About myself

First let me introduce myself. My name’s Sergey Babanov. I’m 18 years old. I was born on the 5^th of March in 1996 in Murmansk.

A few months ago I left school/grammar school and entered the University. Now I’m a first-year, full time student. I study at St. Petersburg University of SFS of EMERCOM of Russia Murmansk branch. I study with about twenty other students. My specialty is “Forensic Examination”. After graduating from the University I’m going to get a Bachelor’s degree. I’m studying English and I can speak the language quite well. I also know a little Norwegian (Finnish, Swedish), so I can speak two languages. I’m enjoying the course a lot, but it’s very hard work.

As far as we know English is considered to be an international language. It’s everywhere: on signs, industrial and consumer goods, etc. Learning foreign languages is very important for modern specialists in any scope. There are a lot of companies and firms in Russia working at the international market. At present business contacts are rather popular and useful for forensic experts, firemen (firefighters). They communicate through business correspondence. It includes Internet, e-mail, business letters, cables, fax, and also telephoning, distant TV. Most of the people believe that business would run more smoothly if everyone spoke the same language. Nowadays every specialist must know one or more foreign languages. It’s necessary and it’s preferable for him/her to make usage specific terms and to have professional skills and habits.

Students study English at University. As to me I have been learning it since schooling. I must say it’s not easy but I’m trying to master it as I hope its knowledge will help me in my future career.

I live in a hostel (flat) in the centre of Murmansk and share it with my group-mate. The course started a few months ago, and I’m in my first year. After the course I’m going to work in a company, but I don’t know where yet.

As I’ve said I come from Murmansk, a town on the north of Russia, and live here. It’s my native town. And now I’d like to say e few words about it.

The town is located on the Kola Peninsula beyond the Polar Circle near the Kola Bay. It’s an administrative, economic, educational, sports, cultural centre. It has the trends for the country’s and international tourism development. For example, business contacts are very active among Russia and Scandinavia. Every year many foreigners visit our town to see the sights, for instance, the Local Lore museum, the Arts museum, the Arts Handicrafts museum, the Murmansk Shipping Company’s museum, the Polar Olympiads museum, the Puppet theatre, the Drama theatre, the Navy theatre, the monuments to the Sixth Heroic Battery, to Lenin, to Bredov, to Alyosha. There are a lot of educational institutions, schools, libraries, cinemas, supermarkets, entertainment centres in Murmansk. But there are not many parks or green squares in the town. Lenin prospect is a traditional place for urban festivals, fairs, parades, holiday meetings. Every year Polar Olympiads are held in the suburbs of Murmansk. Sportsmen from different countries come to participate in these sports festivals in spring. Murmansk has a big well-equipped seaport. It has been developing since the twenties, using all modern high technologies. The people of Murmansk like their Hero-City and are proud of it.

As to the ecological situation on the Kola Peninsula, it’s very dangerous because there are a lot of factories, submarines, ice-breakers, nuclear powered ships in the region. We have the same world’s environmental pollution problems. The Earth is being damaged in countless ways. Car exhausts and factory chimneys are choking the air. Gases from supersonic jets and refrigerator factories are punching a hole in the atmosphere’s protective ozone layer. Rivers are poisoned by agricultural chemicals. Unique species of animals and plants are vanishing forever. Forests are being felled, vast areas of countryside are being buried under concrete and beautiful marine environments are being destroyed. At the roof of all these problems lies the raging consumption of energy and other resources that started in Europe and America – and is now spreading like a disease all around the world. Many people feel that unless we cure ourselves of this need to consume, we will kill the Earth and ourselves.

* St. Petersburg University of state fire-fighting service of EMERCOM of Russia.

* St. Petersburg University of state fire-fighting service of Russian Emergency Situations Ministry.

* St. Petersburg University of State Fire Service of the Ministry of the Russian Federation for Civil Defense, Emergencies and Elimination of Consequences of Natural Disasters.

Notes. Министерство Российской Федерации по делам гражданской обороны, чрезвычайным ситуациям и ликвидации последствий стихийных бедствий - МЧС России. Имеет самоназвание на английском языке EMERCOM of Russia (Emergency Control Ministry of Russia). В США это FEMA - Federal Emergency Management Agency, и никаких других аббревиатур не используется. Т.е. если в англоязычном тексте увидите “EMERCOM”, речь однозначно про МЧС России.