You read that right! It’s been 7 years since I relocated to Russia for my studies. 7 years later, 1 degree, 2 cities, 2 schools, and a whole lot of lessons.

My Russia story-The good, struggles, and lessons.

7 years ago I graduated from high school. I was 17 and was waiting for my WAEC result (It’s a secondary school leaving certificate examination written in West African) shortly after my graduation from secondary school. Prior to that, my parents told me that I just needed to make sure I made my papers and I’ll be on my way to medical school.

Of course, as a 17-year old, I believed them even though I had doubts so I looked up various countries and schools as a backup plan. I remember going to check out my results the day it was out in a business center. It was done via a scratch card method. I was nervous as to what my results were going to be. Anyone that has written WAEC or any final exam at all, knows how sad it will be to have to retake an exam of this sort.

I made several jumps and calls shortly after I saw my results. My parents congratulated me and a few days later I filled my application form to my university. In about a few weeks to a month, I received my invitation letter from my agent and in 2 months I was on my way to start medical school in Russia.

My First 48 hours in Russia

I left Nigeria on the 29th of October, 2014. Throughout my flight I was quiet and I had various thoughts as well. It was the first of many; First time on a plane, my first time outside Nigeria, and my first time experiencing very cold weather.

I arrived in Russia exactly on October 30th, 2014. It was really cold, I was dressed as warm as I could.  I wore a couple of sweaters but that didn’t change anything. The first word I learned was “чай” which translates to “tea” because that’s survival for starters in Russia.

Btw, I came alongside my mum and two of my friends. I believe that helped me cope a lot better as I wasn’t alone. I’m forever grateful for that.

My journey to Arkhangelsk from Moscow was about 22 hours. It was my first time on the train. Before then, I had only seen it in movies and of course pictures. You will expect me to be excited but I wasn’t. I believe I was absent throughout the trip. When I think about it, I wish I took pictures and preserved those moments.

I arrived at Arkhangelsk late at night so I didn’t get to see or experience the city until a couple of days later. We went out to get a few things, one of which was my first winter Jacket. I experienced my first snow that night as well. When I think back it was beautiful.

My biggest struggles living in Russia

Just like every rose has its torn, as beautiful as relocating to a new place is, it also comes with its struggles.

The weather– I’ve never lived in an extremely cold place so moving to the north of Russia was a big risk. I’m not sure how I managed to survive through the years but initially, I struggled to even stay awake in classes. I was always sitting beside the heater but it just wasn’t enough. Over time, I believe I just grew up and started to cope.

The language barrier – I never loved learning languages and I don’t remember being ever interested in them. However, learning the Russian language was a necessity.  It’s still one of the hardest things I’ve had to do. It gets easier with time and practice. I’m still not as fluent as I want to but I can communicate properly and learn well in the language. I’m constantly learning new words.

Other struggles will be getting used to the food, finding a community, making friends. I’m glad a lot has changed and I’m doing much better.

Growth- The Journey so far

The last 7 years in Russia have been a wild dream. There’s been the good, the bad, and the ugly although I always choose to focus on the bright side.

Medical  School in Russia

I completed medical school earlier in June this year.  It’s the reason I came to Russia and I’m grateful to God for the experience. I’ve been documenting my journey in medical school on my channel. In this video, I shared my experience all through medical school from pre-clinical to Final year.

Modeling In Russia

This is one of the highlights of my journey. It’s always been a dream of mine to model and I got the opportunity to go for my first shoot in 2015. I shared my journey to becoming a model and the journey so far here.

 

Beautypreneur

Shortly after my arrival to Russia, it was apparent that there was a struggle with accessing beauty products for dark skin. I took on the opportunity to get trained in professional makeup artistry and preferred solutions to the issues black women faced.  You can read more about my story and the work I’ve done here.

Content Creator

I started documenting my journey in pictures, videos, and words in the last couple of years. One thing I wish I had when I got here was a guide. Although I was surrounded by people who helped me throughout my journey,  there was little I could get in terms of similar experiences. It’s why I started documenting my journey publicly and also sharing important information on the reality of living in Russia.

My goal is simple; I want to help foreigners make informed decisions before choosing to migrate to Russia either for studies or other reasons. I want you to have realistic expectations and also be adequately prepared for a good life here if you eventually make a decision.

Either through written articles on my blog, vlogs about my experiences on my youtube channel, Instagram posts, and across other platforms.

Relocating to Moscow

3 months ago, I moved to Moscow to continue my studies shortly after completing medical school. I’m currently a Resident Doctor in the field of Dermatovenerolgy. It’s always been my dream to work in the beauty industry and I’m glad I found a way to combine medicine and beauty in one specialty.

Since I’ve moved to Moscow, I’ve been forced to dream bigger reason being that there are a lot of opportunities for growth and making money. Although, it’s a very busy city and you can get lost many times especially when you just arrive. My experience in Arkhangelsk (the north of Russia) is very different from Moscow (the center of Russia). It’s more expensive and stressful compared to the calm and budget-friendly life I had.

I’m looking forward to making the most of the next two years while studying and building a career. I don’t have any plans for my life after my clinical Residency yet and I trust God to align my path till then.

Life in Russia has been a journey I’m grateful for. The struggles taught me to be resourceful. I have experienced so much growth and progress in the last 7 years and I trust God with the rest of my life. I believe, your experiences are a result of the choices you make and the actions you take. While Russia is not the best place to be in the world, it is a huge part of my Story and I will forever cherish the memories made.