Siberians Recall Student Days on Tatiana's Day
January 25 in Russia is Tatiana«s Day, or Russian Students» Day. Many consider their years of study at university, college, or technical school to be among the brightest and most memorable in their lives. This period is filled with new impressions: new educational institutions, acquaintances, immersion in a chosen profession, life away from home, and much more. NGS asked Siberians to share the brightest stories from their student years.
Anna K., a graduate of the Faculty of Journalism at Tomsk State University, most remembered photography classes. She shared that one assignment was to photograph unusual people or from unusual angles while walking around the city during classes.
«We had to approach, talk, get to know them. I also remember an assignment for Easter — to photograph festive food. But I must have missed it, and thought that we just needed photos related to Easter. From my window, I could see an Old Believers church, so I photographed that. Of course, the assignment was done incorrectly, but the work was praised and accepted,» recalls Anna.
The Siberian woman also shared that together with her classmates, she organized her own exhibition with photo works in one of the city«s establishments.
«Back then, it seemed like we were doing trivial things, but now I understand that this is what the profession consists of. We learned to accept rejections, promote ourselves, seek inspiration, create our photo books, and much more,» says the interviewee.
Another Siberian woman, Maria, a graduate of a Novosibirsk university, shared that the first thing that comes to her mind when she recalls her student years is life in the dormitory.
«What didn»t happen there… The dorm itself is like a four-year camp for adults with its own discos, nap time, and, of course, gossip. Even though we lived in a cockroach paradise, sometimes I miss that atmosphere. And only those who lived there will really understand. How cool it was to come back after classes or work, sit down at the table with my roommates and just chat about everything. Our room wasn«t the noisiest, but we hung out, it seems, constantly,» says Maria.
In our Telegram channel, we also asked readers to share stories from student life.
«I studied at an agricultural technical school in Anapa. Studies, teachers — everything was normal. But in the first year, we were locked in a classroom and had our voices checked for the choir. I somehow sang a verse, and my friends, twin sisters, categorically refused, so they kept us for about three hours. Then in the evening on the embankment, to the sound of the storm, we screamed the song »The Dog is Lost.« They left the girls alone, but I was tied to the choir for all four years,» wrote NGS reader Svetlana.
«My student years were 1983–1986 at the Fur and Leather Technical School in Irkutsk. There»s a lot to remember with warmth and gratitude. And, of course, life in the dorm — that«s a separate poem,» shared user Tatiana.
Kristina — a native of Siberia, graduated from the Faculty of Arts at St. Petersburg State University with a specialization in «actor of dramatic theater and cinema,» and most often she recalls her first play.
«It was staged based on the play by Lyudmila Petrushevskaya »Raw Leg, or Meeting of Friends.« In the plot, there was a wedding anniversary, and I was »setting« the table. Besides not forgetting the lines and interacting with other characters, I was also preparing dishes from real ingredients,» shared Kristina in a conversation with an NGS correspondent.
The Siberian woman added that it was her first serious work and immediately a leading role. Despite the great responsibility, Kristina gained emotions and experience. At the premiere, close friends were present, who afterwards gave flowers and many kind words.
Over the centuries, a whole set of superstitions has formed for January 25. We told what you should do to successfully pass exams.
