Moscow, Russia
Moved in 1999
Moved in 1999
My name is Igor. I was born a long time ago, in the last century. I was born in Moscow Hero City and lived in Russia for the first half of my life. The year of arrival in the US is 1999.
When I was a boy, I went to a nursery school, then I went to kindergarten, then to school, then to university.
Well, in Russia I usually spent time drinking with my mates in building basements. I did half of my undergrad in Moscow and then moved here.
When I was finishing school, there was a war in Chechnya. And my mother decided that I was a bad shooter, and she was afraid that they would take me into the army, and I would not feel very well being in hostilities, in the field. And she said: "Let's send you to America instead of the army." And that's how I ended up here.
When I was a boy, I went to a nursery school, then I went to kindergarten, then to school, then to university.
Well, in Russia I usually spent time drinking with my mates in building basements. I did half of my undergrad in Moscow and then moved here.
When I was finishing school, there was a war in Chechnya. And my mother decided that I was a bad shooter, and she was afraid that they would take me into the army, and I would not feel very well being in hostilities, in the field. And she said: "Let's send you to America instead of the army." And that's how I ended up here.
Igor about the saved books and the Moscow tiles in Chicago
We flew through Copenhagen for some reason unexpectedly. Yes, through Denmark. And between the two flights Moscow - Copenhagen, Copenhagen - Chicago, we had about a day, so we wandered around Copenhagen. Probably it somehow helped with the jetlag. In Copenhagen, we went to look at the Little Mermaid, a very famous statue, a tourist place. And at the very moment when we arrived there, someone sawed off the head of the little mermaid all of a sudden. So I was a little upset, besides the fact that I said goodbye to my favorite basements, I also couldn't enjoy Europe properly.
When I came to the USA, I lived with my dad for a while. And my dad saw me being depressed and said: you need to go to work. We lived in such a wonderful village of Wheeling at that time. And I said I don't know what I can do. I have no education, no English. He said: Here it is, a McDonald's. Go there. And kicked me off to McDonald's. And it was such an interesting Mexican McDonald's. I came in and said: I want to work for you! They said to me: Who the hell are you? I spoke to them in Russian with an English accent, and they spoke to me in Mexican with an English accent. In general, we did not understand each other and they didn’t take me to work at McDonald’s. Sad story.
I went to university, graduated from it, and then found a job. In Russia, I studied at the chemical-technological college. At that time all Russian speakers here went to work as programmers. And I also graduated from the university with a programmer degree.
I went to university, graduated from it, and then found a job. In Russia, I studied at the chemical-technological college. At that time all Russian speakers here went to work as programmers. And I also graduated from the university with a programmer degree.
