From Melbourne to Moscow: Masha’s Experience
What happens when a student raised in Australia with deep Serbian roots decides to pursue a Master’s degree in Russia? Masha Milosh, a first-year student at HSE, provides a unique perspective on this cultural transition. Having grown up in Melbourne within a household that maintained Serbian traditions and language, her move to Moscow represents a deliberate step toward linguistic immersion and professional growth. We sat down with Masha to discuss the practicalities of moving across the globe, the nuances of Slavic linguistics, and her experience of finding a sense of community in a new environment.
My name is Masha Milosh, and I am a first-year Master’s student at HSE. I was born in Australia to Serbian parents and spent most of my life there, but Serbian culture remained an important part of my upbringing. At home, we spoke the language, followed traditional customs, and ate Serbian food.
As for how I ended up in Moscow, that journey began during my bachelor’s degree at the University of Melbourne, where I studied Russian alongside my main studies. I’ve always been fascinated by Slavic languages and cultures, so at some point I decided to take it a step further and move to Moscow. This ultimately led me to pursue a Master’s degree in Foreign Languages and Intercultural Communication at HSE University.
Moving to Moscow for my master’s felt like the perfect challenge and opportunity to immerse myself in a new environment and improve my Russian. Overall, the experience has been incredibly rewarding, and I’ve come to love Moscow.
During my bachelor’s degree, I studied marketing and management, but over time, I became increasingly interested in languages. Studying Japanese and Russian made me realise how much I enjoy not only learning languages, but also understanding how they are taught. Having experienced the challenges of language learning myself, I became interested in making that process clearer and more engaging for others. That’s what led me to choose Foreign Language Teaching as my major at HSE.
I chose HSE not only for its strong academic reputation, but also because it felt very welcoming from the start. What I appreciate most is the sense of community. You often study with the same group of people, which makes it much easier to get to know others, including students from different countries. This is quite different from my academic experience in Australia, where class groups often change every semester, and you are constantly surrounded by new faces.
I studied Russian at the University of Melbourne and really enjoyed it, mainly because of my supportive teachers. Since I took it alongside my main degree, I couldn’t always dedicate enough time to it. I reached around a B1-B2 level, but lost progress after a six-month break, and now I’m working toward C1.
Russian wasn’t as difficult as I expected, since Serbian is also a Slavic language and the two have many similarities. One of the biggest challenges for me has been “false friends.” Some words in Russian and Serbian can look or sound similar, but actually have very different meanings. It can be quite funny sometimes.
Coming from a Serbian family and having spent part of my childhood in Serbia, Moscow felt quite familiar. I was already used to certain aspects of the culture and environment, so it wasn’t a major culture shock for me. I sometimes like to say Moscow is a bit like Belgrade, just bigger. If anything, the biggest adjustment has been the food. It’s different from what I’m used to, especially when you compare Serbian and Russian cuisine.
They definitely blend into each other rather than feeling completely separate. I tend to be quite expressive and joke a lot in all three languages, but especially in Serbian. Russian is still a work in progress, but I’m getting there.
Moving halfway across the world hasn’t changed my idea of “home” too much. It’s not really tied to a country or city for me. I feel like I could live anywhere in the world as long as my family is with me.
Definitely Serbian! I grew up on my mum’s homemade Serbian dishes, and some of the best food I know comes from her kitchen. I love how rich and varied Serbian cuisine is, and it’s what I naturally feel most connected to. It’s something I think everyone should try at least once.
The metro was the biggest surprise. It’s incredibly efficient and gets you across the city very quickly. When I first arrived, I found it a bit overwhelming, as I wasn’t used to such a large, well-organized system. Now, however, I find it very easy to use and genuinely appreciate its convenience and reliability.
One of my favourite things to do in Moscow on a free weekend is visit the parks. There are so many of them that I still haven’t explored, so I like choosing a new one each time. I especially enjoy exploring these parks on sunny, warm days, when the whole city feels at its best.
I couldn’t agree more with Masha on this point. Moscow’s parks are essentially the city’s “green lungs,” offering a much-needed reprieve from the relentless pace of metropolitan life. When the workload at HSE starts to get overwhelming. It’s the best way to hit the “reset” button and forget about deadlines for a while.
If you ever want to see something beyond the usual spots like Gorky Park, I’d really recommend checking out Tsaritsyno. The vibe there is completely different: it’s huge, and the architecture makes you feel like you’ve stepped onto a gothic movie set or something out of an 18th-century story. On the other hand, if you’re looking for something more “wild” and less manicured, Meshchersky Park is a great example. It doesn’t have that polished city feel; instead, it feels like a real Russian forest right on the edge of the city. It’s exactly what you need when you just want some quiet and fresh air to clear your head.
My plans often change. After graduation, I think I’d like to teach in Russia for a while to gain experience and see where it leads me. Depending on how things go, I might consider settling either in Russia or Serbia in the long term.
My main advice would be to learn some basic Russian before you arrive, especially if your programme is taught in English. It really helps with everyday life and makes things much easier to manage. I would also encourage you to be open-minded and make an effort to meet new people. Talking to both locals and international students can really improve your experience and help you settle in faster. Finally, make the most of your degree and your time here. It goes by quickly, so take advantage of opportunities both in and outside your studies.
We would like to thank Masha for this warm and insightful conversation. We wish her the best of luck with her studies and hope that, whatever path she chooses after graduation, she finds success and warmth in whichever city she lands in next, keeping that curious, open-minded spirit that brought her to Moscow in the first place!
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Anna Petrovskikh
