Category: Университетская жизнь /

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Before the war, a German guy climbed this slope with you. He fell down, but was saved. And now, perhaps, he's preparing his machine gun for battle. (Vladimir Vysotsky)

During the Great Patriotic War, the Caucasus Mountains became yet another territory captured by Nazi troops. To gain access to coal, steel, and oil and to seize one of the most important strategic points, the Edelweiss Mountain Division was sent there.

The enemy had been studying the terrain since the 1930s, so they were much better prepared for battle and adapted to long-term mountain conditions. Nevertheless, surrender was impossible, and as early as the summer of 1942, Joseph Stalin declared that the Germans would not cross the Caucasus Mountains.

Lieutenant Gurgen Grigoryants's unequal battle against the Edeilweiss unit took place in the fall of 1942. The Germans occupied the Priut 11 Hotel, and despite the failure to "remove" them, the situation in the mountains began to change. First, after Friedrich Paulus's army was encircled near Stalingrad, the group in the Caucasus was in danger of being cut off. Second, the German mountain rifle units were unable to cross the Main Caucasus Range and reach Baku. Third, after the units were redeployed to Stalingrad, they lost their numerical advantage due to a lack of personnel and equipment.

On the night of January 1, 1943, the Nazi troops began to retreat, and our soldiers began the North Caucasus Offensive Operation. It was led by Alexander Gusev, Honored Master of Sports of the USSR in mountaineering. This was the first mass ascent of Europe's highest peak during the harsh winter of the war. Icy winds, terrible storms and frosts, homemade climbing equipment, heavy loads of weapons, and minimal food—such were the conditions. The groups reached the Priyut 11 base by February 9.

"We ran out of food. And not just what we'd brought with us, but also what had somehow survived the warehouse explosion by the retreating rangers. The situation was becoming critical: climbing Elbrus in such bad weather was extremely risky, and the mission had to be completed at all costs," Gusev recalled.

On February 13, 1943, two dozen Soviet military climbers began their assault on Elbrus. In just nine hours, the soldiers reached an altitude of 5,633 meters above sea level. The enemy flags raised in the summer of 1942 were reduced to shreds. After removing the Nazi standards, the climbers raised Soviet flags and wrote a note:

"February 13, 1943, 2:00 PM. Today, a group of RKKA mountaineering instructors climbed here from the "Shelter of the Eleven" in nine hours. Snowfall, fog, frost. The ascent is dedicated to the liberation of the Caucasus from the Nazis and the 25th anniversary of our glorious Red Army. By order of the Transcaucasian Front command, the group removed the Nazi pennant and raised our red flag of the USSR. Death to the German occupiers! Long live our party, the All-Union Communist Party (Bolsheviks), and the heroic Red Army! Long live our Elbrus and a free Caucasus once again!"

The assault on the eastern summit of the mountain began on the night of February 17, and again, 9 hours later, the second peak of Elbrus was cleared of Nazi symbols and the USSR flag was erected on it.

The successful completion of the operation became the most significant feat of Soviet soldiers during the Great Patriotic War and a testament to their incredible strength, courage, and commitment to their homeland. Alexander Gusev and Nikolai Gusak were awarded the Order of the Red Army, and the remaining 18 soldiers were awarded the Medal for Courage. "These are our mountains," and we proved it.

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Source: Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University –

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Alexey Mordashov, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Severstal and CEO of SeverGroup, received the title of Honorary Doctor of Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University. The diploma and gown presentation ceremony took place during the ceremonial meeting of the university's Academic Council on February 12.

The title of "Honorary Doctor" is the highest form of recognition at SPbPU, and has been awarded to outstanding figures in government, science, and industry. Among them are: Nobel Prize laureate in physics Zhores Alferov, statesman and academician Yevgeny Primakov, and First Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Denis Manturov. Chairman of the Management Committee of PJSC Gazprom Alexey Miller and others.

