A look at student life in Ukraine: a kaleidoscope of experiences (09/05/99)

A look at student life in Ukraine: a kaleidoscope of experiences

by Mariana Voronovich and Olena Fadeicheva
Special to The Ukrainian Weekly

KYIV - The life of students in Ukraine does not seem to differ from that in other parts of the world.

Student life does not consist solely of red-letter days filled with fun and visits to concerts, night clubs, pubs and cinemas, as these activities cover no more than 25 percent to 30 percent of students' time. The other 70 to 75 percent of their time is spent studying.

Ukrainian students study hard and run neck-and-neck with their peers from other countries, even outrunning them in some categories. Official figures show that 93 percent of Ukrainian college sophomores go on to graduate, while in the United States that figure stands at around 53 percent.

There are two types of students who study in Kyiv: those who have grown up and live in the city, and those who come to study in the capital from other cities, towns and villages of Ukraine.

It is generally believed that students who reside permanently in Kyiv have a more secure and comfortable life. Non-residents live in dormitory housing that is of poor quality and full of hazards. Two-thirds of all Kyiv university students live in dorms that do not meet satisfactory standards of living. Nonetheless, living independently gives them more freedom and a chance to experience life in different ways - or so we have been told.

To find out for ourselves, we decided to visit the main student housing district for Kyiv university students, home of the non-resident students of Kyiv State University. The student housing complex is located on the outskirts of the city, about an hour away via public transportation.

Arranging for basics

At the housing campus we first encountered Oleksander, a third-year student. We asked him if student housing is as bad as we had heard. He replied: "You know what they say, 'It is not the money, but the amount of it that matters.' Our situation is similar to that; our problem is not the accommodation but its quality. But to tell you frankly, I'm surprised that for the money we pay we even have a place to live, cook and relax."

In the beginning. it is not easy to get used to such a way of life. It is the humor and inventiveness of the students that helps them get through it all.

For example, each floor of the dormitory has its own kitchen. But only one of the two gas stoves works, and that is far from enough to satisfy the needs of 50-60 students who live on the floor. That is why, now and then, students play "kitchen tricks" on each other. What this means is that, if a student is cooking his meal, and has to leave the kitchen for a moment, he may return to find everything gone but the pan.

It's okay when it is done in the proper spirit, and then everyone can laugh together about it. However, one should never forget that next time it could happen to him or her.

Another problem students have is a shortage of showers. This is a problem better explained by the girls, for whom this is "closer to the heart."

Several girls whom we approached had much to say, but only Oksana, who is a freshman, agreed to speak for the record.

"There are different types of dorms that provide various amenities, depending on the monthly payment. It varies from 6 hrv to 10 hrv per month. Students pay 10 hrv for a single shower/bath for two rooms, which is considered to be rather comfortable. It is unfortunate that I decided not to live there," she said.

Oksana continued: "In my building the planning is totally different; there is only one shower/bath for the whole dormitory. Even worse, it is situated in a dark basement with no locks, and there is not even a proper partition between the men's and women's facilities. "You can hardly imagine how I feel as I stand under the shower, knowing that behind the thin plywood partition some unknown boys are also taking a shower. Almost everybody is frightened and nobody goes alone to shower. "So that there would not be any problems, we have arranged 'bath days' (separate days for males and females). This may seem excessively cautious, but that way we feel safer."

Campus housing history

As we talked, an older lady, who turned out to be Maria Ivanivna, the eldest governess of the campus, approached us. First she asked us who we were and what we wanted. Afterward she imparted some interesting information about the history of the campus.

Ms. Ivanivna explained that she had taken part in the planning of the complex and that the initial plan of the campus layout was superb because everything was to be close by.

It was planned that the office of the director of studies and the military department were to be located a few steps from the apartments. The preventive medicine clinic and the swimming pool were to be located nearby, and the polyclinic and kindergarten were to be at the heart of the campus. In the end, only the kindergarten was built, she noted.

The polyclinic was moved to another district far from the campus, which has caused major problems. Students have little chance of obtaining urgent medical assistance.

The lack of medical care in the area has been an issue that two other students, Halyna and Maria, spoke to us about.

"There is no first aid post on our campus. Ambulances answer student calls reluctantly. Doctors seem to think that we are only looking for doctor's certificates to excuse our absences from classes. If a girl calls for an ambulance, the on-duty doctor [who rides with the ambulance team] makes a standard diagnosis without a medical examination: 'You are pregnant.' Even if she has other symptoms, they simply reaffirm, 'It is a pregnancy with complication.' "

The two girls added, "The only alternative for students who need medical attention is a student hospital, but getting there takes an hour. The question is whether this is a realistic alternative when you are feeling terrible and have a high fever."

Crime a threat

Having heard an awful lot of things (or maybe a lot of awful things) about the problems of robbery and thievery, we asked the criminal statistics department of the Kyiv militia to provide information on crime. It turns out that the city district in which the student housing complex is located is the worst crime district in Kyiv.

We asked the housing administration whether it had considered hiring security guards who could be paid from the students' monthly rent.

An administration representative explained: "There were even more pressing problems four years ago. The most serious of which was not robbery, but the sale of drugs. The thing that attracted the drug suppliers and users was not the students, but the outsiders [who were living in the dorms]. Because of a lack of supervision, access to the territory was open. This guaranteed a rather secure and profitable business for the newcomers.

"When the criminal situation in the district and around the dorm became critical, the university administration started to take an active role in resolving the problem. We found the financial resources for a professional night guard for the campus territory and the dormitories. A checkpoint and permit system for entering the dorms also was established.

"We cannot yet say that the problem as a whole has been solved, but due to these and other measures, tensions were reduced about a year and a half ago. As you may well know, our inspections have become much more strict. Dormitory students who return home late without their identity cards are not allowed pass the checkpoints. Neither the student on duty [in the dormitory] nor friends can help. In fact, these controls brought safety."

Models for the future

A few years ago the university built a model dormitory building that upholds standards accepted in the West. This hotel-style dormitory differs appreciably from the present buildings. Its lodgings consist of apartments with two or three rooms, with a separate kitchen and other amenities. Why not provide all the students with this type of housing?

One answer, of course, is the cost to the students. The monthly payment for students here is 70-80 hrv (under $20), which is still cheaper than renting a private apartment, even one far from downtown Kyiv, which can go for $80 to $100 per month.

We were curious about whether students had thought of moving out of their dormitories into more Western-style student housing or even into private apartments.

Many students' answers were similar to that given by a second-year student named Yurii: "Because I am not a Kyiv resident, I am required to live in a dormitory, as are many of my friends. I am sure that only a small number of non-residents can afford to rent an apartment for $100 a month. To be honest, I am not thrilled with the conditions of life on campus, however, I can afford it given my financial resources. Besides I have friends here whom I do not want to leave. Living alone can be lonesome and boring; it is more difficult to find help, support and even good times.

"But if the decrees that the Ukrainian government handed down in November 1998, concerning the social welfare of students had been implemented, my monthly stipend would not be 13 hrv to 16 hrv a month, but 40 hrv to 50 hrv. Then, I would have willingly moved to the new Western-style dorms, to a one-bedroom apartment with a separate bathroom and kitchen."

* * *

Thus, on the basis of our informal interviews, we concluded that student life here in Kyiv is a kaleidoscope of experiences, and challenges, all of which are part of the education process.

Marianna Voronovich, 18, and Olena Fadeicheva, 20, are students at Kyiv State University. Miss Voronovich is a sophomore studying mass communications at the Institute of International Relations, while Miss Fadeicheva is in her fourth year at the Institute of Journalism. Both are Kyiv residents who live with their parents.

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