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On Friday 14th we visited the Baltika Brewery, part of the Baltika brand, which is the largest beer producer in Eastern Europe and the second largest in Europe. After spending what seemed like an eternity on the metro and approximately another five or ten minutes on one of the buses owned by the brewery, we finally arrived at the entrance and were after a few more minutes of waiting greeted by a very enthusiastic guide. He took us on a tour through the history of this particular brewery and of the company, which was founded in 1990, when the Russian Federation was still part of the Soviet Union and all companies were owned by the government.

Unfortunately, we were not allowed to take pictures inside the brewery itself, so that had to wait until we came to the beer tasting room. There the table had been set with various types of brews and some snacks to keep us thirsty. After enjoying the beer and each other’s company for a while, it was time to get on the bus back to the metro station. At the exit our guide thanked us for our visit and handed over a plastic bag containing a Baltika beer glass to each one of us, and as we left the brewery the discussion revolved around which beer we had liked best.

For information on our upcoming excursions, please visit http://www.lidenz.ru/activities/russia-st-petersburg/.

How did you come up with the idea to learn Russian and why in Russia?

I sing in a Swiss choir which sings Russian orthodox songs and I would like to understand more of what I am singing.

A lot of people consider learning Russian a challenge. Regarding your personal experience, would you agree?

Yes, I can. It is a bit like everywhere: the more you know, the more you know that you know nothing. But – as 143 million Russians come along with this language, why shouldn’t I?

Could you share with us some interesting moments, experience or events during your stay here?

I followed a worship in the Church of Transformation at Preobrazenskaya Ploshchad and asked then a member of the choir where I could find music notes for our choir. And this man is Vladimir Miller, he has a fantastical voice!

How will your language stay influence your future life?

I thought already in my youth, that I would like to be able to learn things even in the age of eighty. So what? I am still younger than that.

Going back home, what will you miss about Russia?

Санкт Петербург, of course! It is the most beautiful town I know.

Why have you decided to come to Moscow and learn Russian?
I got an interesting assignment from Heineken Bulgaria, and Moscow sounded like an exciting opportunity for further development of my career.

Will Russian be useful for your job/your career?
Absolutely! I use Russian language every day. It is for me a door-opener, as speaking in Russian allows me to somehow let people relax and feel comfortable even when the topics are related to business (which is the case predominantly).

What was your first contact with Russian?
I studied (big word!) at school 25 years ago, yet with not a big engagement and desire. I never knew that one day it will be good to speak Russian. So the moral is: in case of opportunity to learn something, grab it, and learn; who knows, maybe one day this piece of knowledge might be useful.

What was your first impression of Moscow?
Big specious streets, great skies, many cars, air smelling like petrol, lots of places to go, a lot of things for kids, and very nice women…

What’s easy about learning Russian?
In my case, the Cyrillic alphabet is the easy thing. This allows me to read and is of great help to visualize the words, which in the end of the day is important as this way the words get a double coding in my memory – one verbal and one visual. Plus, reading in Russian makes it easy to put the dots together when something is not clear only based on what I heard people say.

What is particularly hard?
The various ways a verb can sound (sorry I do not remember what was the grammar term for this; probably form?!?) and the cases. But this was just in the beginning; now I kind of feel the language already. And if I consciously pay attention to what I try to say, I almost make no mistake with the cases. BUT when I am tired or affected and lose focus a bit, the mistakes come back again. So, there is still to learn, and one day the critical mass will appear and the automation of the language will be there to stay.

Could you imagine living and working in Russia in the future?
Yes, I am getting used to that every day. I say this with all the disadvantages in mind. But generally, I like it here. Maybe because the problems which my Russian colleagues and friends are facing are not far from me, being Bulgarian. You know “Курица не птица, Болгария не заграница!” ))

Why have you decided to come to St. Petersburg and learn Russian?
I like the challenge of learning a difficult language as I speak several Romance languages (Spanish, Portuguese and some Italian). One of my hobbies also exposes me to many Russian speaking people.

Will Russian be useful for your job/your career?
I will be useful mostly in social settings.

What was your first contact with Russian?
I opened an office for our Company in 1994 in Moscow and have returned seven times since.

What was your first impression of St. Petersburg?
It is a city that leaves a very strong impression for its beauty (architectural, cultural) and offers many attractions including its churches, museums, cultural events (opera, symphony, ballet, concerts), wonderful and varied experiences and with its Venetian flair, an ever changing perspective of a city rich in history and memories.

What is easy about learning Russian?
Some words are similar to English. Once the alphabet is learned it becomes easier to read (not necessarily understand the meaning of each word) and pronounce words.

What is particularly hard?
So many different words with different meanings. Use of soft and hard signs.

Could you imagine to live and work in Russia in the future?
Yes, I could live here but would want to master Russian before/during stay to take advantage of cultural/social opportunities and to blend in with local population.

Instructors were most patient and encouraging. I only wish I had asked that we create social situations/dialogs for day-to-day situations – commuting, dining. My sense after two weeks is that it is exactly where we were going. I just needed a few extra weeks. This is my fault. The staff at Transportny per. was very accommodating and courteous. It always felt comfortable. My compliments and thanks to Tatyana, Elena, Sasha and Eugenia.

John Gussenhoven is the author of the book Crisscrossing America.

“The next winner to be announced was one of these new categories, LTM Star “Other” Languages, which was introduced specifically for language schools teaching non-mainstream languages. The nominees this year included schools in Russia, Japan, Portugal, China and Egypt, refllecting how diverse our industry is becoming. The winner was Liden & Denz Language Centre in Russia and Walter Denz came up on stage to collect his trophy.”

Language Travel Magazine – Star Awards 2008

“Liden and Denz language school in St Petersburg, Russia, has become the first language school in the country to be accepted to join the European Association for Quality Language Services (Eaquals).”

“The school, which is already a member of the International Association of Language Centres (Ialc), plans to get its Moscow-based school inspected by Eaquals next year. Walter Denz at the school said that international inspection schemes such as Ialc and Eaquals are particularly important for schools in Russia. “In Russia we don’t have a national inspection scheme like, for instance, the British Council for the UK. It adds credibility to our quality claims and we need to convince agents that they can trust us. Any serious inspection has always a consultancy element in it. It is a very good idea that will help us to improve our services further.”

EAQUALS admits first Russian school – Language Travel Magazine