"Alexey Alexandrovich has done us a great honor by agreeing to run for the title of Honorary Doctor of the Polytechnic University, and, of course, the members of the Academic Council unanimously voted to award him this high title," SPbPU Rector Andrey Rudskoy opened the ceremony. "This step marks a harmonious development of the Polytechnic University's long-standing and fruitful collaboration with a leading metallurgical company."

SPbPU and Severstal have been collaborating for over ten years. Their goal is to accelerate the onboarding of young engineers so that graduates arrive at the company with a deep understanding of real-world production technologies. Since 2005, more than 20 joint projects have been implemented, including the development of new steel grades, the modernization of converter production units, and the creation of materials for additive manufacturing based on metal powders. In 2025, Severstal's total investment in the development of SPbPU's educational infrastructure amounted to 20.9 million rubles.

Last December, with the support of Severstal, A renovated laboratory for heat treatment of metals and alloys was opened, equipped to industrial standards. It includes muffle heating furnaces, universal and microhardness testers, and metallographic microscopes. The company donated seven VR simulator systems to the university, simulating over 20 technological operations. The upgrade affected not only the technical aspects but also the learning environment—the lab has become modern, functional, and comfortable for students and faculty.

Furthermore, Severstal experts, together with the university, developed a unique multi-track model for training research engineers in metallurgy and materials science. In 2024, it was awarded the St. Petersburg Government Prize. The first 28 students enrolled in the program in 2025.

Every year, SPbPU graduates come to work at Severstal: 22 people were employed in 2024, ten in 2025, and 41 students completed internships at the company.

SPbPU and Power Machines, a SeverGroup company, are also jointly reviving key educational programs in power engineering and creating unique laboratories, such as the Center for the Study of Electrical Insulating Materials. In November 2020, the student design bureau "Power Machines – Polytechnic" was opened. Recently, Polytechnic and Power Machines The largest blank in Russia was printed using the electric arc method Steam turbine seal housings weighing over 750 kg. The work was carried out at the Polytechnic University's Lightweight Materials and Structures Laboratory.

Dmitry Karpov, SPbPU Academic Secretary, spoke in more detail about the collaboration between the Polytechnic University and Severstal. In his introduction to the new Honorary Doctor, he mentioned the book "Is It Possible to Make a Soviet Plant a World Leader in Metallurgy? The Short Answer Is 'Yes!'" published by Severstal for the 70th anniversary of the Cherepovets Iron and Steel Works, and cited Alexey Mordashov's work directly from it. This made the meeting with Alexey Alexandrovich particularly vivid and lively, revealing his outstanding qualities as a manager, leader, and entrepreneur through specific examples and personal experience, and enriching the audience with valuable knowledge. A top manager's statement, for example, is particularly telling: "It's important to accept as an axiom that each of your employees understands their business much more than you do, and the manager's job is simply to help them realize their potential."

This book is worth recommending to students studying in a wide range of educational programs: economics and technological entrepreneurship, management and organization of knowledge-intensive industries, sociologists, historians… This book contains invaluable facts about the country, the industry, the market, the development of the enterprise, and, as they say, the role of the individual in history. It's practically a textbook, noted Dmitry Karpov.

The gown and diploma presentation ceremony took place to the accompaniment of the Gaudeamus anthem performed by the Polyhymnia youth choir. The doctoral gown and cap were carried into the Academic Council Hall by students wearing the uniform of the Polytechnic University from the early 20th century. Andrei Rudskoy presented Alexei Mordashov with a medal and an Honorary Doctorate certificate.

