Anastasiia Borisova
Patrick Schell UHH Shell
The main building of the University of Hamburg
"Staying in Hamburg for almost half a year gave me a lot of new experiences, new friends and unforgettable adventures. I would like to express my gratitude to my supervisor Prof. Otto Habeсk and Galina Belolyubskaya for recommending this program. I wish good luck to the next recipient of the Ulla Johansen Scholarship, and success and prosperity to the entire team of the DAAD-Stiftung."
Anastasiia Borisova specializes in linguistics and cultural studies. She came to Germany on the Ulla Johansen Scholarship and did research at the Universität Hamburg.
In the following, she talks about her scientific knowledge gain and experiences outside of the university at the Hanseatic city:
On April 27, the Day of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), I received a congratulatory letter that I was granted the Ulla Johansen Scholarship by the DAAD-Stiftung. I attended online German language courses which started in August. Our teacher, Gargi Sarkhel, was a very attentive and kind teacher. In October 2022, I received a certificate of basic knowledge of German which helped me get around in Hamburg.
In Germany, the official language is German. It is natural for people in Germany to speak their native language, and therefore, even a basic knowledge of German is very important.
After the DAAD online German course, I could order food in cafes and restaurants and understand some signs on the street.
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A classic in Hamburg is the fish sandwich
Obtaining a German national visa in Novosibirsk was also not difficult, as I received all the documents from DAAD on time and everything was very organized. Many thanks to Tatyana Molodtsova, consultant of the DAAD Information Center in Novosibirsk, for her responsiveness and help in collecting visa documents.
The biggest problem was finding housing in Hamburg. However, thanks to my supervisor Prof. Otto Habeсk and his graduate student Natalya Aluferova, we were able to find suitable housing.
I lived with Mr. Henning and Mrs. Ina in the beautiful and quiet Rissen neighbourhood. It's a 30-minute subway ride from the Hamburg University. I often joined them for a traditional coffee at 16:00. During this time, I could hear German speech and practice my German.
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Anastasiia Borisova found a loving home with this hospitable couple
In my free time, I was happy to help them with leaf cleanup in the yard. I would like to thank them for their hospitality and cosy days in the Rissen area. Special thanks to dear Natalya Aluferova for helping me find accommodation, meeting me at the airport, and taking me to the location.
On October 1, my internship at the Institute of Ethnology at the University of Hamburg began.
I remember it like yesterday, when we met with Prof. Otto Habeck at his office and discussed our plans. Our topic was the study of gender stereotypes in modern Sakha society and their roots in traditional folklore. The professor shared contemporary works on gender studies with me; in addition, we worked at the library of the University and the Ethnological Museum Hamburg.
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At the Georg Wilhelm Steller memorial plaque in Halle
At the end of October, I was invited to Leipzig to see Dr. Liudmila Nikanorova, an interesting academic contact for me because she touched on gender stereotypes in contemporary Yakut society in her dissertation "Religion and Indigeneity”. Therefore, it was important for me to get to know her personally and to collaborate with her in the future.
We visited the Grassi Museum, and worked at the University of Leipzig on a joint article "Research Methods for the Study of Indigenous Religions in North Asia Knowledge Production and Praxis in the Sakha Context." I and Dr. Liudmila Nikanorova visited the Biennale-2022 in Venice, dedicated to the topics of the COVID-19 pandemic, environmental disasters, and political crises in Europe.
This trip motivated me to release my own documentary film on the topic of the consequences of deforestation in our republic, which directly affects the thawing of permafrost and pollution of rivers “(Non)native land”
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In their home, Dr. Anna-Elisabeth and Wieland Hintzsche share knowledge about Siberia's early history
In February, following the recommendation of Prof. Otto Habeck, I went to the small cozy town of Halle to visit the Chairman of the Georg Wilhelm Steller International Society, Anna-Elisabeth Hintzsche and the researcher of the society Wieland Hintzsche.
They presented the Research Institute of Olonkho with their new book about travels and G. Miller's notes. They do a great job and make a great contribution to the study of the ancient history of Siberia. They invited me to join their research community to collaborate in the future.
I advise everyone who goes on the Ulla Johansen Scholarship program to meet, talk and possibly collaborate with them.
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In front of the iconic World Time Clock in Berlin
Hamburg is a big city and there are so many places to stay and visit. In my free time, I visited museums and exhibitions and spent a lot of time at the taats- und Universitätsbibliothek Hamburg.
The library is very rich and it is very convenient to use the services and work there. I found the books I needed for my thesis. Similarly, to Yakutsk, Hamburg is a northern city. This is probably why I fell in love with Hamburg from the very first days: I will never forget the smell of sea freshness, people of different cultures and mentalities, and the strict Hamburg urban style.
As of May 2023.
Due to personal rights protection the faces on the pictures had to be made unrecognizable.
Editor's note: She stayed longer in Germany than the duration of her scholarship.
