International Students Testimonials

Alejandro Jainz, Mexico

Ural Federal University named after the first President of Russia B.N. Yeltsin

In Russia I really felt like at home

My name is Alejandro Jainz, and I am currently studying management and marketing. I’m 25 years old, and I am from Mexico. My university presented an opportunity to come to Russia, and without any doubt I took it and I’m glad I did.

I immediately began trying to remember everything I had known about Russia since I was a child. The very first thing I learned about Russia was one of the most famous Russian dance called Kazachok. When I was eleven years old and a student at elementary school, we performed it on a 'cold Mexican day', so I wore red clothes and a black Kazakh hat. But I never imagined myself studying in this beautiful country 14 years later.

What else did I know about Russia? I know Garry Kasparov, who is a synonym for chess. As for chess, it is actually one of my favorite games that also makes me think about Russia. And I can say that everything Russian movies show us about their best mathematicians, scientists, and aviators is true.

And of course, the first thing I could picture about this country was the cold weather; indeed it was much colder than I had thought, but then I discovered how warm it is inside the buildings and I was really surprised. I also got to know how warm and friendly Russians are, especially with foreigners. I really felt at home. Yekaterinburg is definitely a nice city to visit and a wonderful option to get an international experience full of pleasant surprises.

I was amazed how useful and interesting my courses which I passed at UrFU were. I took e-business, and also a Russian language course in order to learn more about the culture. It was difficult at the beginning, but I’ve found it to be very fun to learn. I am sure I’ll continue doing it.

My stay in Russia was a great experience. I was surrounded by kind and nice people, I saw wonderful places in Yekaterinburg and outside the city, and I also visited Moscow and St. Petersburg. It was simply awesome!