In his response, Alexey Alexandrovich thanked the Polytechnic University and expressed hope for continued collaboration: "The history of the Cherepovets Plant and my own once again confirm this truth: we live in an era where knowledge is becoming a decisive force. The most important thing a business can do is not machines or components, but people with a certain culture and knowledge. Understanding this, we have always placed great emphasis on the development of people. And here, cooperation with the Polytechnic University has always been a very important, a very serious element. The history of the Polytechnic University is fascinating and inspiring. Its uniqueness lies in the fact that it combines science, education, and cutting-edge achievements. Today, our group has almost 200,000 employees, and we, like everyone else, are involved in the battle for talent. The kind of people who will join us tomorrow is crucial for us. We work extensively with universities, and our collaboration with the St. Petersburg Polytechnic University is particularly important. It is gratifying that the number of graduates joining us is growing." This is a sign that together we can achieve so much. For me, today's event, on the one hand, institutionalizes my membership in the large Polytechnic University family, and on the other, it recognizes the contributions we've made together over many years. I thank the Academic Council for their trust; it's a great honor and joy for me to join the ranks of honorary doctors of the Polytechnic University. May our partnership continue to bear fruit, so that we can achieve more together.

After the graduation ceremony, Alexey Mordashov visited the Institute of Mechanical Engineering, Materials, and Transport. He spoke with students in the Large Chemical Auditorium and offered these words of encouragement: "What happens to you today will shape your entire life. My destiny is proof that a person is capable of so much. I was born in Cherepovets. I graduated in 1988, never having earned a single B. I don't know how that happened; it was just interesting. Now I work as an entrepreneur. I recently read that the Forbes list includes approximately 3,000 billionaires. Of these, about a thousand inherited their fortunes, and two thousand earned theirs themselves. Including me. This shows that anything is possible. It's important that the university can help you succeed. The level of knowledge and culture you acquire here will determine your success. I sincerely wish you to seize this opportunity and become successful. Polytechnic University has a huge, inspiring history, and you are part of it."

Then Alexey Mordashov visited the laboratory for heat treatment of metals and alloys, where he and Andrey Rudskoy tempered a piece of metal in a furnace and then answered questions from metallurgy students.

— Where is metallurgy heading now: are we developing new products, or are we mastering the technologies we've invented and simply trying to promote them?

"We have developments that need to be improved. We're making our products thinner, stronger, and continually improving their performance. In principle, yes, we will be developing new types of products, which is why cooperation with Polytechnic University is so important."

— How do you manage to manage such a large company, and do you have time to switch to something else?

— With difficulty. (Laughs.) But I don't really do anything with my own hands. I recruit people, motivate them, and develop them so they can do their jobs better. In that sense, I'm a service provider. Of course, I participate in strategic discussions and act as an expert. But it's the people who achieve results! Do I manage to switch off? Yes. No one can stay stressed forever. I have vacations, and at 60, I decided to learn to play the piano. Plus, there's physical exercise.

— What specialties are most in demand in the company?

"We definitely need engineers across the entire spectrum of specialties. In fact, we need specialists in all fields—from economists to lawyers. I would advise you to get the specialty you enjoy. You'll be most successful in it. If you're a specialist in anything, but a good one at that, you'll always find a job."

You often visit businesses in person and interact with employees. Have you ever learned anything from them and put it into practice?

"I'm not the only one doing this; we have a whole system for collecting feedback. For example, there were a lot of ideas about continuous improvement, and we completely reconfigured the process based on that. To a certain extent, our job is to collect feedback and understand what's going on at the company."

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Feodor Chaliapin was a renowned Russian chamber and opera singer. He was born on February 13, 1873, in Kazan, to a family of farmers. As a child, he sang in a church choir, and at age 12, he first attended the theater, seeing Pyotr Sukhonin's "Russian Wedding." From that moment on, the stage remained his passion for the rest of his life.

"The orchestra was playing. Suddenly the curtain wavered, rose, and I was immediately stunned, enchanted. A vaguely familiar fairy tale came to life before me. Magnificently dressed people walked around the marvelously decorated room, conversing with each other in a particularly beautiful way. I couldn't understand what they were saying. I was deeply moved by the spectacle and, unblinking, unthinking, I gazed at these wonders," recalled Fyodor Ivanovich.

