Andrey Zima receives the award from the Vice-Governor Natalya Chechina. On the right – Aleksey Demidov and Irina Lugovskaia

On 24 June, in the atrium of the Commandant's House of the Peter and Paul Fortress, the best graduates of St Petersburg universities of 2024 were honored. The young specialists were greeted by Vice-Governor of St Petersburg Natalya Chechina and the Chairman of the Council of Rectors of Universities of St Petersburg and the Leningrad Region, the Rector of the St Petersburg State University of Industrial Technologies and design Aleksey Demidov. In honor of the most active, successful and talented youth, a midday shot was fired from the Naryshkin cannon of the Peter and Paul Fortress bastion.

The best graduate of the year at SPbGASU also received a letter of gratitude from the Governor of St Petersburg and a bronze figurine of a sphinx from the Council of Rectors. This was Andrey Zima, who graduated from the Faculty of Architecture with a master's degree in Urban Planning.

Andrey Zima is a recipient of a grant from the President of the Russian Federation, a scholarship holder of the President of the Russian Federation, the Government of the Russian Federation, and the Government of St Petersburg; diploma winner of international and all-Russian review-competitions of final qualifying works and course projects, SPbGASU competition of scientific research works; participant of the SPbGASU student scientific society, international and all-Russian architectural and urban planning conferences; author of scientific publications in journals included in the list of the Higher Attestation Commission of Russia and indexed in the RSCI. Several times he was nominated for the “Student of the Year” competition in the higher education system in St Petersburg in the category “Best in scientific and technical creativity.”

The graduate was congratulated by SPbGASU Vice-Rector for Youth Policy Irina Lugovskaia, Dean of the Faculty of Architecture Ekaterina Vozniak, and Head of the Youth Policy Division Irina Nuryeva.

We asked Andrey to tell us what influenced his choice of profession.

– As a child, I drew well, and my mother took me to art school, where I studied for nine years. This contributed to the choice of a creative direction of study. At school I loved natural science and technical subjects - chemistry, mathematics, physics. Therefore, the choice fell on architecture that combines creative and technical principles. Having decided on my specialty, in the 11th grade I went to preparatory courses. I considered different fields of study for applying; it was important for me to get on a budget. I am very glad that I succeeded: I entered SPbGASU in the direction of “Urban Planning”. While studying as a bachelor, I gained a lot of knowledge in the field of designing both large areas and individual architectural objects. I immediately decided on the direction of my master’s studies and continued education at my home department of urban planning.

– What did you gain from the university?

– The university gave me a lot: friends and acquaintances, knowledge, the opportunity to express myself. The studies were quite difficult and I remember a lot of consultations on projects with corrections, completions, improvements, discussions, communication with teachers and students, with joy and a little sadness. I remember this with nostalgia.

– Would you, please, share your future plans.

– After receiving my diploma, I plan to have a good rest, gain strength and go to work, I want practice, I’m tired of studying. And then I’ll see whether I’ll continue my studies in graduate school or not. I’m also interested in teaching: maybe I’ll come to the department as a teacher. The main thing now is to have a good rest!

Andrey expresses deep gratitude to the university, department, teachers and coursemates for their help and support.

The award ceremony for the best graduates of universities in the Northern capital has been held since 2003. It is organized by the Committee on Youth Policy and Interaction with Public Organizations of the Government of St Petersburg and the Council of Rectors of Universities of St Petersburg and the Leningrad Region.