September 2019. I packed my bags and headed for St. Petersburg. I had no Plan B—I simply wanted to study at the Vaganova State Academy of Ballet. I was awarded a full scholarship. Four years later, in 2023, I embarked on the Master’s program at the very same institution. Once again, on a full scholarship.
Everything sounds so easy and straightforward now, but “easy” is the last word I would use to describe it. If anything, I’ve learned that things happen in the hardest possible way, filled with the most trials and tribulations. Today, looking back over the past seven years, I wonder what I was so worried about, since everything turned out exactly the way I wanted. But would it have happened without the sleepless nights, the countless hours spent in the studio, and the hours in front of the computer (the most unusual and difficult thing for ballet artists)?
Choosing the Hard Path – The Driving Force in My Life
When it came time to decide whether to enroll in the Master’s program, I had serious doubts. The program in Russia is three years long, whereas in Bulgaria, a Master’s degree takes only one year. I wondered if the investment of time and money was worth it.
But then I asked myself: “When have I ever liked things to be easy?” And I plunged into this new, massive adventure. And now, I don’t regret it for a single moment.
Surviving the Storm: Pandemic, War, and the “Five Levels” of Bureaucracy
We experienced the COVID-19 pandemic right during my Bachelor’s studies. Back then, I thought: “What worse could possibly happen?” Well… a war started. Each year, the training became more and more difficult and intense. I shudder to think what would happen if I were to enroll in a PhD program…
Of course, life as a foreigner in Russia comes with its own specific challenges. Bureaucratic issues are endless. Getting a working SIM card, for example, requires you to pass through “five levels of difficulty,” as if you’re in a video game. And just when you finally think you’ve succeeded… they block it again for no apparent reason.
But if you can tune out the everyday and external hardships, a door opens to knowledge that becomes a lifelong lesson.
The Only Foreigner, but Never “Less Than”
Due to all the hardships and the academy’s rigorous filters, only nine of us graduated from our cohort. I was the only foreigner.
I want to share something very important: I never felt “less than” just because I wasn’t Russian. In the art of ballet, it doesn’t matter where you’re from. If you are good and responsible in what you do, you are valued. I was always accepted and respected for my hard work and dedication, not for my background.
Ballet as a Religion and Russian Composure
One of the most striking things that impressed me is the mentality. For them, ballet is culture and religion. We don’t have exactly this culture in Europe (we have our own, wonderful one), which is why not everything they do there can be directly applied in Bulgaria.
But their discipline is truly inspiring. I remember waking up at 6 a.m. to the sound of explosions outside, not knowing what to do, while everyone around you is infinitely calm. They just carry on with their day, with their rehearsals, and you find yourself wondering: “What am I even worrying about?” That inner strength and focus truly left a mark on me.
The Teachers and the Genius Logic of the Vaganova Method
I am endlessly grateful for the wonderful knowledge my Master’s teachers bestowed upon me:
- Ms. Maria Alexandrovna Gribanova – Classical Dance;
- Ms. Anastasia Leonidovna Vasilyeva – Character Dance;
- Ms. Natalia Stanislavovna Yananis – Historical Dance.
But the most important lesson I learned from them (and from Ms. Komolova) is to know WHY you are doing it. What is your purpose?
They never, ever do anything in the ballet studio “just because.” We don’t learn a movement just to learn it. Their genius logic in structuring the class is astounding—every single movement is filled with unwavering purpose, guiding you from the simple to the complex.
The working method they share with you, and the connections you build there, are far stronger than any external circumstances. “Vaganova” is not just an academy. It is a way of thinking that stays with you forever.
Art knows no borders, only hard work, dedication, and perseverance. I wish for more Bulgarians to have the same opportunity I had.
📸 State Exam in Character Dance, 2026. Photo with the ballet pedagogy cohort and teacher Ms. Vasilyeva. In the photo (from left to right): Ms. Tarasova, Ms. Gribanova, Mr. Polubentsev, Ms. Vasilyeva, and the entire ballet pedagogy cohort.