I’ve been working with translations for as long as I can remember. Since I’ve always travelled a lot and worked abroad, and thanks to the excellent language education I received at Moscow State University, I’ve often worked — and still work — as an interpreter from Russian and English. Over the years, I’ve gained extensive experience translating negotiations, conferences, as well as scientific and technical texts.
One of the most memorable moments of my work was assisting in the organisation of the State Hermitage Museum exhibition Catherine the Second — Empress of Russia at the Klovićevi Dvori Gallery. Over 1,000 unique exhibits from the Hermitage collection arrived for this extraordinary exhibition in April 2018, and I was incredibly fortunate to be involved in its organisation and creation almost from the very beginning. Transporting the exhibits, arranging accommodation for Hermitage staff, setting up the exhibition halls, translating the catalogues, interpreting for staff members, translating speeches at the opening ceremony — I was fully immersed in this world for almost three months. I met remarkable people, had the honour of holding young Alexander’s sword in my hands, touching Catherine’s dress, and assembling a model of Voltaire’s house.
One of the most memorable moments of my work was assisting in the organisation of the State Hermitage Museum exhibition Catherine the Second — Empress of Russia at the Klovićevi Dvori Gallery. Over 1,000 unique exhibits from the Hermitage collection arrived for this extraordinary exhibition in April 2018, and I was incredibly fortunate to be involved in its organisation and creation almost from the very beginning. Transporting the exhibits, arranging accommodation for Hermitage staff, setting up the exhibition halls, translating the catalogues, interpreting for staff members, translating speeches at the opening ceremony — I was fully immersed in this world for almost three months. I met remarkable people, had the honour of holding young Alexander’s sword in my hands, touching Catherine’s dress, and assembling a model of Voltaire’s house.
The exhibition was a major event not only for Croatia, but for the entire region. The opening was attended by the President of Croatia, the Minister of Culture, the Mayor of Zagreb, as well as the Russian Ambassador to Croatia. From the Hermitage, the Director of Research, Mr. Georgy Villinbakhov, came to attend the opening.
During the exhibition, I led guided tours, and after it ended, I gave several lectures in Croatian, Russian, and English.
In 2016 and 2017, the Days of Russian Culture were held in Zagreb, and stars of Russian ballet from the Mariinsky, Bolshoi and Mikhailovsky Theatres came to perform at the Croatian National Theatre. I was incredibly lucky to be involved in organising these visits. I assisted during rehearsals and programme discussions, and stood backstage during the performances. Yes, of course — interpreting negotiations, learning specialised vocabulary, and translating official speeches on stage is demanding and exhausting work. But it gives me the chance to meet fascinating people and witness a creative process that usually remains hidden from the audience. Working with prima ballerinas from some of the world’s greatest theatres and watching them rehearse and perform has taught me so much. And standing under the stage lights at the Croatian National Theatre, interpreting clearly and precisely the speeches of the mayor and the theatre director — that too requires great focus, commitment, and experience.
In 2016 and 2017, the Days of Russian Culture were held in Zagreb, and stars of Russian ballet from the Mariinsky, Bolshoi and Mikhailovsky Theatres came to perform at the Croatian National Theatre. I was incredibly lucky to be involved in organising these visits. I assisted during rehearsals and programme discussions, and stood backstage during the performances. Yes, of course — interpreting negotiations, learning specialised vocabulary, and translating official speeches on stage is demanding and exhausting work. But it gives me the chance to meet fascinating people and witness a creative process that usually remains hidden from the audience. Working with prima ballerinas from some of the world’s greatest theatres and watching them rehearse and perform has taught me so much. And standing under the stage lights at the Croatian National Theatre, interpreting clearly and precisely the speeches of the mayor and the theatre director — that too requires great focus, commitment, and experience.
In 2017, I was invited to be a Russian language consultant for a new BBC series that was being filmed in Croatia. My job was to check the accuracy of the translated dialogues in the script and to help the actors with correct pronunciation. It wasn’t a difficult task for a native speaker, the pay was good, and I happily accepted. The series was called McMafia, directed by James Watkins, and featured a brilliant cast: Maria Shukshina, the legendary Lidiya Fedoseyeva-Shukshina, Kirill Pirogov, Merab Ninidze, and many others. But filming a series is incredibly hard work that demands everything from you. Sometimes we filmed at night, sometimes we had to be up at 4 a.m. to catch the sunrise. We froze in the cold wind while the same scene was shot twenty times in a row. And no one complained — everyone was united by a single goal.
In 2017, I was invited to be a Russian language consultant for a new BBC series that was being filmed in Croatia. My job was to check the accuracy of the translated dialogues in the script and to help the actors with correct pronunciation. It wasn’t a difficult task for a native speaker, the pay was good, and I happily accepted. The series was called McMafia, directed by James Watkins, and featured a brilliant cast: Maria Shukshina, the legendary Lidiya Fedoseyeva-Shukshina, Kirill Pirogov, Merab Ninidze, and many others. But filming a series is incredibly hard work that demands everything from you. Sometimes we filmed at night, sometimes we had to be up at 4 a.m. to catch the sunrise. We froze in the cold wind while the same scene was shot twenty times in a row. And no one complained — everyone was united by a single goal.
I worked with the crew for several months and collected plenty of funny and dramatic stories from the shoot: about a dog that simply refused to run in the right direction, about the storm that nearly cancelled a night shoot on the island of Pag, about the packs of heated gel we wrapped around an actress so she could film a summer scene in November. And the best part? When the director put me — the language coach — into the background crowd and asked me to sing a famous children's song that was the peak of my film career, especially since everyone close to me knows I have absolutely no sense of pitch.
United States, July 15, 2022
Maria is professional, friendly, and quick to respond. Would recommend to anyone.
5.0
Rating on Interpreters.Travel
Piracicaba, Brazil, May 20, 2019
Maria was an excellent interpreter, very professional! Also, an incredible person. I'm extremely grateful for her help!
5.0
Rating on Interpreters.Travel
Madrid, Spain, December 23, 2021
Maria is an excellent professional and an easy-going person. She does her own research, feels how to connect with the speakers, and is both knowledgeable and attentive. Work is easier with her.
5.0
Rating on Interpreters.Travel
Moscow, Russia, April 24, 2016
Maria is a true professional! She was a great help to us during negotiations. Our industry is quite specialised, but Maria prepared thoroughly in advance and quickly grasped the subject. A good interpreter is key to successful negotiations — and Maria is an excellent interpreter. I highly recommend her to everyone!
5.0
Rating on Interpreters.Travel
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