Sleepless in St. Petersburg – hello from interns Alexandra and Izabela
Meet our new interns! Alexandra from Germany and Izabela from Slovakia are studying Russian and interning as bloggers at Liden & Denz in St. Petersburg. In their first post, they talk about their love of the city, their first impressions of Russia and the reasons to come back again and again.
Alexandra
St. Petersburg seems to be a city that is hard to get enough of (even though it seriously deprives you of your well-deserved sleep, especially during White Nights). Once you’ve been there you keep coming back and you will always find a reason why your next return is inevitable. This time I decided it’s time to polish my CV and start an internship in Russia.
With its depressing rain and notoriously unfriendly citizens, St. Petersburg and Berlin actually are not that different. Being German, one of my favorite hobbies is complain and the Russian knack for suffering provides me with the perfect addition for my passions. A long line of coincidences, starting from refusal to learn French at school (with Russian, for some reason, being the only alternative) to some girl giving a presentation about the Hermitage, finally led to my leaving my country behind and search for new challenges abroad.
Every time I look at my notes I regret what I did, but for some reason St. Petersburg simply has me completely captivated. From the very first time I set foot on the sidewalk I was absolutely enchanted. Its stunning architecture and vibrant night life are only a small part of the charm. The people, the manners, the fact that Russia works as a country with a mentality like this is a mesmerizing subject to study. Maybe one day I will comprehend what gets the Russian soul in motion and then my mission will be over. But until then, I will continue to come back and unveil the country and their people bit by bit.
Izabela
I was studying at Liden & Denz two years ago and just like Alexandra, I immediately fell in love with St. Petersburg and dreamed of coming back ever since. I wanted to experience more of the culture I’m so fascinated by, further explore the city and most importantly, get to know its people. As a lover of art and literature, I believe it can help me to better understand the Russian way of life.
Right now, my dream is coming true. I’ve already made a mental list of all the things I want to see and some favorite places I’d like to revisit. I’m looking forward to attending my first Russian ballet performance, going to Tsarskoe Selo at the weekend and popping into a few museums, too. Of course, I’m going to document all my adventures on the blog, so watch this space!
When I’m not blogging or wandering around St. Petersburg, I can be found in my hometown of Bratislava, Slovakia, or in Vienna, where I’m pursuing a Master’s degree in Translation and Interpreting with English, German and Russian. I’ve been learning Russian for a few years now, but there’s still plenty of room for improvement and there’s no better way to learn a language than by spending a few weeks with native speakers – so that’s another reason why I’m so excited to be back.
We can’t wait to share more posts with you soon! If you have any suggestions about content you’d like to see from us, feel free to comment on our Facebook page. In the meantime, you can explore Russia through the eyes of our fellow interns…
Пока!
