'Take the Helm!': HSE SPB Day 2026 at 'Sevkabel Port'
The Gulf of Finland, a sunny autumn day changing to a downpour and a rosy-coloured sunset... This is the scenery of the official initiation of first-year HSE University-St Petersburg students. At the festival, guests went sailing in a sea of extracurricular activities, heard city legends, and built lighthouses to illuminate an unexplored university path. Read on to find out how the festival went.
On Saturday, there was the main event of the new academic year—HSE SPB Day. In 2026, the festival gathered more than 3000 guests, among whom were students, professors, alumni, university friends, partners and St Petersburg citizens.
Anna Tyshetskaya, Chief Vice President of HSE University and Head of the St Petersburg campus, addressed the first-years, wishing them bright, eventful student life. 'It's important for us to see your motivation, interest, and, above all, passion for what you are doing. University years are priceless, as you can devote them to yourself and self-development. So I wish the time, which you will spend at HSE University-St Petersburg to become the most interesting in your life. Welcome to the family!'
The freshmen also received congratulations from Sergey Fedorovtsev, Olympic champion in rowing and Sports Director at HSE University, and members of the Board of Trustees: Konstantin Mayevsky, Technical Director of the macro-regional branch North-West Rostelecom, Dmitriy Alekseev, Vice Chairman of the Board of 'Bank 'Saint Petersburg', Yury Astafiev, Deputy Executive Director of Retail Business at 'Bank VTB', and Olga Shemyakina, Board Member, Director for Marketing, Product and Strategy at 'First Furniture Factory'.
'I wholeheartedly congratulate you on HSE SPB Day! I wish students to attend lectures with joy and go to bed anticipating tomorrow's classes. Never approach the things you study formally. Try to learn more than required just to pass an exam. I wish professors to have interesting, moderately diligent and, most importantly, creative, curious students. Congratulations!', wished Konstantin Mayevsky.
'You've been enrolled in one of the best universities in Russia, so in the first place, I wish you to enjoy genuinely the studies here. Looking back at my student years, I can definitely say that the most valuable things for me were friendship and an ability to find a way out of a seemingly hopeless situation. I wish you to find the same in the upcoming years. Celebrate, meet new people and make friends!', said Dmitriy Alekseev to the first-years.
The students also listened to parting words by deans and deputy school heads, and the director of the new division at HSE University-St Petersburg—the School of Media. In their speeches, they wished the first-years to take joy in new knowledge, find like-minded people and not be afraid to set the most ambitious goals.
The festival started with the music club 'Murzik' performing a cover of the popular song 'Кто ты?' ('Who are you?')
'As a band, we play four concerts per year, but apart from the performances, we also engage in enlightening activities: for instance, we organise meetings during which we discuss genres or get to know new artists in informal settings. Besides, we are regularly looking for instrumentalists and vocalists. We invite everyone to a welcome meeting on September 11, where we will share the selection criteria and stages in detail', commented Margarita Dremova, 2nd-year student of the Bachelor's programme 'Media Communications' and a club member.
While the hosts introduced the guests to dance teams and music bands, at 'Sevkabel Port', diverse pavilions with activities prepared by more than 30 extracurricular organisations and divisions of HSE University-St Petersburg. There, the guests sang karaoke, tested the strength of maritime knots, played a blitz football game and practised theatre make-up.
'Our theatre 'Svoy Variant' has existed for 25 years. We traditionally play three large premieres per year. We write scripts for all plays ourselves. Apart from classical plays, we organise immersive performances and children's charitable plays for the Red Cross. You can see us at Kantemirovskaya or at city theatres: for instance, for the last two years, 'Svoy Variant' has been performing at 'Ostrov' on Kamennoostrovsky Avenue. If you want to join us, come to the audition in October with a programme, song, poem and good mood', explained Alisa Antipova, head of the theatre and groupmate of Margarita.
Alongside the Kozhevennaya line, there were pavilions of HSE University-St Petersburg clubs: basketball and football leagues, a sports club and similarly-named cheerleading team 'Northern Raven'. In the same place, in the united field of the sailing club 'Hermes', 'Bank VTB' and 'Severnaya Verf', the guests took photos in the real captain's chair, solved puzzles made of ship's iron, mastered the art of maritime knots and sent postcards to their future selves and close people.
'HSE University and VTB have a long-standing partnership. Each of our contact points is full of significance, ideas, innovation and action. When organisers announced the concept of the festival, it was obvious: in the city with great shipbuilding traditions, we have to bring it to life with the industry leaders. 'Severnaya Verf' is the largest flagshipof ship building in St Petersburg. The enterprise is aimed at working with the youth and does a lot for academic development.
Though treating education seriously, we tried to fill the festival with warmth and smiles. The guests shared their emotions with great joy in a seemingly forgotten way—they wrote the innermost to their parents and friends and sent a physical postcard', commented Pavel Eremenko, Deputy Head of the Office for Management of Payroll Projects Sales in St Petersburg and Leningrad Region of 'Bank VTB'.
The guests could continue their communication with the VTB team in a lecture hall located in the covered zone 'Volt': there, experts shared how product management in fintech was structured and gave presents to the most active participants of the discussion.
The educational programme also included a presentation by HSE University-St Petersburg partners from 'Rostelecom' on the historical and industrial image of the city. For example, Konstantin Mayevsky took the attendees on a time travel and monitored the spiral development of the national telecommunications: from telegraph and first large ECMs to modern servers and digital services. And Alexandra Pakhomova, Senior Lecturer at the Department of Philology, explained how to study St Petersburg via rumours, signs and legends.
