Hindu student conquers Uzhhorodians’ hearts with his talent
Uzhhorod National University annually hosts students from abroad and is among the top five Ukrainian universities with the largest number of Indian students. Boys and girls from all over the world have the opportunity to obtain high quality professional education, get acquainted with local life and traditions and find new friends. Among foreign students there are special ones whose names become known outside the university. One of them is a student of the Faculty of Medicine #2 Harikrisshnan Narayana Swamy. To make communication easier, the boy calls himself Hari.
This young man is an unusual student of our university. His name is known among the people who love to be photographed, attend cultural events or just live to the beat of the city. Hari has been successfully engaged in photography, especially portrait photography. Therefore, in order to get a unique photo or a portrait taken by a talented foreigner, people have to line up.
“Hari, how long have you been living in Ukraine?”
“It's been four years now. First, I studied at Luhansk State Medical University and eventually moved to Uzhhorod.”
“Was it difficult for you to adapt to local conditions?”
“In general, it wasn’t. If you can adapt to life and meet the challenges, you will be able to live in every corner of the world. Here everything is different. We felt a striking difference between our cultures and when we arrived, at first everything seemed new and strange. But now I'm used to it. Apparently, there isn’t anything that could be surprising for me now.”
“You have already been to the east and west of our country. Did you see the difference?”
“Yes, a stunning difference. This, apparently, is manifested in everything. But, above all, it's people. A completely different mentality, attitude to life, and, most importantly, attitude to other people. People in Transcarpathia are more sincere, frank and friendly. You notice it immediately, once you come here. Attitude to foreigners is more affable and most importantly to foreigners with a different skin color. Uzhhorod and its people are more modern in this regard, we don’t amaze anyone here with our skin color and feel comfortable.”
“And what about the climate? Was it difficult to get used to Ukrainian winter?”
“Honestly, I was ready for it. At least, I knew what was waiting for me. Now winter doesn’t cause any questions or troubles. Of course, it's very cold, but it's not a problem.”
“Were there any Ukrainian customs or traditions that you were astonished with?”
“In general, I perceive everything with understanding, but I remember very well that I couldn’t understand for a long time why boys poured water on girls on the second day of Easter.”
“And what is the hardest thing in everyday life for you?”
“I wouldn’t say there are any particular difficulties. However, as a for a foreign student living away from his family, it's hard for me to cook every day.” (smiles, auth.).
“I’m sure, you’ve had the opportunity to taste traditional Ukrainian food, is there any dish that you like a lot?”
“Oh yes, I discovered a new gastronomic world here in Ukraine. However, most of all I like varenyky and borshch with sour cream, of course. I think it is very tasty.”
“Do you speak Ukrainian, did you have time to learn it a little?”
“I certainly did not manage to master the language perfectly, but I speak it fluently. I understand a lot, even if I can not explain something.”
“And as far as photo art is concerned. How long have you been engaged in photography in general, and in Ukraine in particular?”
“Apparently, it will soon be five years. I started this business in India, and did not stop practicing in Ukraine either. At first, I took photos of some friends here, then the first customers appeared, and that's how it all started moving. The city is small a word-of-mouth advertising helped me a lot. I did not even have to spend money to advertize myself, somehow it wasn’t necessary. Besides, perhaps not so much my photos are interesting for residents of Uzhhorod, as the very fact that I am a foreigner. Probably, some curiosity attracts people.”
“Do you give preference to some genre of photography? What do you like to photograph most of all?”
“I prefer portrait photography. I love to meet new and interesting people who have souls. Therefore, if you have a soul I can try to portray you the way I see it. However, I also visit various events, I have repeatedly heard that local people heard about me owing to my black and white photos.”
“What are your plans for the coming years?”
“I’m not planning to stay in Ukraine. Most likely, I’ll focus on moving to Europe, however life is very unpredictable, and no one knows what will happen in the next two years.”
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