– Victoria, where did you live before coming to Austin, and what did you do?
My hometown is Kazan. This is the capital of the Republic of Tatarstan. I love my city, as well as what it gave me. I graduated from Kazan State Power Engineering University with red diploma (with honors).
Culturology is a set of studies of culture and history, and Kazan is rich in its cultural history. If you visit Kazan, then I recommend that you visit my favorite places: the Kremlin, Syuyumbike tower, and mosques. It is also good to visit Sviyazhsk and the Raifsky Monastery. Kazan is an amazing mix of different religions and customs. And what museums there are in Kazan! My favorites are the National Museum of the Republic of Tatarstan and the Museum of Konstantin Vasiliev. He’s my favorite artist.
And most of the museums are conveniently located in the Kremlin.
In addition to my main job at home, I used to play music and record my songs. I worked as an organizer and host of events. Nightlife in Kazan is also rich.
– How are your relations with your homeland?
I love my homeland, my family is still there. I stay in touch with them. But now Austin is my home. Austin is a city with its own character and soul. Austin is a city of different people, styles, and music. It is a city in which you have a choice and the opportunity for self-realization.
– What cultural characteristics and habits do you still support?
Since childhood, my favorite holiday is Easter. It is special, warm. I have kept the tradition of baking Easter cake and coloring eggs for Easter. But we also liked the local tradition of hiding chocolate eggs. I am in favor of taking the best from different cultures.
– Tell us about your family
My family is my grandfather and grandmother, who raised me and give a lot of love for me. And, of course, my family is my daughter. She is my winner, my pride.
– Tell us about your hobbies.
I really like to read books, smell its paper and hear it rustle. Computers are not my interest. My favorite books are The Little Prince, Pollyanna, and The Secret Garden. These books make you think about life.
And, of course, traveling is also my hobby. Only while traveling, we get so many new emotions and feelings, and also get to know the world and ourselves in it. Before moving to America, I traveled a little. It was a “Russian set” of countries: Thailand, Turkey and Egypt. I really liked Abkhazia. This is a wonderful country of mountains, clear sea, and delicious food. Now I am travelling in the USA. There are many places to visit here. From what I have already seen, the best are canyons and caves. The cities here are also very different. Each of them is special, but not all of them really mine energetically.
So far, Austin and Miami have really fallen into my soul. But so many new things are yet to come! So take the book and take off by plane.
I also really enjoy learning about nutrition, so I work as a nutritionist.
– Please tell us more about your work as a nutritionist
I came into this sphere through a personal situation in the family. Our child was seriously ill, and I was looking with all my heart for how to help her. Then I realized that our way of life and, especially, nutrition is the guarantee of our health. At first, I studied to help our family. Then I volunteered and helped with nutrition programs for people who were faced with cancer. And later, I just expanded this area and began to give my consultation to help more people find health. I am often asked: who is a nutritionist? A nutritionist is not a doctor. He studies the interaction of different types of food and the effect of dietary supplements and vitamins on the body in order to improve human health.
– What initiatives in the life of the Russian-speaking community would you like to participate in?
I am interested in everything related to the development of culture, teaching children, and organizing events. This is the area in which I am like a fish in water. Now I just work in our Russian Cultural Center and am proud of it. I plan to actively participate in the life of our community, helping to find funding for our events and teaching children at the Russian school “Sputnik” in Austin.
Contact information:
Victoria Romanova
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/viktoria.romanova.9256
FB Group “Nutrition in our life”: https://www.facebook.com/wenutritionlife
Interviewer: Olga Ovcharenko
Editor: Olga Falkowski
Publisher: Russian Cultural Center