I love ethnography, and CS is perfect for discovering new places through a local culture lens. I am a researcher with a PhD from the University of Manchester. I love playing my cello. Here is my early recording of J-S Bach Prelude and Gigue from 1st Suite: http://youtu.be/SV3WP1V0PGY

Love stargazing on the roof with Manchester Astronomy Society (http://www.manastro.org/).

I like to play table tennis, to jog and to swim.

My profile on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/nikolai.kazantsev

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Until 2016 I was volunteering in conflict transformation projects in South Caucasus. We used culture similarities: age, interests, music and dances to connect peacemakers groups and iteratively bring more crowd towards peace.

In 2014 I initiated the project called "Music as a common language for peacebuilding". The project bridged European youth with isolated Georgian groups in displaced person camps. Young musicians from Russia, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Spain, Czech Republic and Hungary have formed music bands and played together for displaced people, engaged locals into songs and dances, thus reducing post-conflict stress. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Music-as-a-common-language-for-peacebuilding/1457781421122931

In 2015 I coordinated the EURO-BRICS Summit that has brought together young leaders of the European Union, Brasil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa to the series of debates on diplomacy, economics, peacebuilding and culture.
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(!) Important: if you write a CS request mention 'Juventus'. That's my favourite football team, and so I know that you have read through my interests and don't copy paste request. I should also mention that I will never discriminate supporters of any other teams, inc., even Inter and Real.

Cheers!

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

Couchserfing for me is a world database of wonderful personalities who help me to understand the world around me better. I surf almost every time I travel anywhere.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I enjoyed my CS experience in Germany, in the US: Silicon Valley (Milpitas, San Jose, etc), and in many other places

Interests

world cultural diversity
Club theory
Collaboration for good
Data sharing
Rapid response capabilities
Data mobilisation
world history and music
modern architecture
modern art
caucasus
conflict transformation

• arts
• architecture
• modern art
• breakfast
• traveling
• music
• history
• volunteering

Music, Movies, and Books

Music - Violoncello Suites (Bach )
Movie - Rainman
Book - Trozdem ja zum leben sagen (Viktor Frankl )

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I have met russian peasants from the middle ages and can tell stories about them.

These are old believers - ultra-conservative groups that follow the Orthodox Christianity in the style before 1666. Not surprisingly, much of their culture (that much depend on religion!) has not been changed since: they sew clothes, angle fish, grow seeds and try to be invisible and not to mix with local population. Caused by that they look like aliens coming with the time machine from the medieval times: long beards, traditional clothes and old Russian dialect. You can not meet other medieval people, rather than these Russian ones. Amish are looking artificial in contrast to them, believe me !

I was able to disclose some of their villages that could be now seen on Google maps:
- in Alaska, US: Kachemak Selo , Nikolaevsk, Vosnesenka
- in Christchurch, New Zeeland, Waiao
- in Australia, Sydney
- in Moldova, Kunichi

UPD: Old believers from Sydney were mostly hospital. They have migrated through Hong Kong to Sydney with 3 weeks ferry trip after Mao intended to send them to Stalin's Russia. Took away multiple stories from their life in China in 1940s where the efficiencies of their farming has been investigated by the Japanese occupational regime. They kindly gave me the box of delicious "pirozhki" (small pies) which was a generous present.

Teach, Learn, Share

well, if you never tried Russian breakfast that could surprise you :)

What I Can Share with Hosts

aren’t my stories good enough?

Countries I’ve Visited

Albania, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, China, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Moldova, Monaco, Morocco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Palestine, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russian Federation, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

Germany, Northern Ireland, Russian Federation, United Kingdom

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