- Tell us about your studies at the Moscow Architectural Institute.
- The desire to become an architect appeared in me almost immediately after graduating from art school. I don’t want to describe the process of entering the Moscow Architectural Institute, it deserves a separate article, I can only say that the efforts were worth the result. My first two years at the Moscow Architectural Institute were spent in a group led by Professor Sergei Kupovsky. Then I studied at the Faculty of ZhOS in the group of Professor Dmitry Velichkin and Associate Professor Nikolai Golovanov. What can I remember positive during this time?
Firstly, the readiness of teachers to give students the maximum amount of knowledge, both practical and theoretical, sometimes by force. Secondly, the desire of teachers to improve our work. I have not met such attention to projects from teachers anywhere, except for the Moscow Architectural Institute. The teaching system of Dmitry Velichkin and Nikolai Golovanov is fundamentally different from the methods of other teachers. Twice a week, they held consultations with students not in the classroom of the institute, but directly in their architectural bureau. Despite the fact that they are practicing architects, I never had the feeling that teaching was secondary to them. Each student was individually consulted, and this made it possible to analyze the project in more detail. At the beginning of the fourth year, we took an exam on modern architecture and knowledge of the historical architectural heritage of Moscow. At the same time, the teachers paid attention not only to the knowledge of their own subject, but also to the general cultural outlook of the student.
How did you get the idea to go to study abroad, and what was the basis for choosing Austria?
- My main desire was to try something new after receiving my bachelor's degree in Moscow. I have always been interested in urban planning as a somewhat different scale of architecture than the design of residential buildings. It was interesting to approach this issue not from a practical, but from a theoretical and even, to some extent, a philosophical point of view. I did not set myself the goal of staying abroad at all costs. The choice fell on Austria primarily because of the university. The Vienna University of Applied Arts (Universität für angewandte Kunst Wien) attracted me with its composition of teachers, I wanted to learn something new and different from teaching methods at Moscow Architectural Institute. In addition, I have always found Vienna to be a very comfortable and interesting city to live and study.
What difficulties did you encounter when processing documents for departure?
- The main difficulty in paperwork that every citizen of Russia faces is the time frame. They are very strictly enforced in almost every European university. That is, if on the official website of the university the deadline for accepting documents is indicated - April 4, documents submitted later than the deadline simply will not be considered. To begin with, it was necessary to prepare a portfolio consisting of the most interesting creative works. The next difficulty was the English exam. Since training in Vienna was exclusively in English, one of the main requirements of the university was the Toefl or Ielts certificate. Usually, a score of 6.5 is enough for master's studies.
I was not at all prepared for the fact that the visa would have to wait so long. The question was not so much in the process of considering the documents as in the preparation of the package itself. In each country, the list of documents for a student residence permit is different, but the main ones are: a letter of invitation from the university, a police clearance certificate in Russia, registration, the presence of a certain amount of money in the account, confirmation that you have a place to live in the country of study. All documents must be translated and notarized. From personal experience, I can say that it was easier to collect documents for a work residence permit than for an educational one.
How was the adaptation process in the new country?
- The first thing that I noticed when I moved to Austria was a completely different rhythm of life, however, I got used to it pretty quickly. There was no colossal difference in mentality, everything was just different. For the first six months I really wanted to return, I sorely missed my family and friends.
The most important thing to do after moving to the country of study is to enroll in language courses, even if you think that perfect English will be enough for you. This is not true. The adaptation process does not take place during your studies, when you are surrounded by the same students as you, but later, immediately after receiving your degree, when you start working.
Going to study in another country, you need to clearly and clearly understand for what purpose you are going abroad: stay there to work or get an interesting experience and come back. It also doesn't hurt to study the labor market of the country of your choice in advance.
Do not think that after graduating from university abroad, you will be immediately offered a job in the country where you studied. As a rule, this is a bureaucratic and time-consuming process for employers. It is often much easier for a student to find a job in European countries than for a specialist with a scientific degree, since salaries in many countries are clearly regulated by the level of education and that is why many employers are not ready to hire a specialist who has graduated from the institute. But the one who seeks will always find. All my friends who wanted to get a job in Austria eventually received offers from employers.
How did you study at the Vienna University of Applied Arts?
