The Summer University in Samara was unforgettable. The name of this project was “Find your treaSUre in Samara”. Each participant was really able to find his or her own treasure, a different treasure for each person. Some found new friends, some found love, some emotions, some people discovered the Russian language and felt the beauty of nature in the Samara region.
Four participants came to us for this summer project. Four amazing and unique people. First of all, Stefan from Germany. In his backpack he had enough things to feed all the hungry people on planet Earth. Sebastiano from Italy cooked delicious Italian cuisine for us and he stole the heart of our ex-President Yulia. Sara from Finland spoke Russian very sweetly. She plays the “crocodile” great and none could compete with her. She is a very warm and sincere person, and, what is even more remarkable, she was not afraid to swim in the cold waters of the river Volga. And of course, Alex from Spain. We can say a lot of good things about him, and all these words could turn into a whole article about him. He is a very bright and positive person with an open mind. That is why he became the star of our project. Alex is a fabulous singer and he plays the guitar. We will never forget the song “La Bamba” that he sang for us although he hated it. In spite of that, this song became the anthem of our summer! The memory of these people will warm our hearts for a long time.
We visited many places in Samara and the Samara region. The Russian lessons were very educational for the participants. Our AEGEE guests visited The Russian Sloboda, a reconstructed Russian village from the 18th century. It represents a typical Russian household with a house izba, a smithy, a barn and a stable. We could see a lot of interesting exhibits peasants used in the past, taste tea from a samovar and have a horseback-ride as well.
Another remarkable place we visited was the Stalin bunker, which was built during the 2nd World War as a bomb shelter for Stalin and the government. It is the deepest bunker in the world- 33 meters down into the ground (which equals to a 12-story-building). We walked down the stairs, learned about the Soviet history of the war period and took pictures in the lounge created for Stalin and in his conference room.
Shiryaevo is a village located on the right bank of the river Volga, on the territory of the national park Samarskaja Luka, in the large valley of the Zhiguli mountains. Shiryaevo has marvelous nature and picturesque views. It is a perfect place for taking beautiful photos. Besides this Shiryaevo gives a good example to those who want to know Russian traditional culture. In Shiryaevo there is the Historical Museum Complex that includes the House-Museum of Ilya Repin, House-Museum of poet Alexsander Shiryaevets and an exhibition ‘Merchant Vdovin’s room’, where we were able to see interiors and get insights into life of traditional Russian peasants.
In Shiryaevo, the participants walked through the beautiful forest and valley, swam in the river, climbed on the small beautiful rock which is called ‘Verblud’ (Camel) and visited abandoned adits where macadam was originally mined.
The project has ended, but it left the warmth of the summer sun in our souls as well as the smiles of great people and unforgettable emotions.
Written by Viktoriia Golubeva, Aliya Abup, Irina Chaplygina, AEGEE-Samara