Wanting to get a glimpse behind the scenes, he even took a job as an extra for a nickel. His first performance, at the Panaevsky Garden in Kazan, was a disaster. After appearing on stage in the dramatic play "Vagabonds," in which Chaliapin was cast as the gendarme Roger, he was stunned and later deeply distressed by the disruption of the performance.

The debut finally took place in 1890 in Ufa, when one of the baritones fell ill the day before a performance. The role of the Stolnik in Stanisław Moniuszko's opera "Halka" went to the chorister Chaliapin. He received a "vaccine against overconfidence" then—he sat the wrong way during the performance.

The aspiring artist landed a contract with Lyubimov's opera thanks to Dmitry Usatov, a former artist at the Imperial Theatres, who taught him the basics of professional vocals and etiquette. He was then invited to the Mariinsky Theatre, but after critics criticized his poor singing, he found no roles for a long time.

That same year, in Nizhny Novgorod, where Chaliapin had gone for the summer, he had a fateful meeting with Savva Mamontov. He invited Fyodor to join his troupe for a handsome fee. The singer "didn't believe in the saving power of talent without hard work," so during his three years at the private opera, he demonstrated incredible diligence and worked hard to perfect his craft. Thanks to this, his name became widely known throughout the country.

In the autumn of 1899, Chaliapin arrived at the Imperial Theatres as a renowned opera singer – his tours were a great success, and the audiences applauded him. He then became a leading soloist at both the Bolshoi and Mariinsky Theatres, and two years later he was performing in Italy at the renowned Teatro alla Scala. His repertoire of roles was vast, with his most memorable roles including the Miller (Rusalka), Ivan Susanin (A Life for the Tsar), Boris Godunov and Varlaam (Boris Godunov), Ivan the Terrible (The Maid of Pskov), Mephistopheles (Faust and Mephistopheles), Don Basilio (The Barber of Seville), Leporello (Don Giovanni), and Don Quixote (Don Quixote). From 1918 to 1921, Chaliapin became the artistic director of the Mariinsky Theatre. For the once provincial boy, this position became a true success, recognizing not only his talent and enormous work on himself, but also his sincere dedication to the cause.

In 1922, Fyodor received permission for an extended tour abroad and left for France with his family. The reason for his emigration was disagreements with the Soviet government, which the artist refused to reconcile. His fortunes abroad were flourishing – he began conquering theaters around the world and filling halls with admiring audiences. From 1923 onward, the opera singer performed successfully in Europe, the United States, Canada, and Australia, Latin America, China, and Japan. In 1927, while in Paris, Chaliapin donated 5,000 francs to help unemployed Russian émigrés. The Soviet government perceived this as support for the White Guards and stripped him of his title of People's Artist of the USSR.

A hallmark of his performances was makeup, which he turned into a true art form. His meticulous attention to every detail, including not only his face but also his hands, neck, and, if necessary, his body, was a completely new phenomenon. He recalled:

"When I walked onto the stage, dressed in my costume and made up, it caused a real sensation, very flattering for me. The performers, the chorus, even the workers surrounded me, gasping and delighted like children, touching me with their fingers, feeling me, and when they saw that my muscles had been painted on, they were completely delighted."

In May 1937, his final performance took place in Warsaw. He sang the title role in Boris Godunov, and in June, he gave his final concert in Great Britain. On April 12, 1938, the great artist died of leukemia.

In his time, Feodor Chaliapin was not just a world-renowned opera and chamber music star, but a true innovator. Konstantin Stanislavsky himself, the author of the famous training system still used today, admitted, "I based my 'system' on Chaliapin." Therefore, today, the great singer's legacy lives on in new generations of artists. For his contribution to culture, Chaliapin received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, the Golden Cross of the Prussian Eagle in Germany, and the Legion of Honor in France. The title of People's Artist was restored only 53 years after the singer's death.

