"I am here to learn the Russian way of thinking"

Please tell us something about yourself.

My name is Michelangelo Cerracchio, I’m 26 years old and I was born in Rome. Half of my family is from Rome, the other half from Naples. When I was 10, we moved to a small town called Brunico, near the Italian Dolomites in the north of the country. Then, at the age of 16, I moved to Ottawa, Canada to attend high school for two years; after graduating, I moved back to Italy. Apart from Russian, I also speak Italian, German, English and a little Spanish.

I majored in International Political Science and graduated from the University of Milan last year. I have always been interested in international relations and I am grateful to my parents for instilling in me a love of travel. 

My father is a former military and civilian pilot and my mother is a tour guide, so they nurtured in me an interest in foreign countries and cultures, ergo my interest in international politics grew from the very first steps. My other passion belongs to the world of hockey. I have been playing hockey as an amateur since I was 13 years old and I have refereed in the minor leagues of the Italian Hockey Federation. There is one goal among many that I would like to achieve—I would like to referee in the junior leagues in Russia as soon as I am able to speak Russian more fluently. 

Why did you choose international relations as your field of academic interest? 

My area of academic interest is geopolitics and interactions between states. My bachelor’s thesis was on Mongolian foreign policy after the Cold War, specifically how Mongolia related to Russia, China and the United States.

I plan to publish my work as a book, so this year I’ve focused on adapting my thesis into a more narrative-driven historical account. It begins with the Mongol Empire’s relations with the Russians and Chinese, explores key aspects of Russian expansion toward the Mongols, traces interactions between the Mongol khanates and Chinese empires, and concludes with Soviet Mongolia’s ties to the USSR. My interest in Russia is thus directly related both to my thesis and my book. 

Eventually, since I study international system, I came to recognise Russia as a great power. Therefore, I became interested in deeply understanding the Russian psyche and mentality—it became my personal passion. 

When I was a part of the Geopolitical Association at my university in Italy (Students for International Relations), we were asked to give an explanation of the conflict that had broken out between Russia and Ukraine. We were just stating the facts of what happened, explaining things as they are from a rational and realistic point of view, giving causes and consequences, but then some people started to call us, and me in particular, pro-Russian. 

This misleading way of thinking is unfortunately a very common public opinion among Europeans. I recognise that reality is complex and public opinion demands simplicity. Yet, I feel that one part of Western societies is not keen to accept to the fact that a political analyst has to put themselves in the shoes of other actors in order to understand the different point of view. This reluctance implicitly denies that the world continues to exist beyond one’s own bubble. This is precisely why my interest in the realism school of the international relations with a geopolitical framework is growing every day, and this is also what pushed me to continue my studies in Russia. 

How exactly did you come up with the idea of coming to Russia? 

I first came to Russia because I was looking for a master’s degree programme specifically in strategic studies, with the goal of understanding why and how states have fought, are fighting and will continue to fight and compete with each other. 

I found out that St Petersburg University had exactly the programme I was looking for. The first result on the internet was SPbU’s master’s programme in "Strategic and Arms Control Studies", and with the historical depth of the programme, it sounded perfect. In fact, most strategic studies programmes in Europe that I looked over tend to avoid delving too deeply into history and focus more on the present, whereas I wanted to review the entire history of the 19th and 20th centuries and further back, since all current affairs are the direct result of past events. I therefore believe that this SPbU programme will help me to understand why and how conflicts were broke out in the past and the consequences that we witness, consciously or unconsciously, on a daily basis. This programme ticks all the boxes as we will also be studying international politics, diplomacy and geostrategy. 

Although the programme seemed like an excellent fit, I wanted to be sure that Russia would be a suitable place for me to live, given all the negative things that have been said in the Western media. After graduating I spent six months travelling around the world by train from Italy across Europe, Russia, Mongolia, China, Japan and the United States. During this time, I was able to come to Russia as a tourist before committing myself to studying here. In Russia, I visited St Petersburg, Veliky Novgorod, Moscow, Kazan, Yekaterinburg, Tobolsk, Novosibirsk, Irkutsk, Lake Baikal and Ulan-Ude — all of which left me deeply captivated by the country. 

