Smooth Edges

Tell us more about your childhood.
I grew up in Russia, in the Altai region of Siberia. We have beautiful mountains and a lot of nature, so I loved growing up there.

What do you enjoy most about your job?
It lets me travel a lot. I really enjoy travelling and it’s nice to do it as part of my job. After Singapore, I’m heading back to Russia, and then to China.

What’s been your favourite country to travel to so far?
Japan and Singapore. Japan was nice because everyone was so polite and very calm. I also love eating sushi, and you can always find fresh fish in the region.

What is the biggest change you made this year?
It wasn’t this year, but I had a very big change last summer. I found a really impactful Russian book that made me rethink everything about my life. It made me realise I’ve made a lot of mistakes and I had to change it. I think the book came to me at a time when I was also ready for change.

Do you have a favourite comfort food?
Anything with cottage cheese. I also like blini, which are Russian pancakes. They’re much thinner and very round, with a lot of stuffing inside. Unfortunately, I don’t think you can find them here.