Success stories: Arseniy is the first sailor in the family

“I can say that this is an invaluable experience that definitely adds to your knowledge, and in general changes your outlook and views on people and the world as a whole. Probably, even from the first year, I realized that my future life would be connected with the sea.” – says Arseny.

How did you connect your life with the sea?
There are no sailors in my family at all, and if we talk about how I initially chose this profession, then my friend, our neighbor, helped me decide. He convinced me by his example, and the admiration with which he spoke about all the advantages of this profession left me no doubt that I was making the right choice.

How old were you when you wanted to be a sailor?
I remember exactly it was 2014, when I was 17 years old.

You were born in Kherson, how did it happen that you ended up in Kyiv and specifically at the “State University of Infrastructure and Technology”?
From the very beginning, I knew that I would study in Kyiv. Here my mother helped me in many ways, especially with regard to the preparation of documents for admission. And as soon as I found out that there is a university with a maritime specialty in Kyiv, I immediately submitted my documents there.

Can you imagine what you would be doing if not for work at sea?
It seems to me that in every profession you can find something interesting, something of your own, which will bring pleasure and self-realization. For myself, I realized that the maritime sphere suits me perfectly, here, I feel comfortable, and to some extent even relaxed. You are completely cut off from the outside world, nothing bothers you. Yes, of course, some may say that being in a closed space feels like being in a cage, but I think that this is a matter of personal perception. For me, it’s the other way around – relaxation, abstraction from everything unnecessary and superfluous, from the same Internet. You have clear rules and responsibilities that you know well and follow, and nothing can unsettle you. For me, it’s just the perfect life!

Tell us about your first contract?
Of course I remember! It was in 2016, the Volga-Balt Borisfen, the landing was in Belgorod-Dnestrovsk, Odessa region. I remember that I was one of the few who were lucky enough to get on the ship at all after the 2nd year. Then I was only 18 years old. Naturally, my parents were very worried about me, since no one was familiar with the specifics of working at sea, and they did not send me further than Kyiv, but here to the sea! In general, they were very worried about me.

How did you choose the company to practice?
Probably the very first time I heard the name of the company from the same neighbor, but then it was just a name. I got to know Columbia in more detail in my third year, during the visit of company representatives to our university. We were selected for the cadet program and everyone was preparing for interviews. Then I became interested and learned more about the company.
By the way, not only the neighbor, but also his son chose your company. It seems to me that if both father and son work from the same company, then this speaks volumes, especially about the good reputation of the company. If a father recommended this company to his son, then it is really good.

What was the most difficult in the first contract?
It seems to me that the most difficult thing for me was to understand the structure of positions on the ship and who is responsible for what. At first, it was difficult to understand who to contact on certain issues. Another difficult moment was for me, this was a crew change, when you had to look for an approach to new people, it was hard at first to establish contact with new people, it felt like you were new in the class. In the future, you get used to it, it’s hard only the first time.

Was there a language barrier? Was your level of English sufficient for communication?
It’s hard for me to evaluate myself objectively. I can’t say for myself that I speak the language perfectly, but compared to how it was initially, now I have a good level, sufficient for my position and the performance of my duties. But there is always something to strive for.
Naturally, for the first 2-3 weeks you adapt to the mixed crew, you ask something again. But after some time, you already understand everything. Of course, each nationality has its own accent, and “Ukrainian English” is more understandable to you, but it’s all a matter of time and getting used to. Everyone tries to use “simple English”, so there were no special problems on this basis.

Is it hard for you to be on board for 6 months?
No, I like it. For example, after the last voyage, which was a little over six months, I can say that when I returned home, I was ready to go to sea again in a month.

How do you see your future family with such a profession?
In fact, technological progress does not stand still, and it seems to me that the day is not far off when we will have Internet connection always and everywhere. Thus, the issue of a long absence of a loved one will not be so acute. In general, a lot will depend on the girl, on her attitude to my profession. I see that she will also have her own business, to do something. I plan to think about the family when I become an officer.

How did your parents react to the fact that you chose a maritime profession?
Probably, like any parents, they were very worried about me. But, I always tried to calm them down, got in touch when I had the opportunity. So the first flight for them