Life in Russia
Her parents traced their roots to the Orenburg region, from the city of Buguruslan. The father served in the military, and the family moved with his assignments. She was born in Leningrad and soon after traveled to Kyrgyzstan. They lived at a military base in Tokmak until 1994, then returned to Russia and settled in Samara.
Two years later, her parents divorced and she stayed with her mother. Her mother faced a disability due to epilepsy, which made regular work difficult. In 2000, family friends offered her mother a job in Italy, and she accepted, leaving her daughter with her grandmother.
About a year later, when she was finishing seventh grade, her father returned and took her to Italy for the summer. At that time, the mother’s temporary residence permit had expired and needed renewal. The process dragged on; the narrator had to return to Samara for the new academic year, but the documents were not issued to her mother. In early October, the father went to the immigration office again, explained the situation, and broke into tears. A miracle occurred: because the mother held a USSR passport that included the narrator, both were granted residence permits. The mother told her, “Okay Dashul, you stay in Italy.”
Moving to Italy and adaptation
At the end of 2001, the narrator was thirteen and spoke Italian at a basic level. She enrolled in an Italian church school to learn the language, pass exams, and enter high school. Despite limited Italian, she achieved strong results in mathematics and the sciences, grateful for the solid Russian schooling that had prepared her well.
In the third year of schooling, she entered a public high school in the pedagogy department. Alongside studies, she began working to support her mother. School life was tough; peers ignored her for the first two years. Later, in the third year, the class’s lead girl approached her with an apology, saying, “Daria, we were wrong, you are a good person.” They kept in touch. Looking back, she sees that the hardships were not in vain: the Pedagogical High School helped her Italian improve to a level that exceeded that of many native speakers.
wedding with an italian
Her future husband, whom she met during high school, played a crucial role in her adaptation and life. He was 37 and she 19. He worked as a quality manager for a large Italian company and helped her prepare for final exams in the evenings. After earning her diploma, he received a job offer from China, and they lived there for about a year before returning to Italy and marrying. In 2013, she gave birth to a daughter named Masha, followed by a second daughter, Alisa, two years later. The daughters do not speak Russian; they study Italian, and now it is easier for her to speak Italian than Russian.
work in italy
While still in high school, she met a German translator who worked at international exhibitions. He invited her to an exhibition as a Russian translator. She enjoyed it, and after finishing high school, she began pursuing work in that field. She worked as a translator in a logistics company for about eight months, then her husband invited her to China. They lived there for a year, planning longer, but it did not happen.
Returning to Italy in 2010, her first assignment was to reconnect with the company that had hired her as a translator. She was invited to participate in an exhibition where she met the owner of a company producing tiles, sanitary ware, and bathroom furniture that collaborated with all former Soviet Union countries. They asked if she knew Russian; she said yes, and he offered to teach her the rest. That is how her trading career began.
Seven months into her second pregnancy, her husband suffered a heart attack. He recovered, coming back from the brink, but the recovery required time and he had to quit his job. In Italy, surviving on one income is challenging. Even in 2025, patriarchy remains a factor; men often earn more than women. He could not find work for eight months, so she returned to the office soon after giving birth to their second daughter. In 2018, they moved from Reggio Emilia to Rimini, where she found a position at a major Italian fashion house and remains employed there. Today she heads the export department and frequently visits Russia.
Living standard and prices in Italy
Italy, along with Spain and Greece, has faced economic headwinds in recent years. As of today, average wages run around two to three thousand euros per month, while living costs stay high. A typical Rimini family with children might spend three to four thousand euros monthly. Rent in Rimini starts around seven hundred euros; owning a home can range from two thousand to five thousand euros per square meter, depending on proximity to the sea. Apartments tend to be spacious, often over one hundred square meters; seaside living can push totals to half a million euros. Some families inherit housing from relatives, but many opt for mortgages. Car ownership is common due to limited public transport in smaller towns. Gasoline prices hover around one to two euros per liter.
Today the economy faces inflationary pressures and rising prices. Wages have not kept pace, with many families feeling the squeeze. For the narrator’s family, monthly expenses hover near three thousand euros, rising to four thousand during larger expenditures. A mortgage payment remains around six hundred euros monthly, utilities add two hundred to three hundred, depending on the season. A single family car covers routine trips, with fuel bills around one hundred fifty euros each month. Food costs are substantial, with dairy and produce priced higher than expected, and bread costing several euros per kilogram. A nanny helps with the children and activities at around six hundred euros monthly.
communication with italians
Her three closest friends are Russian and live in different cities, so visits are infrequent, but they stay connected by phone and offer mutual support. They share the slogan, “If we don’t help each other, no one will help us.” Lena, Sveta, and Yulia remain her best friends. She also has Italian friends she met through her children. They enjoy walks, holidays, and birthdays together. The relationship is close, but not as effortless as with her Russian friends. Italians are complex; one never fully knows what they think or feel. They do not display the same easy openness, though they stay in touch when things go well. In difficult times, some relationships drift away.
italian mentality
There is a stereotype that Italians are quick-tempered, loud, and expressive. That is often true. They speak loudly and gesture vividly. People from the south are particularly expressive, friendly, and hospitable. Northerners tend to be calmer and more reserved, resembling classic Europeans. Yet both groups can come across as self-centered, placing personal comfort first. Not every person fits this mold, but the majority can give the impression that personal ease takes priority. Even after living in Italy for almost a quarter of a century, she still avoids getting too close to too many people.
longing for Russia
Having lived in Italy since the age of thirteen, Italy feels like home, yet she remains Russian at heart. As she grows older, Russia becomes more missed: the family she could not see for years, the friends whose weddings she could not attend, the familiar traditions and the enigmatic Russian soul that keeps calling her back. The pull of roots stays strong, echoing in every decision and memory.