I was born in Köln, raised in Moscow, and now I'm living in Paris. I am currently studying cognitive science at ENS Paris, but I am originally trained as a (computational) linguist. During my undergrad, I did fieldwork in the Caucasus studying the Abaza language.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I want to meet new people and discover new destinations, as I believe that it will help me in becoming a better human being. During my earlier years, I haven't traveled much, since I was constantly moving between France and Russia, and it was a very tiring experience that moved me away from wanting to travel for a long time. However, now I'm once again ready to discover the world, as I feel that the urge to do it while I'm still young and capable of doing it.

Interests

One of my primary hobbies is cycling -- I've cycled a lot since I was a kid, but now I'm having less and less time to train properly as I have a lot of work and studying that needs to be done. I'm genuinely interested in music; I'm eager to learn new artists from you or to share what I know about the diverse world of music. As one may guess, I'm passionate about linguistics, so I can tell you a lot of interesting stuff about the different kinds of research that are being done in the field. Other than that, I am interested in photography, especially film photography, so I'm eager to share some of my experiences or chat about your favorite photographers.

• photography
• chess
• music
• cycling
• science
• linguistics

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Once I cycled from Paris to Normandy (around 190 km) on a very crappy bike to attend a party. Although I was completely devastated, it was one of the most interesting trips in my life.

Teach, Learn, Share

I can teach you Russian, which is my native language, I am fluent in English in French as well, so I can help you with those languages. I can teach you stuff like programming (which could be useful) and I can also teach you unnecessary but funny stuff in the likes of juggling, riding a unicycle (if you have one on hand), or playing ping-pong.

Now, I'm trying to revive my knowledge of German, as it became a bit rusty over the years as I haven't practiced much. I'm also trying to learn Polish, as it is the most convenient way to speak with the staff at my favorite polish shop next to my place in Paris. Overall, I'm eager to learn new languages (partly due to me being a professional linguist) and new skills.

Some people say that I can cook very well, so I'm eager to share foods and cook something together. I have some knowledge of traditional Russian cuisine, so I could cook a nice bortsch if one is eager to try this pinnacle of very sophisticated cuisine. I am a passionate chess amateur, so I'm very open to playing some games or even teach you the basics of this beautiful and interesting game.

Countries I’ve Visited

Belgium, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, Russian Federation, Turkey, Vatican City State

Countries I’ve Lived In

France, Germany, Russian Federation