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February 13 is celebrated annually as World Radio Day. It was proclaimed by the UNESCO General Conference on October 19, 2011, and the date was chosen for a reason: it was on this day in 1946 that UN Radio was founded.

Although the holiday hasn't been celebrated for very long, it already has its own traditions. For example, UNESCO chooses a special theme for the celebration each year, reflecting the current challenges and opportunities of radio broadcasting. For 2025, the theme was "Radio and Climate Change."

The history of radio

The debate over who invented radio continues to this day. In Russia, the author is considered to be Alexander Popov, in the US, Nikola Tesla, and in the West, Guglielmo Marconi. Three prominent scientists were working on this new form of communication at the same time, without any interactions.

In 1893, Nikola Tesla demonstrated wireless signal transmission at a lecture in St. Louis and then filed patents for his own radio communication system. On May 7, 1895, Alexander Popov presented his device for receiving electromagnetic waves at a meeting of the Russian Physicochemical Society in St. Petersburg. In 1896, Guglielmo Marconi filed a patent for a radio device in the UK, and by 1901, he had made the first transatlantic radio transmission, proving that radio waves could travel thousands of kilometers.

How an invention changed our lives

Radio was long used for military communications, initially transmitting Morse code, and human speech was first heard in 1919. In the USSR, reliable radio broadcasting began in 1924 and was a true revelation – it became the main source of breaking news for all citizens of the country. In 1962, All-Union Radio introduced 24-hour broadcasting, and by 1970, radio broadcasting had reached the entire country. It has become a vital tool for mass information, education, and entertainment.

Radio Today

Despite the rapid development of television, the internet, and social media, this method of communication remains relevant and remains the most accessible media. Radio adapts to trends, broadcasting not only news but also music, podcasts, interviews, and much more.

Congratulations!

Traditionally, this holiday is celebrated by those involved in radio broadcasting. The State University of Management congratulates members of the Center for Space Research, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, and Radioelectronic Technologies at the State University of Management, radio station staff, military communications specialists, students and teachers specializing in radio engineering, and all radio enthusiasts!

Thank you for creating and developing technologies that help us stay connected!

Subscribe to the "Our GUU" Telegram channel. Publication date: February 13, 2026.

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On February 12, the State University of Management held the opening of the spring season of the Service-Learning program.

Deputy Minister Olga Petrova commented on this event on the official social media accounts of the Russian Ministry of Science and Higher Education: "I'm pleased to see how students from the State University of Management are implementing projects that help people and make society stronger. Working with real social clients helps them gain practical skills and build a strong portfolio. It's especially important that such initiatives instill in students responsibility, initiative, and a willingness to work in real-world situations."

At the grand opening of the season, GUU Vice-Rector Pavel Pavlovsky described the program's history and emphasized the wide range of tasks it addresses, from assisting large families to organizing nationwide events.

"You're all future managers here. And becoming one in theory without organizing any work in practice is impossible. Without such experience, you'll never know what to do when your colleague misses a deadline," warned Pavel Pavlovsky.

Alexander Romanov, Deputy Head of the Department for Work with Educational Organizations at the Dobro.rf Association, reported that the program's new digital service was launched in January, and that GUU students will be among the first to test it out.

Yulia Ustinova, Deputy Head of the Department of National Priorities and Regional Interaction at the Federal Agency for Youth Affairs, emphasized that the State University of Management is not only a leader in implementing the "Service-Learning" program, but also sets trends and guiding principles for others.

Veronika Balandina, head of the Service-Learning program at SUM, spoke about the main results of the program's implementation at our university in 2025.

"The program covers 100% of the programs offered at SUM. For each program, we select appropriate assignments from social stakeholders. Even if we don't have a specific program, such as veterinary science, but the project seems interesting, we find partners and specialists at other universities," said Veronika Balandina.

A total of 1,389 students participated in the program's activities, implementing over 195 projects and helping more than 15,000 beneficiaries.

