Classes are in full swing!

But that doesn’t mean you can’t have some quality free time – with some of these great events around town, of course.

🇬🇧 English-Speaking Club at Vokzal 1853
• Sep 13 | 7:30 PM | Free

Make new friends and sharpen your English skills through conversation and fun board games at the trendy Vokzal 1853’s new speaking club.

🎈 Grand Carnival at SENO
• Sep 14 | 6 PM - 10 PM | Free

Get ready for costumes, street theater, acrobatics, dancing, singing, and endless fun at the Grand Carnival!

👀 Exhibition: Through the Eyes of a Pilgrim
• Sep 16 | 11 AM - 10 PM | Free

At Mikhail Dagaev’s exhibition, see the world through his eyes and let his work inspire you to live life to the fullest.

🏃‍♂️ Beat Weekend: Free to Run
• Sep 17 | 7 PM | 400 RUB

Trace the surprising history of running in this documentary, screened as part of the Beat Weekend Film Festival.

For more events and action, head over to our guide on ITMO.NEWS 👈

#events

Choose your fighter student club 👨‍🎤

You’ve probably heard about the many student clubs at ITMO. Well, if you’re still trying to wrap your head around them, check out our infographic! Follow your heart and it’ll guide you to a hobby you’ll love.

Find links to the featured communities in the comments 🔗

Missed something this week? We’ve got you covered! 😇

Here’s a bite-sized update on all the top moments that had everyone talking.

🚗 Grigoriy Sizikov, a third-year ITMO student, wins gold and silver at the FIRA RoboWorld Cup 2024 in Brazil, where he competed with 1,500 participants from 20+ countries.

🦾 ITMO PhD student designs flexible robots capable of withstanding shock loads, retaining impact energy, and moving smoothly on rough surfaces using innovative flexible joints.

🎬 Curious about Chinese cinema? Get acquainted with its vibrant culture and box office hits while discovering the perfect watchlist for your weekend.

Now, let’s revisit two posts that were all the buzz this week:

📝 If you’re new to ITMO, the arrival guide from our International Students Learning and Support Center is a must-download to get all the info you need!

🚴 This week’s bike ride with the rector was a blast and we can’t get over the beautiful pictures!

#newsdigest

Celebrate the end of the study week with some comfort food! Here’s our selection of not-to-miss pizza spots in St. Petersburg:

🍕 Dodo Pizza – the most popular

The chain offers a wide range of pizzas, from the traditional Margherita to all-in-one mixes. There are restaurants all over the city, as well as a fast and furious delivery service with a 60-minutes guarantee and a convenient loyalty program.
📍 Check the map to find one near you.

🍕 Oversize Pizza – the biggest

This spot has captured many hearts with its monstrous, nearly two-kilo-heavy pizzas. The range of fillings is just as exciting: carbonara, BBQ, or even tom yum! The rumors have it that if you eat this behemoth of a pizza on your own within 20 minutes or less, you won’t have to pay for it.
📍 Grazhdanskaya St. 13-15, Kronverksky Pr. 73/79

🍕 Stay Gold – the most vegetarian

The restaurant may seem small and quirky, but they are unbeatable when it comes to vegan pizzas. The pizzeria serves eight Neapolitan pizzas gone plant-based that can boast a world of flavors, plus a range of other meat-free meals at an affordable cost.
📍 Nekrasova St. 52

🍕 22 cm – the most Italian

The restaurant is best known for its classical pizzas “for one” made Naples-style: a simple-yet-perfect dough with nothing but flour, yeast, salt, and water, baked in a traditional wood oven.
📍 Check the map to find one near you.

🍕 Krang Pizza – the craziest

Here, you can try pizzas with mini-burgers, Cheetos, or marshmallows. Aside from risky pizza toppings, the club has its heart in all things 90s: old-school video games and legendary arcade machines, and, of course, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
📍 Gorohovaya St. 28, Sevkabel Port, Kozhevennaya Liniya 40

#stp

Student’s guide to housing in St. Petersburg 🏢

Welcome to St. Petersburg, the stunning home of ITMO University! As you settle in, here’s a quick guide to your housing options:

🛌 Dormitories
ITMO’s dorms, the most affordable housing option for students, offer shared rooms, easy access to transport, Wi-Fi, kitchens, study rooms, and gyms. All for around 2,000 RUB/month (utilities included).

🏢 ITMO Aparts
Alternatively, you can also rent a room or apartment through ITMO’s aparthotel partners for around 12,000-20,000 RUB/month – on your own or with a friend! All apartments, too, come with all the modern amenities.

🏠 Finding your own
Prefer to do your own research? Consider your budget, commute, and preferences (like no ground-floor apartments or a private kitchen).

For more information and recommendations, read our full guide on ITMO.NEWS 👈

#studentlife

Like in many countries, 13 is feared in Russia 😨

But what are the other meaningful numbers in Slavic culture? Read our article to find out about those that bring you good or bad luck.

#russia

What else can AI do? 🚀

Searching for information, generating training materials, memes, and individual tasks – the ways in which neural networks are used in education today are many. But how can it help create a deeply personalized learning plan for every student?

Read our summary of a talk by Andrey Komissarov, a learning methodologist and head of the AI track at SberUniversity, to discover valuable AI resources and insights into this question 👈

From Nigeria to ITMO — Ridwan’s path of resilience and dreams 🇳🇬

We had the chance to sit down with Ridwan Muhammed, a Master’s student of infochemistry, on his very first day at university. Here are his first impressions of St. Petersburg and ITMO:

I found helpful and friendly people everywhere. I took the tram and the metro from my dorm to reach ITMO today and a few people on the way helped me navigate the city. At ITMO, I also found many helpful people, who helped me through the documentation process. So, I would say that my first day out has been quite positive and fruitful.

His plans? Conduct groundbreaking research in chemistry at ITMO before pursuing a PhD! Click here to read his story of challenges, triumphs, and ambitions 📖

#itmofaces