BY EHSAN SHAREEF (CTIS/III)
Name: Diana Gongalskaia
Department: IR/II
Country of Origin: Russia
What were your first impressions about Türkiye?
Honestly, my first hours were chaos. I landed thinking the transfer would be simple, but I had no idea I had to switch from the international to the domestic terminal, and almost nobody around me spoke English or Russian, so I was pretty stressed trying to figure it out alone. The heat hit me hard too, since it was around ten degrees back home and suddenly I was melting in what felt like thirty-five. But once I got to Ankara and then Bilkent, I was so impressed by the scenery. I remember standing on Bilka Hill and staring at the view, the idea of a city built onto mountains completely new to me since my city is flat.
What do you like best about Bilkent and Türkiye?
What I love most about being here is that it puts you in a room full of wonderfully different people. I never imagined I would become close friends with a Turkish girl, or with classmates from a dozen faraway countries, because back home a chance like that would never have come my way. It also gently pushed me to speak English out loud instead of just knowing it quietly in my head, something I do not think would have happened if I had stayed in Russia.
Are there any similarities between Türkiye and your home country?
There is more overlap than I expected. We share some vocabulary: ‘Şapka’ and ‘balkon’ sound almost identical to our words for hat and balcony, and even some of the letter sounds feel familiar. Tea culture is another big one, we take our çay just as seriously. And culturally, both of us hold onto our traditions strictly. There is always a certain dish or a certain way of doing things around the holidays, so that structure felt familiar even in a completely different setting.
What will you miss most about Bilkent/Türkiye?
The mountains, without a doubt. I did not know how much I would miss them until I was back home in Russia, staring out at flat land and feeling like something was missing. And of course, my friends here too, that part barely needs saying.
What’s your favorite place on campus, and why?
The stadium or Odeon, because at night there is no light pollution there and you can see the stars. I go with friends sometimes and it feels unreal for a campus.
What’s your favorite Turkish food and why?
Çiğ köfte, easily. I tried it for the first time when I was starving and my friends dragged me to grab some. It turned out to be cheap and, to my surprise, made without meat. You wrap it in a lettuce leaf, squeeze some lemon over it, and it is perfect.
Where do you expect to see yourself 10 years from now?
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Russia.
What’s one thing you learned from Turkish culture?
The way people stretch out their words when they are happy, saying things like “yaaa” at the end of a sentence. I catch myself doing it now without even noticing.
What places have you visited in Türkiye, and which one is your favorite?
Bolu stands out the most in my memory. We went there with a friend and her family, and it felt completely untouched by tourists—real little villages, sheep, horses, even soft fog rolling through. It was like stepping into another world entirely. I have also visited Antalya, İzmir, Konya, Cappadocia, Eskişehir, İstanbul, Kırıkkale and Marmaris, but Ankara and the hills around Bilkent still hold my heart the most.
What’s an interesting question or comment you hear frequently at Bilkent/in Türkiye?
People often tell me I have a hot Turkish accent, and then, funnily enough, a hot Russian accent too whenever I speak with my friends. I still find it a little funny that my voice seems to charm people either way.
Describe yourself in three words.
Ambitious, empathetic, curious—though if you had asked me on a silly day, my first instinct might have been to say “just a plant.”
How is the studying experience at Bilkent?
Pretty good, honestly. I feel like I am truly gaining knowledge here instead of constantly struggling to keep up with a new language, almost as if English has quietly become a second home for me. It gets interesting, and sometimes hard, but not having to think so hard about the language anymore makes a world of difference.