As a clear example of the results of student work, the team that won last year's project competition within the "Service Learning" program presented an advertising brochure for the "Alien Guest" Charitable Foundation.

As a reminder, the Service-Learning program has been implemented at SUM since 2023 and is integrated into the educational process: students address social issues as part of their academic studies. In 2025, SUM was ranked first in Russia for the number of social orders processed in the first quarter, took second place in the All-Russian Competition for Best Practices in Organizing Volunteer and Community Activities in Russian Universities in the category "Best Practices in the Implementation of the Federal Service-Learning Program," and was included in a collection of program case studies at Moscow universities.

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Source: Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University –

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The 2nd All-Russian Scientific and Practical Conference with International Participation, "Innovative Approaches in Urban Development: Science, Education, and Practice," was held at Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University. The event was organized by the SPbPU Institute of Civil Engineering, the Russian Academy of Architecture and Construction Sciences, the Research Institute of Advanced Urban Development, and the Leningrad Region Urban Development Policy Committee, with the support of the Ministry of Construction, Housing, and Utilities of the Russian Federation and the Government of St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region.

The conference served as an interdisciplinary platform for dialogue between government officials, the scientific community, and business. Its main goal was to discuss current challenges in modern urban development, exchange best practices, and develop joint solutions for the development of agglomeration systems and large cities.

The conference was opened by SPbPU Rector Andrey Rudskoy, President of the Russian Academy of Architecture and Construction Sciences (RAACS) Dmitry Shvidkovsky, Special Representative of the Governor of St. Petersburg for Economic Development Anatoly Kotov, President of the St. Petersburg Union of Architects Vladimir Grigoriev, General Director of JSC "St. Petersburg Development Corporation" Denis Gornev, Deputy Director of the Department of Urban Development and Architecture of the Ministry of Construction, Housing and Communal Services of the Russian Federation Alexander Stepanov, and Chairman of the Southern Territorial Branch of RAACS Yuri Rysin.

Today, the future of urban development directly depends on the development of science and the training of highly qualified personnel. The city must change, acquiring a national identity. I am confident that the training of such professionals will become the foundation for the sustainable development of the urban development industry, noted Dmitry Shvidkovsky.

The first day of the conference was devoted to current issues in contemporary urban development policy and existing challenges in territorial planning. Particular attention was paid to the role of universities in implementing the urban development agenda. Marina Petrochenko, Director of the Civil Engineering Institute, delivered a report titled "The Role of Universities in Implementing the Urban Development Agenda of the City and Region." She emphasized the importance of training students in territorial planning and urban design.

On the first day of the event, Margarita Perkova, Director of the ISI Higher School of Design and Architecture, presented a report titled "Urban Zoning of the Leningrad Region." Sergey Lutchenko, First Deputy Chairman of the Leningrad Region Urban Development Policy Committee and Associate Professor at the ISI Higher School of Design and Architecture, presented a report titled "Urban Development Policy: Science, Education, and Practice." Pavel Spirin, Director of the Research Institute of Industrial Geosciences and Head of the Urban Development Department at the ISI Research Institute for Advanced Urban Development, and Dmitry Shvidkovsky, President of the Russian Academy of Architecture and Construction Sciences, presented a joint report titled "Future Traditions in Modern Urban Development. Spatial Development of the Territories of the Russian Federation."

The second day of the conference was devoted to a discussion of current tools and technologies for spatial development, as well as issues of functional, transport, and infrastructure planning in the context of modern industry challenges.

Pavel Spirin presented a report titled "Formation of the Kingisepp Industrial and Logistics Cluster Based on Urban Development Documents." Margarita Perkova and Alexandra Kuzmina, Vice President of the Union of Architects of Russia, presented a joint report titled "Urban Development of the Moscow Region. Announcement of the Thematic Issue of the "Architecture and Construction of Russia" Journal."