I remember when I first came here last year in January, it was snowing so much! I saw the University in the city centre and I just couldn’t resist its beauty. Now I feel blessed every time I have the chance to walk around the city centre — living in this city is like living in a dream. No wonder the Russian language has two words for dreaming, depending on whether you are really asleep or not. 

Why choose St Petersburg? 

Russia, and St Petersburg in particular, is a very historic place. I was amazed by the view of the Winter Palace and visited many museums; I’d also like to note that it’s pretty cheap here compared to the cost of living in Italy. Everything here meets my requirements and even exceeds my expectations. The opportunity to study here makes me feel special. 

I knew about St Petersburg as a really poetic place, and its architecture has a deep connection with Italy. Moscow is like Milan for me, and St Petersburg is like Naples. Moscow is more about money and rushing everywhere, St Petersburg seems to be a more relaxed city. I always say that St Petersburg is halfway between Naples, Venice and Florence, because you have an Italian style of the architecture and a lot of canals and the gulf, which makes it a maritime city. When I look at the main building of the University, or the Hermitage, or other places in the centre of St Petersburg, I see the architectonical beauty of the Empire, which we (Italy) never were — but which you managed to be. 

I also considered Moscow, Yekaterinburg and Irkutsk, but in the end I chose St Petersburg because I knew there would be a lot of influence from my own culture and I would still be in Europe. 

What are your favourite places here? 

I will give two answers — one is a joke answer, one is serious. There is one pizzeria I like the most; I got a pizza there for less than 2 euros, with really good basil, tomatoes and mozzarella. When summer hits, I like to sit on the banks of the Fontanka River with a takeaway pizza, looking at the water and enjoying the beautiful weather. The atmosphere and the view are magical. 

My second favourite place is Park Pobedy (Victory Park). Every time I go to an SKA hockey game at the new arena, I like to take a long stroll across the park while listening to Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto. Some say that say that you can understand Russian music if you listen to it surrounded by Russian nature. I can’t help but agree. 

I can’t wait to start classes at Smolny next year — my faculty is there. I’ve heard it’s fabulous, but I’ll hold off visiting until next year — I don’t like spoilers. 

Was the process of applying to St Petersburg University difficult for you? 

Absolutely not, it was much easier than I thought. I applied in two ways. The first was through Casa Russia (Rossotrudnichestvo), a branch of the Russian Embassy in Italy that promotes Russian culture and language abroad. I went to Casa Russia to ask for information about the possibility of going to Russia. They told me they didn’t have any information about travelling, but they could offer me a scholarship. I was told that there was an opportunity to study in St Petersburg for free, which would only require me to pay for my accommodation and travel. It sounded great. They suggested that I should apply as soon as possible, because in recent years there have been fewer people interested because of the political situation, so I would have a better chance of being accepted. So that’s what I did. 

All I had to do was bring my passport, diploma, medical certificate and other basic documents. There was nothing difficult. They gave me my results within a month and then I got in contact directly with the SPbU Preparatory Department. At the same time I applied to the University directly and I was also accepted that way, but in the end I decided to continue the process with the help of Casa Russia. 

I will give a brief example to demonstrate how easy it was to apply to SPbU compared to other countries and universities. For instance, I also tried to apply for a master’s degree in Stockholm. They rejected my application because I couldn’t submit the original of my diploma because it hadn’t been issued to me yet. When applying to St Petersburg University, everything was way more practical, for example, after uploading my application, I texted the admissions office and they promptly responded, confirming that there were no issues with the paperwork. 

I had more problems with bureaucracy when I arrived here, especially with registration. Since I don’t live in a dormitory and rent an apartment, I’ve found that most of Russian landlords don’t want foreigners as tenants, partly because they don’t want to be bothered with all the bureaucracy. This was the only "serious" setback I encountered. 

The queues were annoying when I arrived in Peterhof, but that’s understandable as all the students arrive approximately at the same time. But when I went to the campus in the city centre to get my visa, it was much easier. Anyway, frankly speaking, it wasn’t that big a deal. You get used to queuing after the Estonians make you wait more than seven hours at the border to enter Russian territory. 

When you come to another country you will certainly face some problems that are inevitable. But I can say that all the bad aspects were totally compensated. In Italy we say: "the game is worth the candle". 

What do you think of Russian lifestyle? Have you come across any stereotypes? 

