Russian from scratch: student interview with Mustafa

Mustafa is our most seasoned student here at Liden & Denz. He started from the very beginning 1 & 1/2 years ago, but now he has successfully passed his TRKI-2 exam and is preparing to enter a university here in St Petersburg. We interviewed Mustafa to get some of his impressions of studying Russian.

Why did you decide to study Russian?

“I never thought that I would study Russian, but we have a programme in Turkey whereby the government send many high-achieving students to other countries to study. After our studies, we return to work in a university there. At first I had to spend some time learning Russian, but now I will complete my Masters and PhD here. Overall I will be here for another 5 years. Of course, I hope that by the end of my time here my Russian will be excellent.”

What impressions do you have of Russia?

After an unfortunate incident at the airport made a bad initial impression, Mustafa’s experience of life in St Petersburg significantly improved once he could see the real Russian character in the school: “Now I am really glad that I am here. I have lots of friends. As I’ve already studied here for 1 ½ years, all the teachers and students have become my friends. I feel very comfortable here – the teachers even joke that the school has become my home! The teachers are always happy to help when I have a question.”

Do you have any favourite places to visit in St Petersburg?

“The city itself is wonderful. We don’t have such old buildings in Turkey. When I travel around the city I think about how if we just took away the cars and changed people’s clothes then it would be just like the 19^th Century. I particularly like St Isaac’s Cathedral because you can stand at the top and see over the whole city. I also like Dom Knigi because I really love books and the building itself is very impressive. Finally, the Saint Petersburg Mosque is very interesting because it is a Muslim place of worship similar to Turkish mosques. The inside is particularly impressive after the recent renovations.”         

What do you like most about Russian culture?

“I really love elderly people! I especially like the idea of the Russian babushka. We have similar characters in Turkey; they always want to look after you and feed you. Occasionally I even walk in the park and simply talk with elderly people – sometimes I don’t even need to talk because they are so chatty! I love listening to them. In fact, it is a very typical Russian tradition to be invited for tea with a babushka.”

What was the most difficult part of studying Russian?

“The most difficult thing for me was getting to grips with the genitive case because the idea is generally difficult to understand. There are also many exceptions to rules which are difficult to remember – they say there are even more exceptions than rules! And of course, verbs of motion are very difficult. In Turkish we don’t have different verbs for going by transport and for going by foot.”

What advice would you give to other students studying Russian?

“You should talk only in Russian as much as possible. Even if you are a beginner, it is necessary to always say “Здравствуйте” and “Как дела” so you are always practising and listening to responses in Russian. It is important to never stop studying, even at home – it also helps to have a Russian boyfriend or girlfriend!”

Mustafa is coming to the end of his time at Liden & Denz, but he will be in Russia for another 5 years before returning home to work in Turkey. We wish him the best of luck and hope he will keep on popping into school to say hi!  

Posted by James Tibbles

Привет! My name is James and I am a student at Liden & Denz. From the dreaming spires of Oxford to the glittering rooftops of St Petersburg I am super excited to write my next chapter in Russia's literary and cultural capital.