Studying in Ufa: Hangovers, Hostels, and the Occasional Historical Flex
yeah i’m writing this at 3am in a hostel that smells like someone boiled cabbage and sadness, and i'm supposed to tell you what it's like to study in *Ufa, which-honestly-is like telling someone how to enjoy a lukewarm borscht sandwich. but here we are.
first off-let’s be real. if you’re coming from a major city in, like, europe or north america, ufa’s going to hit you like a history teacher with a clipboard and bad breath. it’s the capital of bashkortostan, russia, and no, that’s not a typo. population is 1.1 million, so you won’t lose yourself in the anonymity, but also won’t die from overpopulation either.
the academic side
so here’s the academic tea, spilled by a broke-ass street artist who’s been crashing couches and drafting portfolio pieces in the park: ufa’s got a legit education game going. main contenders:
- bashkir state university (the OG)
- ufa state aviation technical university (planes > people, they whisper)
- ufa state petroleum technological university (black gold vibes)
and the classes? i overheard one local exchange student mutter into his mate (the aussie kind) at a dive bar:
> “Dude, the chemistry lab smells like ten grand in regret.”
yep. facilities are not magic. but the fact that i even know this one dude from netherlands majoring in metallurgy says something. people come here. not for glamour. but for engineering, energy, and actually landing a job afterward. more than half the local job listings i scrolled through at a cyber-cafeteria mentioned needing bsu grads.
also, random-classrooms are HEATED. not emotionally, unfortunately. but if the heating goes down, trust me, you’re pulling wool hats over textbooks.
student life
the nightlife, if you’re into bassy, off-key karaoke and questionable vodka, is kind of electric. imagine a rave made of corrugated metal and nostalgia. i got invited to an underground "dance-off" (read: five drunks pretending to moonwalk in a back alley) by a local named denis who sold patchwork jackets out of a trunk. students stay up. very. late.
i also saw this once in the local deli:
> “You want kefir? It's like milk's emo cousin.”
look, i don't make the jokes. the city does.
currently, it’s april and hating every minute of spring. like, grumpy-eastern-european-spring, where it’s snowing but also flowers are sprouting? vibes like a broken relationship. cold mornings with hints of possibility-grim but flirtatious.
you can fly into ufa from moscow in about three hours. or if you’re broke-as-hell (like me), roll overnight on a train that smells faintly of cabbage.
actual local advice
yeah bro, best places to work and stay? these sketchy but lively hostels downtown. Check this one. and yandex.taxi works like a charm, really. and if you’re not living in residence, this local forum talks about dorm hell and flatshares pretty straight-up. some said that having your own place is actually doable if you crash with a co-ed group willing to sleep in shifts.
data stuff*
i pulled approximate costs for you broke college kids:
| Expense | Approx Cost (RUB/month) |
|---|---|
| Shared Apartment Rent | 12,000-18,000 |
| Groceries | 6,000-10,000 |
| Public Transport | 1,000-1,500 |
| Coffee (good local spots) | 150-300 |
| Drinks at Local Bars | 400-800 |
they say ufa’s relatively safe, especially compared to, like, saint petersburg or moscow. but one girl i talked to said she got pickpocketed twice and defended her kebab in the red army park like it was a sacred artifact. keep your eyes peeled and your headphones unplugged.
iframe for you to virtually visit:
also, i entered a local subreddit to hear some real rants, and someone said:
> “Ufa chooses you. You don’t choose Ufa.”
fwiw, i’m starting to believe it. it’s brutish, unpolished, and freezing 8 months a year. but also weirdly honest. which is rarer than you’d think in a university city.
if ufa were a band, it’d be one of those garage rock outfits with too many pedals and a bassist who never learned scales. cheap rent, strong history, minimal presets. if you're broke, brainy, or just done with polish-this might be your next stop.
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