How a Marketplace Helped a Girl Relocate to a Big City

Thousands of residents of small towns aspire to move to metropolises, but to fulfill this long-held dream, they often simply lack the savings. The cost of living in regional centers is higher — as are prices for everything, including housing rental. Anastasia Davletkalieva from Buguruslan managed to move to Samara, and collaboration with a marketplace helped her do it.

Small Town, Big Dreams

Buguruslan is a city in the Orenburg region with a population of less than 50,000 people. After graduating from technical school, Anastasia, like many of her peers from small settlements, faced limited opportunities in the local job market: the choice of vacancies is small, and salaries are modest.

— When you live in a small town, you look for work not based on «what you want to do,» but on «where they pay.» And when you have no financial support and are building your path on your own, work becomes the only means of survival. It took me about eight months to find my first job. In the end, I found a more or less convenient option in housing and communal services. Formally, it was a stable government service, but I didn«t understand what growth prospects there could be. I felt that I could do much more, but at that moment in my hometown, there simply were no opportunities for that, — the girl says.

Anastasia understood that staying in Buguruslan waiting for a miracle was pointless; something needed to change.

First Steps and Doubts

The idea to move to Podolsk and try working at a marketplace warehouse came from her future husband: he already had experience cooperating with Wildberries. For Anastasia, this sounded like a chance to escape from the small town into a world of greater opportunities. Then the girl bought tickets and, together with friends, set off for Podolsk, to one of the company«s largest logistics hubs in the Moscow region.

Anastasia admits that the first shifts were not easy.

— When I first arrived in Kolenino, I had the feeling that I found myself in a city within a city: a huge complex, thousands of people, endless rows of shelves, movement day and night. After a small, quiet town, it was hard to get used to such a pace; it seemed like nothing would work out. I wanted to turn around and leave, but I understood: there«s no way back, I»m definitely not ready to return to my previous life. And here, at least I had a chance at the life I always dreamed of, — says Anastasia.

A New Chapter — Changing Cities Again

After a couple of months, Anastasia«s boyfriend was offered a promotion: a new position at another logistics facility of the company in the Tula region, where the couple went.

— The Alekisin warehouse was different from Podolsk: it was more intimate, similar to my native Buguruslan. Everyone here knew each other. Moreover, we became very close with the guys: friends still visit, we call and support each other. It was there that I tried different operations and settled on the one I liked more. Until that moment, it seemed to me that doing what you love and getting good compensation for it was something out of fantasy, — the girl continues her story.

The new level of income allowed Anastasia to think about higher education. Previously, she could not afford paid tuition.

— When I had a financial cushion, I enrolled in the law faculty. And the ability to independently build my schedule allowed me to combine warehouse activity with studies and successfully pass sessions without any difficulties, — says Anastasia.

From Tula to Samara

Soon, Anastasia and her boyfriend got married and thought about moving. The choice fell on the Samara region: here, they were just opening recruitment for performers at a new logistics facility.

— Moving closer to my hometown while staying in the same company seemed like a reasonable decision. Yes, it meant leaving the familiar warehouse in the Tula region, starting over. But we understood that for us, this was a ticket to a new life, and it would be foolish to miss such a chance, — recalls Anastasia.

The young family moved to Samara, and soon a long-awaited event occurred in their lives — the birth of a child. Anastasia went on maternity leave and no longer plans to move.

— We renovated my husband«s apartment in his hometown of Buguruslan. Now we rent it out and receive passive income. And in 2026, we want to buy our own home in Samara, — says the girl.

It«s Only the Beginning

Now Anastasia is enjoying time with her baby, but, as she admits, she is already counting the days until she returns to the walls of the logistics complex.

— While I am on maternity leave, all my sisters have moved to Samara and started collaborating with the marketplace. I listen to their stories with such nostalgia, I can«t wait until I can send the child to kindergarten and join them. I really miss it! Of course, there»s a little fear that during maternity leave, I«ve lost some of my skills. But I can retake training and the adaptation program, so everything should be fine, — the young mother reflects. — Everyone has their own path, but one thing I know for sure: opportunities open up for the brave. For those who are ready to change, learn, and are not afraid of change, everything will definitely work out.