Hey!

Originally, I'm from Moscow. Now I live in Toronto after spending some time in Winnipeg.
I study International relations and Political science at the University of London (UK) and Gender studies at York University.

I also work part-time at a nonprofit organization Acorn that advocates for low- to moderate-income families.

I consider myself open-minded, rational and tolerant.
People say I am sociable and that I am a good listener.

One of my current passions is photography (sometimes video making).
The most frequent object of my photos is my cats (I have two cats!)

I am keen on learning languages and very interested in other cultures.
I am very civic-minded and politically active: I was volunteering for the political campaign of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny.
I cannot imagine my life without making a change: without a job which will allow me to make a difference and without self-development

I try to eat plant-based (vegan most of the time).
I love coffee, tea, wine, beer and kombucha.
I'm a big fan of riding a bicycle and being outside in the rain.

Instagram: kirakirapm

Interests

• photography
• running
• politics
• reading
• sailing
• tennis
• gender studies
• international relations
• philosophy
• political science
• sociology
• volunteering
• feminism
• bicycling
• world history
• gender equality
• drinking coffee
• drinking beer
• art and languages

Music, Movies, and Books

I listen to different kinds of music, mostly rock, folk, jazz. I really like 21Pilots, Hozier, Hurts, James Bay, Kaleo, Green Day, Hollywood Undead, Krovostok, Lord Huron, Matchbox Twenty, System of a down, Shinedown, Skillet, Three Days Grace and so on. I don't discriminate - I love music!

// I am not a big fan of movies, but frankly speaking, I love Star Wars and Matrix

// fav. writers are Hemingway, J. London, Fromm and this list cannot go without J. R. R. Tolkien and Rowling

I also watch TV series such as Game of Thrones, Jessica Jones, Friends, Sherlock, Breaking Bad, Suits and more and more

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

At times, I donate money to charity (mostly to animal shelters and to victims of violence and abuse).

I spontaneously bought tickets to Europe, packed and skipped classes right before my exams, which was really a quite exceptional case for me back then but now I do so oftentimes. A year after I dropped out of my university and went travelling through Europe for one month.

I had an amazing experience at LSE summer school!

Teach, Learn, Share

I make very good banana bread! :)

I can share my knowledge of current Russian political affairs.
I like participating in the critical discussion, analyzing all sorts of issues.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I could challenge stereotypes about Russians!

And does taking pictures count? :)

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Belarus, Canada, Czech Republic, Egypt, England, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Norway, San Marino, Slovakia, Spain, Thailand, Turkey, United Kingdom, Vatican City State

Countries I’ve Lived In

Canada, Germany, Russian Federation