Iranian Sajad Kazemi

Iranian Sajad Kazemi moved to Petersburg in 2018 to study management. At first he was going to enter the Australian university, but the sanctions against Iran destroyed his plans. After studying, Sajad wants to stay in Russia and become a teacher at St. Petersburg State University.

The Iranian tells how he first ended up in St. Petersburg - and almost returned home, for which he fell in love with his Russian friends and why delighted rivers and channels.

Age: 32 years

Genus: student of the Higher School of Management of St. Petersburg State University

In St. Petersburg: almost 3 years

- I came to Russia more than two years ago to study. This decision coincided with the imposition of sanctions against Iran, due to which the number of places available to Iranians has declined in European and other universities. In fact, my first destination was Australia, but the application was rejected there.

As a result, I entered St. Petersburg State University. I chose it because Russia and Iran have good relations, and the university has a high international rating. In addition, [for receipt] I needed only a certificate confirming the level of English proficiency - all this finally convinced me to submit documents to several Russian universities. Now I am a graduate student of the third year of economics and management in the Higher School of Management.

My loved ones were glad that I managed to come here - this is a very good opportunity to continue training and get a degree of candidate of science. Fortunately, we live in an era of social networks, and I can easily communicate with them. It helped me get used to the situation quickly. I am a researcher, so I'm used to working alone.

What did Russia teach you?

- If in a nutshell, Russia taught me to be tough and independent of someone else's opinion. Only in this way can you make friends with incredible people who live up to your expectations. So I made friends from Japan here, Mexico and Russia.

Who played an important role for you?

- First of all, my colleague, who agreed to come to the airport and meet me, and then helped me make a residence permit and a scholarship. When I flew to Pulkovo, I did not know a word in Russian, I had a very heavy luggage, besides it was raining. I think that if she had not arrived, I would buy a ticket for a return plane and would return to Iran.

One of the problems I encountered here is decentralization of administrative offices. You need to get a document in one place, go to the neighboring building with it to get a second piece of paper there and go to them at all to the other end of the city to get the same document you need. It is all terribly difficult - even my Russian friends did not always understand where to go and what to do there. And I am very grateful that my colleague helped me deal with this all.

My professor Nikolai Zenkevich was a very important person for me. After the introduction of new sanctions against Iran, the university was supposed to annul my scholarship, and he contacted many of his friends and, fortunately, made it that I was able to stay.

What would you like to transfer from your country to Russia?

-Firstly, the Iranians are very friendly, especially in comparison with the Russians. They care about people and the world around him, and sometimes the Russians do not give a damn about it. People in my country are very friendly and warm, especially with regard to the expression of their emotions, which I cannot say about the Russians. Iran has very close social ties.

I would also mention food - Iranian dishes are amazing. I could not find a good place with Iranian cuisine here, so I often cook on my own and treat my Russian friends - they really like it. I think these are the two most important points.

Five finds in St. Petersburg

1. Friends
   I found several Russian friends who became part of my family. These are very good friends. We help each other and communicate a lot. My Iranian friends are a little surprised by this - they did not manage to make friends with the Russians so well.
2. Nature
   Around St. Petersburg there is a lot of incredible nature and everywhere you can find interesting places for relaxation.
3. The beauty of the city
   You can just go outside or in the park - and enjoy. And there are rivers and channels - they all have their own individuality and seem to carry human emotions.
4. Public transport
   He is cool. Everything is very fast, affordable - you can always easily and in a short time get to the right place.
5. Possibilities
   Petersburg is a huge city with a bunch of opportunities, including for leisure. There are many places in the city where people can go and have fun. This is very important for society and greatly helps social rally.

Why are you here?

“I'm here to study.” At the end of my studies, I would really like to stay and teach at St. Petersburg State University.

"Paper" regularly publishes stories about foreigners . What Petersburg attracts and repels visitors, what Russia teaches and why at all to come to an unfamiliar city - businessmen, students, scientists and restaurateurs from different countries talk about their experience and views on St. Petersburg life. Read all the texts of the heading here .

The interview was held in English, a translation was published.