For 6 years we were choosing the country for our first Smena
and we finally found it
On January 24, 2016 the first Smena on Sri Lanka started. During 4 months and 8 sessions almost 100 people went through our project making it even more interesting than it was in the beginning.
We always say that Smena starts once you leave the Station and after talking with our alumni from Moscow, Yekaterinburg and St.Petersburg as well as reading testimonies online we realize that our project succeeded. Many of us didn’t just grow up substantially (both professionally and personally) during those two weeks at Smena , but the majority of people are still keeping contact with each other, learning from each other, and some of them are even still travelling together! The mix of tools we’ve applied along with a high entry criteria for the participants delivered terrific results. It’s absolutely impossible to explain to the people who have never been at Smena how it feels to be there. Everyone has his/her own experience, but for each one of them it is magical.
How it was at #smenalanka
Our Station
Sri Lankan's Station in Weligama is a single level traditional White House built in the beginning of 20th century. It was charged with positive energy by the best people on the planet during the First Smena in 2017. It has 6 minimalistic and comfortable rooms a spacious kitchen with all the necessities, bathrooms and an additional outdoor shower and of course several working and leisure zones along with a garden with banana and coconut palms and a family of monkeys.
Ocean is three minutes by foot, local market is two minutes by foot and city center and train station is seven minutes away.
Team #smenalanka
(written by other Smena members. More stories here)
Master of international space law (retired), videographer, founder of ByeByeBadBoss, and Turbomasala, entrepreneur, speaks English, Chinese and French
Nikita believes: you should only make money doing what you love. In his case - helping other people, creating a community, responsible travelling and skillsharing. It's a mystery why he's not making money with his voice - a skill of reaching the most difficult tones could help him make a fortune. His calm and smooth energy, zen and harmony twisted with experience and vision helps people around him to reach their goals. He grew up with 5 brothers and a sister and for seven years blessed with relationship with Anastasia Klimova-Kuimova. It seems that nothing can throw him off the balance neither on solid ground nor in the water where he is frequently seen surfing. A useless but cute fact - on the wave his grey eyes become turquoise.
A graduate of the faculty of Psychology of Moscow State University, professional photographer and videographer, fashionista and cofounder of Turbomasala. Does seasonal business in Russia, USA and Europe and original storytelling and teambuilding workshops.
Anastasia is a generator. She knows how everything works, knows the price of this world and of her own ideas. She asks the necessary questions and digs until she knows the truth. Being a perfectionist until the fingertips she always brings everything to a result. There’s one thing she cannot stand – a waste of time and resources.
An ambassador of Epytom brand she bears the idea that you can be trendy only having 40 pieces of clothes in your wardrobe. Anastasia is an explorer, an analyzer and systematizer. Smena Station was created with the help of her endless power. A founder of tender business of Holiday Orbs she motivates her family members to succeed in it as well. An addition to everything above she is also a professional snowboarder, a great surfer and a person who is never blind to problems of others. Thanks to people like her this world Is moving forward.
It’s been quite a while since Pasha started to work remotely from Asia. He knows that life is motion so office job turned to be very boring for him and he decided to work while travelling. This decision took him to Sri Lanka where he met his friends who shared the same ideas and joined Smena first as a participant and then as a coordinator.
Pasha is a programmer and now is working over application development. But Smena-people were mesmerized by his bass under guitar chords, it was obvious he’s got great musical talent. You can listen to his works here: https://soundcloud.com/apisov
Now Pasha is preparing for his Master program to study and get himself into researching artificial intelligence and neuroscience. His idea - to put together all knowledge about human brain and artificial intellect.
Pasha is one of those people for whom money is not a goal anymore but self-actualization, feeling himself useful and knowing that human value is not measured by taking but giving power is what is important for him.
People at Smena are amazing kaleidoscope, each of them is an ocean of intensive creativity and inspiring ideas. People who are so sincere, open and sensitive are not easily found! Artyom was advised by his friend to join Smena and adapted it so well that became the project administrator. He taught the guys how to make great videos and vlogs. He is being already doing that for more for five years. Have a look at "Bonjour, Adventures!" (https://www.youtube.com/user/urfjuice) Youtube channel about travelling and discoveries.
Artyom’s history is full of romantics because he was inspired to travel by his passions of freedom and life. The courageous traveller is on his way for about several years and could make friends from all over the world and learn several languages. Artyom is a very mobile guy, gladly embracing all the new things and readily available to help others. He is a great one to learn from!
“Be simple and life will render everything for turning your dream true, follow your soul desire under liberty flag!” © Artyom