The Argentine Trace in Buryatia

A melodic Spanish accent can be heard in the classrooms of the preparatory department of Dorzhi Banzarov Buryat State University. Twenty-nine-year-old Magdalena came to Ulan-Ude from the distant Argentine city of Neuquén, located in Patagonia. She is taking her first, but very confident, steps in learning one of the most difficult languages ​​in the world – Russian.

Magdalena Jené Castellone is a student in the preparatory department. Every day, she immerses herself in the study of Russian language, literature, history, social studies, mathematics, and other subjects. At the end of the academic year, she faces a serious test – passing a Russian language exam to qualify for admission to the university as a full-time student.

The Path to Russia: The Story of a Dream

How did a student from sunny Argentina end up in harsh Buryatia? It turns out Magdalena had a "guide" in Russia – one of her brothers. He lived and worked as a journalist in Moscow for some time. It was he who told his sister about the possibility of getting a Russian education and helped her sort out the application documents. The internet also came to her aid: using an online translator, she found the information she needed and began to discover Buryatia while still at home in Argentina.

"My brother inspired me by his example. He said that Russia is a country with enormous opportunities and very kind people. When it came to choosing a university, I learned about Buryat State University. I saw that I could study whatever I wanted there. Then I started looking for photos and information about Ulan-Ude. I realized that everything here was similar to where I grew up, and I decided to come here. I wanted to study in a smaller city. Moscow and St. Petersburg are too big and noisy. But Ulan-Ude is like my hometown—small and peaceful. Even the landscapes are similar: my city also has a river and lots of hills," Magdalena shares.

Of course, Argentina is warmer than Buryatia, even in the summer. According to her, the minimum winter temperature in Neuquén is -15°C, while in summer it often exceeds +40°C.

Magdalena had always been interested in Russian culture, but she wanted to see more than just Moscow or St. Petersburg. Lake Baikal and Siberia fascinated her.

"I was looking for a place where I could immerse myself in the language but also see the real Russia. When I learned about Ulan-Ude and BSU, I knew this was it."

Read more at https://gazeta-n1.ru/news/society/159433/