If you think of Russian food as just pelmeni and Olivier salad, this post is for you 🎣

In fact, our country is home to dozens of cultures, each with its own dishes. Embark on a gastronomic journey with these four cafes and restaurants of St. Petersburg, where you can try authentic food staples of Russian regions: from Krasnodar to Murmansk, and from Karelia to the Far East.

#stp

Fresh week, fresh science from ITMO. Here’s what’s buzzing 🐝

🔬 PhD students from ITMO have built a computer vision tool that counts microalgae cells in 30 seconds and can be run on an ordinary PC.

🕸 Scientists at ITMO have supercharged spider silk with magnetic nanoparticles, making it stronger and fit for future soft robots or flexible electronics.

🤖 ITMO grad Alan Gazzaev went from a student startup to creating a compact Russian-language AI for MTS with 35k+ downloads – and scored a national award for it.

And from your feed this week 📲

🏄‍♂️ “Sport is life” – agree or disagree? Cast your vote!

🎮 Summer = gaming season! Check out our list of Russian-made games, from anime horror to medieval fantasy.

#newsdigest

The Golden Ring of Russia – one more destination for your travel bucket list 💍

Cucumber Festival, brides, and bears – these aren’t just some random words, but things you’ll see while traveling along this historic route. It spans nine ancient Russian cities, offering you a chance to admire historic UNESCO-protected architecture, local arts and crafts, and the Russian spirit.

#russia

We’re not the only ones here who post in English! Discover these Telegram channels for the international community at ITMO below:

✍️ Academic Writing at ITMO
The key source of wisdom from the Academic Writing Lab: tips, tools, and workshops that’ll improve your academic writing skills.

🗣 ITMO Speaking Club
Here you’ll find the schedule and register for English, French, German, or Russian speaking clubs (launching in September) as well as weekly movie and board game nights on campus.

💬 ITMO.Family Speaking Club
A channel for ITMO staff to stay tuned for upcoming English speaking club meetings. There’s also handy vocabulary and materials on the topic of each event!

⚡️ ITMOLNIA
Updates and official news for current students from the Student Services Office. English-language text is available via a link at the end of each post.

A bonus:

🇪🇸 Universidad ITMO – on ITMO’s official Telegram channel for Spanish speakers, you’ll find useful announcements and translations of ITMO.NEWS articles.

Save the channel folder 🗂

#itmoinfo

For Anna Naumchik, business informatics isn’t just spreadsheets and algorithms – it’s a space for creativity and connection. Between organizing cultural events and capturing St. Petersburg’s charm on film, she’s making the most of her time at ITMO!

Reflecting on her time here, Anna comments:

My most memorable moment was last year’s ITMO Family Day. I missed it in my first year for family reasons, so I had been looking forward to it for a long time. Despite the pouring rain, it turned out to be one of my most incredible experiences. My friends and I cheered for graduates, joined fragrant sachet-making workshops, and captured countless joyful moments on camera. What struck me most was seeing thousands of students united by shared pride in our university. That memory still warms me.

How does Anna balance data, creativity, and cultural exchange? Find out in her ITMO.NEWS interview 👈

#itmofaces

ITMO team wins gold at international tournament 🥇

The team of ITMO’s Youth Robotics Lab became a winner of RobotChallenge 2025 – their robotic saxophonist Fantastic Robby Brown was deemed the best in the creative category FreeStyle Senior. This year’s RobotChallenge in Beijing, China brought together over 5,000 participants from 42 countries.

#itmoinfo

Cities are living stories, and few know this better than Dr. Ali Alraouf 😉

An architect, urban planner, and UN expert on sustainable development, Dr. Alraouf has been designing spaces that bring people and culture together for 40+ years – from theaters and museums in Egypt to stadiums for the FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

As part of the ITMO Fellowship program, he recently conducted a series of lectures for our students and staff, diving deep into the transformations of Arab megacities and the bold visions of the cities of tomorrow.

What is the future of urban life? Find out in the full interview 👈

This week at ITMO was all about future tech, past fitness, and timeless journeys. Check them out:

🔭 Scientists at ITMO have found a way to boost the speed and reliability of free-space optical communication using laser beam “combs.”

🧠 ITMO researchers have built an artificial optical synapse from copper oxide crystals that mimics the brain’s neurons under laser light.

🏋️‍♂️ Forget gyms; in the USSR, daily workouts were built right into the workday. How? We dug up the story.

And now, top posts from this week 📲

🌆 Cities are living stories! Meet Dr. Ali Alraouf, the UN urban planner shaping megacities from Egypt to Qatar, and read about his vision for the cities of tomorrow.

💍 The Golden Ring of Russia is more than ancient cathedrals and awe-inspiring castles; cucumber festivals, brides, and even bears await tourists on this iconic route through nine historic cities.

#newsdigest