Life and Feelings in Russian
Min Dong, a student of the Russian Literature in Cross-Cultural and Intermedial Perspectives program, shares her experiences of studying, traveling, and living in St. Petersburg.
During my undergraduate studies, I systematically studied the Russian language. In the course of my studies, I found that I am interested in the history, culture, art, and literature of Russia. Therefore, I chose to go to Russia for an exchange program during my junior year. This exchange program was a very enriching experience, and made me realize how interesting ancient Russian literature is, especially when classmates read in the class. After the exchange, I decided to come to Russia to pursue a master’s degree in literature.
It was in November 2022 that I first came to Russia. My first impression was probably the first snowfall in Moscow. As a person from the southern part of China, this view brought me a great sense of freshness because I had hardly ever seen snow in my hometown. Everything around me was full of novelty upon my arrival. However, besides freshness, there was still a feeling of fear around me. As a result, for the first few days, I only dared to say “Hello”, “Thank you”, and “Goodbye”. Looking back, I wish I could have hugged myself at that time.
I have been to some places in Russia. Among them, Murmansk impressed me the most. Not only because it was where I traveled alone, but also because I could see the unfrozen harbor in the Arctic Ocean and gorgeous aurora borealis, which I only read about in books. That left a deep impression on me.
In fact, I had always dreamt of going to St. Petersburg to travel in order to visit the museums and see the architecture. So I made up my mind that I would go to St. Petersburg to study and live. That’s why the universities in St. Petersburg were my first choice when I applied for master’s.
My favorite thing about St. Petersburg is its parks and nature. The parks in St. Petersburg are very beautiful and a suitable place for relaxing. Also, I prefer to spend a whole day in the museum because it is hard to describe the feeling of wonder when the real paintings that I have seen in books are right in front of me.
Before choosing the Higher School of Economics, I learned that it is one of the top universities in Russia. It is a modern and international university, which appealed to me. I applied to two campuses of HSE and listed the campus in St. Petersburg as my first choice. Luckily, I passed the interview and was accepted into the Russian Literature in Cross-Cultural and Intermedial Perspective program.
I chose this major because of my love for Russian literature during my undergraduate studies. I remember that I spent my entire freshman year reading Anna Karenina. This work gave me my first insight into the charm of Russian literature. Later, during my exchange in Russia, after receiving in-depth explanations from local teachers, I became fully immersed in it and was deeply captivated. As the saying goes, “There are as many Hamlets as there are people who read it,” I believe that everyone's interpretation of literature is unique, which is precisely why I chose this program. Many of the courses at HSE left a deep impression on me, particularly Prosodic Theory—the rhythm of poetry is incredibly fascinating. The elective course City As a Character in Literature was equally fantastic, with the teacher's humor and interesting style opening up entirely new perspectives for me in discovering literature.
During my year at HSE, I felt that it was a highly systematized school. Almost all processes could be conveniently handled online, which was simple and straightforward, providing great convenience for students.
It must be acknowledged that the academic pressure at HSE was considerable. This has been one of the more intense periods of my academic journey (though I say this with a touch of humor). However, I know that uphill climbs in studying are always difficult, and feeling pain and pressure may actually indicate that one is making progress. Additionally, I believe that studying at HSE requires a serious and diligent attitude. Our program involves a significant number of classroom presentations and essays, and without careful reading of literature and meticulous writing, one simply cannot succeed!
In my opinion, the greatest difficulty has always been learning Russian. Despite a four-year systematic study in my country, this was not enough. We should practice and study more. I still worry about various problems when using it. At one point, I was so worried that native speakers would laugh at my accent and mistakes in grammar. That caused me to become reluctant to speak. However, not solving the problem would only make me gradually lose confidence, which is something I still find upsetting.
Even after a year of studying at HSE, I still often need to rely on translation when reading books and papers. This is not an ideal situation. I have tried to find Chinese translations of the literature, but many translations are not accurate, and unfortunately, most core literature is only available in English or Russian. This has made me even more certain of the purpose of my study—to continuously improve my Russian reading skills!
For international students planning to study in Russia, especially those choosing the Russian Literature in Cross-Cultural and Intermedial Perspective program, my advice is: firstly, it is essential to continuously practice the Russian language skills in listening, speaking, reading, and writing—this is the foundation. Secondly, accumulating a sufficient reading volume is crucial; broadly exploring both foreign and Russian literature will provide a solid theoretical foundation for your research. Finally, and what I consider the most important point: actively communicate with teachers and classmates. I have not done this well enough, often worrying that my questions might be silly or embarrassing. Of course, I understand that I need to adjust my mindset, improve my methods, and courageously take the first step toward communication.
Text: Min Dong, a student of the Russian Literature in Cross-Cultural and Intermedial Perspectives program
Edited by: Renata Tyapaeva, a student of the Russian Literature in Cross-Cultural and Intermedial Perspectives program