In today’s’ International testimonial we are getting to know Yuliya Chen. Yuliya comes from Kazakhstan and is studying Finance here at Hanken.
What is your favourite tradition from Kazakhstan?
I love the celebration of International Women’s Day on March 8th. It has little to do with gender equality, women’s rights, or traditional Kazakh culture, but it is a big deal in Kazakhstan. First of all, it’s a national holiday and a day-off. Second, men give flowers to the women they deal with in day-to-day life: mothers and grannies (including in-laws), sisters, daughters, colleagues, and business partners. If a person is important (personally or professionally) – flowers are often complemented with a gift, ranging from a box of chocolate to expensive jewellery. By the end of the day on March 8th, every home is filled with flowers and happy women! I know this day is also recognised in Finland, but it’s hard to match the scale of celebration across post-Soviet countries.
What surprised you the most with Finland or Finnish people?
Many big and small things in everyday life. But the one that strikes me most is the ability to plan ahead. I was truly surprised to receive, in the middle of November, a confirmation from my daughter’s dentist that she had an appointment at the end of January. Another example is when municipal services removed a huge pile of snow in front of our window a couple of days before (not after) it got warmer and the snow started melting causing discomfort. In emerging countries, we do not usually do like that (especially municipal services). We tend to solve problems when they become so serious that they can no longer be ignored.
Can you share your favourite recipe from Kazakhstan?
My favourite food from the Kazakh cuisine is baurasks. Baursaks are like small fried dough pieces, a bit similar to munkki, but usually have a plain flavour and no filling. It is more like bread than a desert. The ingredients are very simple: flour, milk (or kefir), yeast, salt, sugar and oil for deep frying. I’ve never made it myself, so I can’t share any cooking secrets. But if you are in Kazakhstan, you will definitely get to try it.
If you had to give us one reason why to visit Kazakhstan, what would it be?
Mountains around my home city – Almaty. It is only 20-30 minutes away from the downtown, but there you can find such gems as the highest in the world professional outdoor skating rink Medeu and a ski resort Shymbulak.
The skating rink Medeu is located at an altitude of 1,690 meters above sea level and has an area of 10,500 m2. Thanks to its unique conditions—thin mountain air and pure water from mountain springs—more than 100 world records have been set there. Unfortunately, it has been under reconstruction since 2025, which is expected to continue until the end of 2027.
While the skating rink is under reconstruction you can drive 15 minutes further up the mountains to get to the ski resort Shymbulak, which is placed between 2,200 and 3,200 meters above the sea level. The total length of ski runs is slightly above 20 km, but the nature around it is stunning. By the way every year we see more and more tourists from India, thanks to 3-hour direct flight from Delhi. Even if you do not ski or skate, there are plenty of hiking trails and places to go rock climbing.
Tell us one artist from Kazakhstan that we have to listen to (preferably a song as well): that’s for sure Dimash Kudaibergen, or simply Dimash. He is extremely popular in China and Asia, but he is not a mainstream US-like pop singer. Dimash is famous for his 6-octave vocal range and unique style; however, I have not really listened to his music – it’s just not my kind of style.
Do you have any new hobbies or habits that you’ve started with in Finland?
Yes, jogging, while it’s -15 and windy outside. I hate running, but so many people do it here day and night, rain or shine, that I couldn’t resist the social pressure. I also had a plan for this winter to try ice plunging and cross-country skiing. But it didn’t happen, because the “white” winter was surprisingly short. I was busy settling in with my kids and missed it. Big hopes for the winter next year. Oh, and I almost forgot – now I’m an avid hockey fan. This Winter Olympics showed me how cool hockey is (way more interesting than football), and I was so happy when Finland won bronze!
Is there something else you would like to share about Kazakhstan?
Kazakhstan is a home to a truly amazing nation. During the Soviet Union times, the country received around 5-6 million people who had been forcibly displaced from across the Soviet Union – Germans, Koreans, Tatars, Chechens, and others. Many arrived with nothing and had to rebuild their lives from scratch. Kazakhstani people helped them to get back on their feet, supported them and welcomed them into their society. As a result, my home country brings together different cultures, languages and tradition – we celebrate both Christian and Muslim holidays side by side – while still preserving its own identity.
