Miguel Almidon journeying from Peru to explore the traditional northern culture of the Yakutia people
A Tale of Global Wanderlust: Miguel's Odyssey from Peru to Yakutsk
We bump into Miguel within the cold confines of the North-Eastern Federal University's dormitory. He's now a student, honing his skills at the university's preparatory department. Yet, the Peruvian's grasp on the Russian language remains tenuous, necessitating an interpreter for our chat, thanks to Dmitry Osipov's assistance.
The fellow traveler recounts his epic expedition to Russia; a journey that spanned an incredible ten days. Alas, there are no direct flights to Moscow, so he first scurried from Peru to the Dominican Republic, then hopped aboard a flight to Germany. With his student visa in hand, he cleared immigration and set forth across Europe, traversing Poland to Lithuania before reaching Kaliningrad. From there, he leaped into the skies once more, touching down in Moscow before heading to Barnaul by train. After five grueling days, he arrived at Nizhny Bestyakh. A phone call to the NEFU revealed the final piece of his puzzle, and Miguel made it to Yakutsk. With a hefty price tag of $3,500, this odyssey wasn't cheap.
Bound for the Land of Permafrost
Miguel's heart harbored a fierce desire to visit Russia for years, even purchasing a plane ticket in 2023. Unluckily, he fell ill before making the trip. Determined to seize the opportunity, he turned to the Russian Embassy in Peru. To his amazement, he discovered they were offering him a scholarship to study there. After three grueling months, amidst translation headaches and bureaucratic red tape, he finally submitted his documents in January 2024 and was blessed with approval for his studies in June. He touched down in Yakutsk on September 30, 2023, and began his studies at the preparatory department of the North-Eastern Federal University on October 1.
We're learning Russian, graphics, informatics, physics, history of Yakutia and Russia. Russian isn't so difficult to learn, but I don't have anyone to practice with, as all my classmates are also foreigners. I hear more English, French, Mongolian, and Chinese than Russian. But I enjoy learning about different cultures. Japanese culture is widespread in Peru, with the second-largest diaspora in the world - Japanese - residing in our country.
As the lone Spanish-speaker in his vicinity, Miguel reveled in meeting Dmitry, a colleague who spoke his mother tongue. Alas, Russian is prevailing across the city. He's worked as a dishwasher at "Orto Doidu," a remote Yakutsk restaurant, to earn some cash and enhance his conversational skills.
Genes of a Globe-Trotter
Miguel is a citizen of the world, his roots entwined in the Apurimac region of southern Peru. His grandpa was a traveler, journeying to various lands, and eventually settling in Peru forever. He departed home young, trekking from Lima to Ike, Piseco, Chile, Santiago, and Spanish Zaragoza. While there, he enrolled in a university and commuted daily for his studies.
Back in Peru, he attended a technological university, studying "accounting." In Spain, he embraced an agricultural career. This happened in 2020, but he was forced to return home due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Overall, Miguel is smitten with agricultural topics. During his studies, he delved into them, working on innovative projects like sowing deserts and transforming seawater into fresh water. In Peru, his family cultivates fruits, berries, operates a restaurant, and a trading business. After completing university, he desires to join the family business.
We pondered, and Miguel shared some fascinating details about his birthplace. Peru boasts three cultures - coastal (speaking Spanish), Andean (mountainous, speaking Quechua), and Amazonian (tropical, with several languages). He takes pride in Peru's culinary prowess. In 2023, a Peruvian restaurant was crowned the world's best, and Peruvian cuisine was named the best in South America. "Many top chefs around the world learn from us," he noted with pride.
Dined with the Wild
In Yakutia, Miguel sampled indigenous dishes. He noticed parallels between Andean and Yakutian cuisines, centering on raw fish and meat. They also celebrate similar festivals and adorn themselves in similar clothing.
The cold Yakutian winter doesn't faze Miguel - in 2019, he lived in Chile, where the winters are frigid and snow-laden. Thus, the frost of Yakutsk didn't come as a shock, and he cherished the chill.
The young traveler yearns to visit the Lena Pillars and Oymyakon, the Pole of Cold. He's fascinated by Yakutia, having learned about its mammoths and Evenk culture during his education. During his time in Spain, he saw numerous documentaries about the northern Russian cultures on TV. Miguelは戦慄に満ちた、イヤクテーカにある自然が素敵であることに、イベク人文化や注文動物に興味を持っていると自信とする。
Here, Miguel was showed the intricacies of the khomus. For the first time, he and his classmates, international students, performed at the "Youth" stadium during the Culture Festival. He shares they've since graced various events, sharing music from the Yakut national instrument.
Miguel harbors dreams of becoming an entrepreneur, continuing the family business, and pursuing research. This summer, Miguel Almidon aims to enroll at AGATU, focusing on agronomy or forestry. We believe his aspirations shall come to fruition!
In his education and self-development, Miguel is learning Russian, graphics, informatics, physics, history of Yakutia and Russia, and he finds learning about different cultures, such as Japanese culture in Peru, fascinating. Migual's personal growth in Yakutsk has also been influenced by his exposure to traditional Yakutian music and performing with his classmates using the khomus, a traditional Yakut national instrument.