Alexandra Pakhomova
Senior Lecturer at the Department of Philology
'I really like talking about St Petersburg folklore because it is always a chance to show a city from a new perspective, open new places and learn new legends. We don't even notice that we create myths every day.
Now, together with students, I collect city legends, and we have recorded more than 400. This is the first large-scale research on local folklore, which, I hope, will be interesting not just for scientists but also for those who engage in culture, media and city projects'.
Alongside the lecture hall, at the stall of the International Office, the guests explored the opportunities of academic mobility offered by HSE University-St Petersburg.
'The International Office offers three activities. Firstly, the guests practice their English with international students and act out a situation in which any participant in academic mobility can find themselves. Secondly, they get to know international universities, and thirdly, they take part in a quiz and guess a country by unusual laws, dishes and films.
Today, we try to answer all the questions, but if some of our guests need extra help, I recommend addressing the International Office directly. They will tell you everything', said Alisa Boltach, 2nd-year student of the Bachelor's programme 'Political Science and World Politics'.
'I really liked it there at the festival! I was especially impressed by the diversity of activities: it allows you to discover new angles for your skills and try the sphere which used to be unexplored. I visited all the platforms related to my future profession and got to know the work of language, music and sports clubs. I am planning to join the English-speaking club and perhaps the Volunteering Centre', shared Anna Kolynina, 1st-year student of the Bachelor's programme 'Asian and African Studies'.
On the right-hand side of the lecture hall, there were 'financial whales' of HSE University-St Petersburg: investment, business and case clubs. In this zone, teams took part in games: scaled a pie's market place of senior ladies, tried to distinguish a real business from a made-up one and fought for the rouble growth in arm wrestling.
'The case club is famous for its educational programme, thanks to which its representatives regularly win prizes at prestigious contests. For instance, in 2025, at the Russian largest case championship 'Cup Russia', the participants of the HSE University-St Petersburg case club conquered the entire podium.
I joined the community at the beginning of the first year: by the way, after the same presentation at HSE SPB Day. I passed the selection, completed the educational programme and, as a result, succeeded at the Alfa Bank Championship. Later, the club invited me to join again but as a partner manager', added Yury Tumasov, 2nd-year student of the Bachelor's programme 'Business Informatics'.
Next to the business zone, everyone could try their hand at more common intellectual competitions and play an ancient game, go or chess.
'The academic year has just started, so for now, I'm just trying to manage my time, but I want to help the chess club in the future. I have been playing since junior school, even though just as an amateur. I hope I will find someone at HSE University-St Petersburg to continue playing with!', confessed Mikhail Popov, 1st-year student of the School of Computer Science, Physics and Technology.
Right next to the Gulf of Finland, the guests could unleash their creativity with the help of the School of Art and Design and Setl Group. Students and guests eagerly created souvenir postcards and posters with stencilling, their own lighthouse and a positioning concept.
'We actively work with students, so we joined HSE SPB Day without thinking twice. In our activities, we wanted to convey the constructional idea. In some way, it aligns with the artistic one; that is why we united with the School of Art and Design and created a real creative laboratory.
Some worked on the visual part, and others put the idea into a text. It turned out to be vivid, dynamic, and thought out in detail in some parts, and simply magical in the others. The participants were very open: each left a message, which another person could read. I don't doubt that in each other's words, our guests found inspiration—everyone left the zone smiling.
I wish HSE University-St Petersburg students to shine! Be a lighthouse and tirelessly, day and night, enlighten the way for yourself, your colleagues, friends and family', advised Veronika Bogatova, Manager for Education and Development at Setl Group.
'For today's festival, we've prepared special stencils. The concept is a set for an HSE student's survival: '23:59', coffee, laptops, symbols of weariness and energy... I think the main advantage of our activity is that it gives complete freedom of action: you can interpret the frame in your own way and create something unique', explained Katerina Butusova, graduate of 'Communication Design' and volunteer of the thematic zone.
The highlight of the festival was the students' initiation ceremony. The bachelor's students of the 'International Programme in Business and Economics' uttered the words of the oath in Russian and English, promising to grasp the science honestly and diligently. Professors also took the oath to support the students along this challenging path. On their behalf, it was Maria Soloshcheva, Academic Supervisor of the Bachelor's programme 'Asian and African Studies' and Deputy Director of the Institute of Asian and African Studies.
Finally, bachelor's and master's first-years received the official status of HSE students and became a part of the big HSE family. The festival continued in an informal environment and finished with a concert by the band 'NEMODNYE' and DJ Baldin.
'I have taken part in such a huge festival for the first time—the diversity of activities impresses me deeply. Over the time here, I managed to visit the music venue, the Volunteering Centre and solve tasks for the business club.
The high intensity of classes is part of the HSE concept, so I will assess my ability to participate in the extracurricular activities based on the workload. Nevertheless, I've already sent my resume to the Career Centre, and in the future, I'd like to join a sports club. I'm happy about my enrollment and my choice. I am sure that all the efforts will be worth it', shared Vasilisa Maksimova, 1st-year student of the Bachelor's programme 'History'.
'I visited the Volunteering Centre and took part in the workshop on making toys for shelter dogs. When the studies start, I want to join the dance club, but I haven't decided yet. At the festival, everyone talks to each other, so it is interesting and pleasant here', shared Polina Krylova, 1st-year student of the Bachelor's programme 'Texts, Languages, and Digital Tools'.
'I really like the event, but what is more important, my daughter likes it. Polina applied to several universities but opted for HSE University-St Petersburg. She feels comfortable here, and the university has great feedback. I trusted my intuition and my child's choice. After visiting the festival, I made sure that the decision was right. The atmosphere here is pleasant and friendly, which invites to studies and communication', added Nadezhda Krylova, the student's mother.