After coming here, I found out that Russians love Italians. I can’t mention a single moment when a Russian didn’t smile when he heard that I was Italian — and particularly from Rome. Russians really love and appreciate Italy. I feel at home here, even more than in Canada. I love Canada, but I felt like an outsider there. 

I feel that we are very much alike. As we say in Italy "una faccia, una razza" (one face, one race), a saying that originally referred only to Greek-Italian relations, but I like to think that it also applies to Russian-Italian relations. I really feel that we share similar values and that there is much more in common between us than between Italians and Americans, for example. 

I didn’t expect Russians to be so similar to people from Naples. In Naples we say "Si nu piezz ’e core", which roughly translates as "you are a piece of heart". Originally this phrase comes from a mother’s love for her children, but in this context I used it to underline my feeling that Russian people are so warm that they become «a piece of my heart» — they remind me of home. Some say that Russians tend to be bossy, unsmiling, cold-hearted. But in fact, after getting to know them, I realised that they are really open-hearted and sincere. And this feeling is growing in me every day I spend here. 

A friend of mine in Irkutsk, with whom I went hiking and camping at Lake Baikal, once invited me to his house. The table was overflowing with Russian delicacies, and the atmosphere, a bit chaotic but really warm, reminded me of my relatives in Naples—even though we were thousands and thousands of kilometres apart. They had a picture of the Milky Way on the fridge surrounded by family photos. My friend confided in me that every time he looked at this series of photos he was reminded of how small we are compared to the galaxy. Then one of his daughters took me into her room to show me her favourite book. It was about Soviet achievements in space. She wants to be an astronaut. To this day, I think this little scene is the definition of a Russian family. 

All I can say is that I have fallen in love with your way of being. The Russian way of being. 

Speaking of stereotypes, some of them appear to be true, like wearing "tapochki" (slippers) in the house. Also, I knew that Russians love tea, but I didn’t expect you to love it so much. I also remembered a phrase that I heard in Italian, which roughly states that "Russians are the tragic version of Italians, and Italians are the comic version of Russians". This phrase reminds me of the historical bridges between our countries and makes me proud to be here and to carry on this enduring legacy. 

Were your parents worried about your desire to study and live in Russia? 

Fifty-fifty, my parents actually love Russia. My mother had studied Russian for a couple of years and these dais she paints Orthodox icons every day. My dad travelled to Russia in the 1980s and he fell in love with this country. At first my father was a bit worried because the political situation between Europe and Russia was still deteriorating—I think the news he was watching made him a little anxious. But then he asked me why I wanted to study in St Petersburg. I told him one main reason — I wanted to understand the Russian way of thinking. All his fears disappeared and he supported me one hundred percent. 

What are your impressions of learning Russian, since you have a lot of experience in learning foreign languages? 

Languages are crucial to me because they represent the soul and mentality of a country. I always knew that Russian is a hard one and I never imagined that I would make so much progress in just a few months. 

Cyrillic alphabet is like a mirror, with some words between Italian and Russian being almost identical because of the Latin-Greek influence, just encoded in a different alphabet. That is why Russian looks to me like a puzzle to be solved. Also, the logic of constructing a sentence often has roots in Latin, which is a link to my mother tongue. Despite the many differences, the similarities between Italian and Russian only deepen my love for this language. 

Even though I am not as fluent as I would like to be, I have made a lot of progress. At Casa Russia they told me that it takes a year to speak Russian, but I was able to have a simple conversation in three months. Our teachers only speak Russian without switching to other languages, and we have classes from 9 am to 2 pm, Monday to Saturday, so this level of immersion is remarkably helpful in developing speaking and understanding skills. I also communicate in Russian in the gym or at hockey games. My Russian isn’t perfect and I make mistakes, but everyone does, even Russians themselves. The most important thing is that I can make myself clear and people understand me. 

It’s also the first time I’m learning a language after getting a background in geopolitics. I was amazed that the verbs ’to be’ or ’to have’ are used differently in Russian and are very different from Western European languages. For instance, "I am" would just be "I" in Russian, or a sentence using the verb "to have" would have a passive construction — which roughly translates as «I am given». This reflects the psychology of the Russian nation, which can be difficult but rewarding to understand, as it’s not just the language barrier you face, but the Russian mindset. 