On the second day, a project session, "High-Rise Construction in the Leningrad Region," was held, featuring senior undergraduate and graduate students from specialized universities in the city and leading practicing architects from Moscow and St. Petersburg. The Leningrad Region Committee for Urban Development Policy commissioned the project session.

A special event was the awards ceremony for the winners of the 1st International Competition of Graduation Theses (Projects) for Bachelor's, Specialist, and Master's Students in Urban Planning, Architecture, and Design, "ARCHIGRAD," held in 2025 by the Institute of Civil Engineering at SPbPU. The competition aims to identify and support promising graduation projects in urban planning, architecture, and design.

The competition featured 378 entries in eight categories from 44 higher education institutions in 27 Russian cities, as well as from Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan. The entries covered a wide range of topics, from the renovation of historical sites and the design of sustainable urban environments to the development of digital interfaces, architectural solutions for the Arctic and the Far North, and the design of cultural heritage sites and tourism infrastructure.

On the third day, a field trip to Gatchina took place, where participants visited the Gatchina Palace, the Stationmaster's House, and the memorial complex "In Memory of the Civilians of the USSR – Victims of Nazi Genocide during the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945."

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Source: Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University –

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Bui Nguyen Bao Ngoc, a Vietnamese student at SPbPU's Preparatory Department, is just beginning her journey at the Polytechnic University. She has already overcome thousands of kilometers and a language barrier. She came to St. Petersburg not just to enroll in the university, but to continue a family tradition.

— Ngok, why did you choose Russia and the Polytechnic University? Did the university live up to your expectations?

"I chose Russia because my father studied here before. Dad got in many years ago, and now it's my turn. And I'm glad I made the right choice. Polytechnic University is a serious place. The studies are challenging, but I see the results. The program is exactly what I hoped for—deep and genuine."

— If you had the opportunity to send a message to your past self, what is the main piece of advice you would give?

"I would tell myself, 'Ngok, you need to practice Russian more and not be afraid of mistakes.' Because only through practice and overcoming fear can you learn the language well enough to study in your field."

— What study habit has been the most useful for you during this time?

"The most useful habit is to learn vocabulary and review grammar every day. Without daily practice, the language is forgotten very quickly."

— What helps you in your studies now, and what, on the contrary, hinders you?

"A good schedule really helps me. When everything is organized, you have time to study and relax. The language barrier is a real hurdle, of course. Sometimes I know what I want to say, but I can't find the right words."

— Speaking of the language barrier, was there ever any funny or awkward situation related to not knowing Russian?

— Oh, yes! When I was just starting to learn Russian, I once said to the teacher, "Goodbye" instead of "Hello." It was really awkward, but now I remember it with a smile.

— What are your impressions of the teachers?

"The teachers here are kind and good. They really want to help us. I think adapting would have been much more difficult without their support."

— Besides studying, did you manage to make friends in the new city?

— Of course! I've made a lot of new friends. It's an amazing feeling—I now have friends from all over the world. We communicate in Russian, and it helps us all progress.

— What are your plans for the future?

I plan to complete the preparatory course and enroll in a master's program at the Polytechnic University's Faculty of Law. I want to become a good specialist.

— Ngok, finish the sentence: “Studying at the Polytechnic is like…”

— Studying here is a challenge, but very interesting. I like it.

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The great Russian ballerina was born on February 12, 1881. In early childhood, Pavlova was impressed by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's famous work, The Sleeping Beauty, and fell in love with ballet.

She was rejected from the Imperial Ballet School on her first attempt – she was too weak and sickly. But on her second attempt, Marius Petipa, one of the greatest masters of classical ballet, looked at her and uttered a prophetic phrase: "A feather in the wind. It will fly." At just 10 years old, she was accepted, and her students included such outstanding dancers as Ekaterina Vyazem, Alexander Oblakov, Pavel Gerdt, Evgenia Sokolova, and Marius Petipa. Studying at the school was challenging. Anna Pavlova was completely unfit for the standards of a ballerina of the time, being petite and frail. The strain on her young body was colossal: she had to rise at 8 a.m. and work hard both in class and in rehearsals in the dance halls. In addition to classical pas, the program included the minuet, mazurka, Hungarian dance, and Italian and Spanish dances. To improve her health, her teachers gave Anna cod liver oil.

