Published on: 2026-05-13
Source: Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering –
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Irina Chechik with the meeting participants
The Department of Intercultural Communication of the Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering held a celebration on May 6 for the foreign students of the preparatory department, dedicated to Victory Day. The solemn event took place in the format of a screening of the short film “Temporary Connection” directed by Dmitry Abolmasov, based on the story “Can I Ask for Nina?” by Kir Bulychev. Before watching the film, the students familiarized themselves with the creative biography of the writer and learned interesting facts about his life.
The head of the university’s international activities department was present at the eventShuainat Almadaulevaand the head of the preparatory department for foreign citizensKarina Surkova.Associate Professor of the Department of Intercultural CommunicationIrina Chechiktold about the Great Patriotic War, about the main events and terrible facts of that time.
Foreign students were not only spectators but also active participants: they read texts about wartime, watched war chronicle films, and took part in quizzes. The students were shocked by the scale of destruction, tragedy, and suffering of the peaceful citizens of the Soviet Union.
Unfortunately, many of us did not know by hearsay what war is. During the film discussion, the students’ words conveyed personal pain and sincere sympathy, along with foreign students, who were imbued with respect for the unparalleled feat of the Soviet people-victors, emphasizing the need to preserve historical memory without injury. At the end of the event, the participants shouted in chorus: “I remember, I am proud!”
“Huge thanks to the Department of Intercultural Communication at SPBGASU: not a single listener remained indifferent to the topic raised. Many asked questions and shared their experiences. It should also be noted the level of Russian language proficiency among the foreign listeners,” noted Karina Surkova.
Among the foreign students, there are those whose family history is connected with the Great Patriotic War. For example, Cuban Antonio Wuet Crespo has Russian roots. He is not only mastering academic disciplines but also searching for archival materials about his great-grandfather, a frontline soldier and awardee who reached Berlin. Together with all the foreign students of the preparatory department, Antonio actively participated in the celebration and at the end said: “I remember, I am proud of my Russian great-grandfather.”
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