Привет from Alice
Привет! I’m Alice, and I have just started studying at Liden & Denz, which I will be continuing for the next 3 months, alongside the blogging internship they offer, and can’t wait to start exploring St Petersburg and getting to know the city better.
I am from London and study French and Russian at Durham university. As part of my degree, I am spending the first four months of my third year in Russia, and then working in Paris from January to July, with the aim of improving my fluency in both languages. After 18 months of disruption due to covid, I was not convinced that I would make it abroad this year, and can’t believe that I am finally here.
I have studied Russian for almost 7 years now, and my main motivation for choosing it at age 13 was simply how interesting and unusual the language seemed. Despite my love-hate relationship with Russian grammar, I enjoy the satisfaction that comes from finally mastering it, and am fascinated by the logical yet complex nuances which form such a beautiful language.
Swan lake at the Marinsky in 2018
My ultimate aim is to be able to read some of the iconic Russian classics in the original language (and hopefully before that to stop getting English responses when ordering in restaurants!). During my time studying Russian, I have learned a lot about the fascinating culture behind the language, but am excited to finally see it in action with my own eyes.
In 2018 I spent two weeks in St Petersburg, during which I attended Liden & Denz classes, and this trip solidified my love of both the country and the Russian language, and inspired me to continue it at university. Having only scraped the surface of this huge city, I was determined to come back and discover the depths of Russia and what it has to offer. I am looking forward to documenting my discoveries on this blog, including my tips and insider information for anyone interested in visiting!
Alice, currently studying at Liden & Denz St Petersburg
How lovely to hear that you are fulfilling a childhood dream – and in St. Petersburg. I hope you are able to immerse yourself in the culture, history and language between now and December. I hope the theatre and dance and the rest of the arts scene comes roaring back after taking a break for Covid.
Very proud of you.
Hazel
Hi Alice, I am so impressed that you are living in St Petersburg for four months. I managed to get there for two days with Intourist in 1988 when it was called Leningrad. It was during the Soviet era so you could only travel with the official tourist agency and the visa was very specific about the places you could visit. The itinerary was Moscow, Leningrad, Minsk and Vilnius. I had relatives in Vilnius and was able to have supper with them in their flat. In Minsk the tour took us to the war memorial which was a reminder of the important role that the Soviet Union played in WWII. I could not understand the language but I remember seeing television programmes about the war which looked spookily similar to British war dramas with the USSR substituted for the UK. In Leningrad I loved the architecture and was overwhelmed by the art in the Hermitage. What an amazing place to spend time. I have signed up for your updates and look forward to hearing all about it.
Thank you! Yes, everything here is more or less open so been enjoying seeing all the culture, and looking forward to doing more, and will hopefully post all about it on here!