After graduating from the academy with a gold medal in 1899, the very young ballerina joined the Mariinsky Theatre. There, Pavlova immediately attracted attention. While many aspiring dancers began in the corps de ballet, on September 19 of that year, she was already dancing in Jean Dauberval's La Fille Mal Gardée. It was her debut: the audience was delighted, and critics predicted a great future for the new star.

Pavlova's subsequent solo roles included Carmen, Giselle, King Candaules, The Awakening of Flora, Don Quixote, The Pharaoh's Daughter, Swan Lake, Raymonda, and Le Corsaire, as well as productions by her friend and classmate, the talented choreographer Michel Fokine. It was he who created the miniature "The Swan" for Pavlova, which became a hallmark of Russian ballet worldwide. She performed this dance over 4,000 times worldwide, and each performance was unique in its own way.

The prima ballerina remained with the Mariinsky Theatre until 1913, becoming a touring performer in her final three years. Sergei Diaghilev's "Russian Seasons" captivated Europe, and Anna Pavlova became widely known abroad. She later abandoned her collaboration with the impresario and formed her own company. This led to Pavlova's relationship with Diaghilev deteriorating. The ballerina did not cancel her tour at his request and began performing independently in the finest theaters around the world, visiting more than 40 countries: America, China, Australia, India, Japan, Peru, Egypt, Argentina, New Zealand, Cuba, South Africa, the Philippines, and elsewhere.

Anna Pavlova never returned to Russia. According to one version, in 1910, her lover, Victor Dandre, was put on trial for embezzlement. The ballerina helped him escape, paid a hefty fine of 36,000 rubles, and followed him to England. Victor's return to his homeland was blocked, so Anna decided to stay together. Later, in a conversation with Vertinsky, she admitted that she missed him:

"It's terrible, my friend, terrible! I'm so sad I can't sleep, I cry, I have headaches, I despair! I'm freezing in this cold and foreign country. I'd give anything, without a second thought, for a little dacha with our Russian grass and birch trees, somewhere near Moscow or Petrograd."

The life of the world-famous ballerina was full of events, here are some interesting facts:

Pavlova was very close to animals and found common ground with them easily. She once danced with a snake on her arm, hand-fed a bear sugar, and even adopted a swan, which became tame, lay at her feet, and posed for photographs. In exile, she couldn't part with Russian food. Anna's personal chef prepared buckwheat, cutlets, sturgeon, and other dishes for her. She also set a large table for Christmas and Easter, and a Russian woman who had come to Australia from Siberia helped her get kulichi for the last holiday of her tour. Charlie Chaplin, the famous comedian, was a fan of Pavlova. They met in person in North America and even took a group photo. Pavlova treated her troupe with great care, and according to one of its members, "she would personally draw a grid of iodine on the ankle of one of the dancers, and then send her for a special massage." The ballerina paid a penalty of 21,000 rubles for leaving the Mariinsky Theater. For comparison, a teacher's monthly salary at the time was about 85 rubles. A famous meringue dessert, as delicate and fragile as the ballerina herself, is named after Anna Pavlova.

Anna Pavlova was a living legend, known in every corner of the world. The ballerina died on January 23, 1931, in The Hague. She fell seriously ill during a tour and passed away literally on stage. According to one legend, her last words were, "Bring me my swan costume." Her talent and unique sensuality inspired and continue to delight not only audiences but also the world's leading ballerinas who perform her repertoire today.

Subscribe to the "Our GUU" Telegram channel. Publication date: February 12, 2026.

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

Source: Official website of the State –

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Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.