- Our group consisted of five students from different countries. The main theme of the project was the solution of the urban planning problem in Lisbon. Work went on to transform and integrate the Secunda Circular motorway into the existing urban situation. We were faced with a completely real problem that needed to be solved at the concept stage. In the mid-60s, this highway was the physical border of the city, but Lisbon naturally grew, and as a result, the expressway today divides it in two. The question was posed to us: is it worth leaving the highway in the center of the city or should it be moved outside of it? After all, this state of affairs has both pros and cons. Someone likes the ability to quickly get to anywhere in the city, someone, on the contrary, is annoyed by the noise and the inability to cross the road in a convenient place.
Each student had the opportunity to choose an interesting part of the road and propose a concept to improve the urban planning situation. I chose the part of the highway that borders on the territory of the EXPO-98 World Exhibition. I have always been interested in the further fate and economic feasibility of such complexes after the completion of exhibitions. During the one and a half years of study, we made two trips from the institute to Lisbon, where we worked together with the University of Lisbon.
Compare, please, your studies in Vienna and at the Moscow Architectural Institute
- In the system of Russian education, a lot depends on the teacher. The human factor plays a huge role at all stages of training. In this regard, I was very lucky, Dmitry Velichkin has always advocated the modernization of education. Nevertheless, I really lacked knowledge of modern technologies in related specialties, for example, in structures.
The program at the Moscow Architectural Institute is structured step by step, in Europe, basically, the student himself plans his lectures and exams. Most of the time in Vienna, we studied in the studio and in the library, and not at home, which was also unusual.
It is impossible to compare different approaches to learning. The only thing that unites them is the subject of study, and the differences begin from the very moment they enter the institute.
In a European university, it is often enough just to provide a portfolio, a certificate and a certificate of knowledge of a foreign language; in Russia, the admission procedure requires much more effort.
At Moscow Architectural Institute, the entire learning process is aimed at the result, in Europe - the learning process itself. For myself, I came to the conclusion that education in Russia is a necessary foundation, on which a foreign program fits perfectly. You should not expect that without a good base, you will easily join the educational process abroad.
The key difference is that overseas, the student is obliged to defend his project at all times. The consultations do not take place individually with the teacher: every week the student must, in front of the whole group, including the teacher and assistants, conduct a mini-presentation of his work, during which the whole group is involved in the discussion. The advantage of this technique is that, firstly, it helps to overcome the fear of public speaking, and secondly, it allows you to find out the opinion of not only the teacher, but also classmates. Thus, in the course of weekly small presentations, preparations are underway for the final defense of their own project. All final presentations are held publicly, that is, everyone can attend any defense of the project.
The education system in Europe is based on workshops, and in the learning process, all students attend lectures from different groups. There were a lot of courses in computer programs, such as Rhino, Grasshopper, Maya, Processing. All lectures were "multidisciplinary": in the middle of the second semester we had a workshop on private property, to which we had to read several books, including "Capital" by Karl Marx. It would seem that this is far from architecture, but with a deeper study and rethinking of this topic, it became clear how important it is to approach architecture multilaterally, not only as drawing plans and facades, but also as a synthesis of all related categories.
What did not suit me at all was the teacher's lack of interest in the result. If the project could be done not for two years, but for five years, we would definitely extend the whole process for five years.
What did the study in Vienna give you and what did the study at the Moscow Architectural Institute give you?
- At Moscow Architectural Institute I learned self-organization and acquired the necessary basic knowledge of architecture. To develop a project in Austria, we required a deeper study of the project than just the layout and transport situation. This allowed me to look at the subject of learning more broadly. I have never read so much foreign literature in my life as in two years of study abroad, which I can call a big plus. However, summing up, I really want to thank all the teachers of the Moscow Architectural Institute for the theoretical basis I received there. This is what I use at the moment in real practice.
Would you recommend the Vienna University of Applied Arts to other Russian students?
- Yes, I would recommend it to other students - just like any other educational institution abroad. Success in your career is not a consequence of studying abroad, but a foreign education allows you to significantly broaden your horizons and becomes an undoubted plus in your resume.
If you could go back in time, how would you organize your learning process in architecture?
- I would spend more time studying foreign languages and technical subjects - in addition to architecture.
What are you doing now?
- At the moment I am engaged in design at all stages in the Berlin office of Sergei Tchoban's nps tchoban voss.
Give advice to an aspiring architect
- Going to study abroad, you need to be confident in your desires and soberly assess your prospects.
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