Published on: 2026-04-24
Source: Saint Petersburg State Polytechnical University of Peter the Great –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
In Polite Tutors together with the student culinary association “VkusLab,” they organized a real celebration dedicated to the bright Easter. What started as a small meeting quickly grew into a warm, heartfelt, and very informative story, whose participants became foreign students of the preparatory faculty, as well as students from other courses who are just getting acquainted with Russian culture.
For many who came to us to learn about young people, the holiday turned out to be not just a new date on the calendar, but a whole discovery. The organizers made it as deep and sincere as possible. The first part of the evening went like a live lecture — activist tutors told those gathered about the history of the holiday, its significance for believers, folk customs and traditions carefully passed down from generation to generation in Russian families. But the most valuable thing was not so much the stories themselves as the dialogue.Foreign students did not just listen—they asked all kinds of questions: why Easter occupies such a special place in Russia, why there must be kulich on the table, why the date of the celebration changes every year, and which Russian traditions are considered the most important on this day. Russian students gladly answered, shared their family stories, and by this point it became clear: a real meeting of cultures had taken place.
After the educational part concluded, the atmosphere filled with new energy. For the guests, a musical group was invited to perform the song “Apostle Andrew” by the band “Nautilus Pompilius.” This moment was unexpected, but a very bright gift. The music sounded so deeply and powerfully that the hall literally froze, and then erupted in applause. The most amazing thing happened a little later: foreign students, many of whom heard this song for the first time, began to sing along.Someone caught the words, someone simply echoed the melody, but that was exactly the unity that truly made any event successful.
The culmination of the evening was the interactive zone — a space where conversations about tradition transformed into a living embodiment. Several thematic stations were organized for the participants, each connected with the Feast of St. Pascha. At some stations, bookmarks with Paschal symbolism were colored. At others, they watched how the main attributes of the holiday are created. But the most interesting was the station prepared by the activists of the culinary association “VkusLab.”The guys didn’t just tell, but actually showed how Russians bake kulich, how to properly knead the dough, how to achieve the perfect glaze, and how to decorate the pastries so that they delight both the eye and the soul.
Foreign students were offered to try baking kulichi themselves. Under the close guidance of volunteers from VSB and participants of “VkusLab,” anyone interested could create their very first kulich. For some, this was a revelation: it turns out that behind the tradition lies such a warm, almost family process, where not only the recipes are important, but also the mood with which you undertake the task. Someone decorated a Easter kulich with glaze for the first time in their life and did it with such reverence that it was impossible not to smile. Volunteers explained, gave hints, helped, and in the end, every participant ended up with their own little masterpiece.
Foreign student from India and head of the student association of tutors Vedant Gupta noted:For me, it is a great source of pride that my team, together with the invited colleagues, was able to hold such a heartfelt and cultural event that will leave a pleasant impression in the minds of many, and that our contribution to the development of the cultural component of foreign students at the Polytechnic University brings great benefit to many.
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When the event came to an end, the main thing became clear: this Passa will be remembered for a long time. Foreign students of the preparatory faculty, many of whom were far from home for the first time, were able to spend a bright holiday not alone, but in warm company. The efforts of tutors, the culinary association “VkusLab” and VSBI volunteers turned an ordinary April evening into an event after which it is customary to say “thank you”, share photos, and wait for the next meeting.
Please note; this information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.