughly enjoyed my trip to Moscow, and the weekend visits to towns surrounding Saint Petersburg. However, one day, I would like to venture all the way to Siberia (although preferably not in winter). Indeed, I am very glad to have managed to see the snow which arrived in Saint Petersburg during my final week here. However, I don’t think that I am made for cold weather, and would say -10 °C is my limit!

I would also certainly like to come back to Saint Petersburg in the future. The city now holds a special place in my heart, and I would to return in a few years and remember the great time I spent living here. I am looking forward to returning to my studies in the UK with a newfound enthusiasm for Russian language and Russian culture. Although I am sad to say goodbye now, I can say with certainty that it is not goodbye forever. Thank you, Liden & Denz, for the opportunity. Пока for now!

By Alice, currently studying at Liden & Denz in Saint Petersburg