To give another example, I was surprised to find that the Russian word "mir" has two meanings, "peace" and "world". Also, the word "volnovatsya", which means "to be worried", has its roots in the word "volna" ("wave"). In geopolitical terms, it is groundbreaking to realise that the language of a non-maritime great power like Russia expresses fear with a word that contains a sea-related term. In fact, I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the most famous Russian paintings depicting the sea show a dark, restless and fearful environment with very rough waters —take Aivazovsky’s "The Ninth Wave" as an example. I know it may seem unrelated, but there must be a connection somewhere between a country’s mentality (and therefore its fears), its natural environment and its language. I hope that studying Russian and geopolitics in Russia at the same time will help me to find these connections. 

What is the most difficult thing about learning Russian? 

I’d say verbs and conjugation are my main hurdle. Pronunciation isn’t difficult, and I can parse case-based sentences — they just take getting used to. But verbs demand a complete mindset shift. The languages operate on different axes: Italian centers around time, whereas Russian around space. Don’t get me wrong, I’m lucky — Italian has 26 tenses, Russian only 8. Still, knowing which tense to use isn’t always obvious. There’s logic there somewhere, but I haven’t cracked it yet. 

We must train ourselves to follow our ‘Russian instincts’ instead of clinging to foreign language logic — that’s exactly what our teachers Natalia and Antonina are teaching us. Sometimes, translating into English just doesn’t make sense. At first, it feels like a lifeline, but it’s actually a crutch. That’s why learning to think in Russian — and thus, the Russian way of thinking — is so important. 

When I discovered that my master’s programme is fully in English I was a bit disappointed — I wanted to put into practice what I am learning this year. On the other hand, I know that I can be more productive and competitive in English because I’ve been speaking it for over twenty years. I can still take electives in Russian. And I live here. I can practise Russian anytime, anywhere. 

What do you like most about your classes now? 

I love my teachers and really appreciate what they give to our group. I see them as a family because of their warmth. Natalia has an old-fashioned way of teaching — not a single word in English in class, if you don’t understand something — she will give you an explanation in Russian. There’s a method to the course structure and I trust the process. 

The progress is very fast too — in September I could barely write the alphabet, and now we study history, literature and social sciences in Russian. When I’m intimidated by the more advanced levels of the language, I look back on the impressive progress that I’ve made. So I’m very optimistic about the future and can’t wait for the day when I can read Russian literature in Russian. 

My classmates come from different parts of the world: Iran, Lebanon, Turkey, and Peru. We’re very close. I know there are Italians in other groups, but we don’t really hang out much. 

Do you think that Russian culture and literature are still popular in Italy?

Quite popular, despite the tensions, Russian concerts, ballet, and literature are still available in Italy. Nevertheless, when the conflict broke out, the management of the University of Milan-Bicocca initially suspended a course on Dostoevsky. This incident represents the political attitude of Italy and Western society towards Russia. And it was precisely this attitude that led me to look at Russia more closely. 

How do you see your career professional path, do you want come back to Italy or stay here? 

For now, my goal is to study. I will know what I want to do with my life after. Do I want to be an academic or serve my state? Maybe not as a diplomat, but as an official in a ministry, writing reports and analysing what is happening in the world. It’s a difficult choice that boils down to the issue of freedom: as an educator, am I free to speak my mind? And government work imposes obligations that will affect my future. 

Sometimes people ask me if my degree will be recognised outside Russia. As long as agreements are in place, we are still bound by mutual obligations: at the moment Italian diplomas are recognised in Russia and vice versa. But if there are problems with the recognition of academic degrees, I can still work in the private sector. And if someone in Italy wouldn’t accept my diploma just because I got it in Russia, then that’s not the right place for me. 

Even so, employers might not fully understand what I’ve been through or the value I can bring. It’s my choice to be here, and I’ve had to cut some ties with Western society, which will likely have consequences in the future. There are certain elite circles — not everyone, of course — particularly those who are pro-European Union. For example, if I wanted to work for the European Commission and I will apply, I doubt they would consider me as a candidate — they fear Russian interference in the Union’s affairs. On the other hand, if I wanted to write articles for the Italian review of geopolitics "Limes" or collaborate with some of the Western think thanks, then I believe that they would be happy to have me on board.