When you were a child, who you dreamed to be? What influenced your choice?

Over the years I become more and more convinced that everything comes from childhood, from a family. The way a child was brought up eventually shapes the life of a person. I am the youngest in my family. Natalia, my sister, is 5 years older than me, and I can say that she 100%, even 200%, influenced my life. She was so great authority for me: I followed her as thread follows a needle. Natalia is the one and only person in my life, with whom I developed such relationship. My sister loved theatre and cinema. Conservatory, cinema and theatres – she took me with her everywhere. We even visited theatres in Moscow (in those times, a student and a staff member of Computing Center could afford this). We went to Moscow on summer and winter holidays. There were no theatrical performances in Moscow in summer, but in winter every evening we went to theatres. I dreamed to become an actress. I attended theatrical studio (in Saratov Drama Theatre), played on the stage of Mark Pinhasik. Everything stopped suddenly: my sister entered SSU Department of Mechanics and Mathematics, and I entered external degree Math School (in Moscow State University) which I graduated as a straight-A student. So I entered SSU Department of Mechanics and Mathematics with a desire to be a mathematician.

What person do you see yourself more? A scientist or a teacher?

No doubt, I have logic of a mathematician. I love to teach and do it with great pleasure. I give all myself to my students, explaining my discipline to them, and my task as a teacher is to have them mastered their courses. My subjects are not easy: math analysis and complex variables functions theory. My research area is also connected with teaching. My dissertation paper was devoted to problems of teaching methodology in higher education.

What do you like more? To administer or to teach?

That’s a tricky question. Both to administer and to teach is a difficult thing to do. I’m “one task at a time” person, so if I take on something, I will take it to the end and finish it. Teaching is now very difficult for me, because my main job is here – I’m a vice-rector for General (Internal) Affairs, and I’m very devoted to this. The volume of work is very big. For my generation the expression “you must” meant that you had to do it, and to do it at your best; it doesn’t matter whether you like it or not. Leonid Kossovich invited me for this post, set me an objective to improve the situation here… and I agreed. Now, whether I like it or not, there’s no doubt for me about it.

Who deserves to become the next SSU rector?

I consider Leonid Kossovich as a person who deserves to be the next SSU rector. He’s a very powerful administrator and in this position he can work more. I’m sure, that if Leonid Kossovich will be a rector for one more term, in first place it would be beneficial for the university. He can take all the projects to the final result. We have already achieved a lot, but still there’s a lot of work ahead.

What do you think about the role of educational contest in modern education? Is it right to exempt winners of educational contest from Centralized State Exam?

Yes, I think it’s right. Winners have to be awarded. Every educational contest (of every type) is a very limited range of questions, which a person has to be able to answer. There are different approaches, but it mainly relies on the principle “understood – not understood”. On the one hand it can’t be a reliable criterion of knowledge. Knowledge (in maths) means mastering methods, good math culture, certain competence and so on. Thus not every student who knows math can win in a contest. “Random people” can’t win this contest, especially math contest. I don’t think that Centralized State Exam is like a duty. If a person mastered a program, this is not a duty for him. We have to award people for victories in educational contests – and exemption from Centralized State Exam is a good variant.

What would you take into modern education from the Soviet era?

I like everything connected with Soviet epoch, but I like many modern things too. I do not want to idealize those times, but this is connected first of all with my youth. I can’t say now for sure, what the result of MSc and bachelor degrees experiment in Russia will be. On the one hand, I do not want to criticize this reform, because everything novel is always criticized. This is like old shoes. New are always too small and too tight, but old shoes are so soft, and your often your favorite.. but with holes. Maybe now we underestimate this novelty. People planned to dismantle Eiffel Tower at first. On the other hand, I do not want to idealize this reform. Returning to the conversation about our Soviet past – the only thing that I want to return or even keep – percentage of hours spent at the university. This number is gradually decreasing now. In State Standard (“Mathematics and mechanics”) two-thirds of the total educational time was devoted for work in lecture halls. Now this figure is approaching 50%, and communication “teacher-student” is very important. I do not want to lose it.

Did financial crisis influence the university?

Regarding federal budget – no, it influenced neither salaries, nor student scholarships. Everything is preserved. We had to stop target programs. Now we have promising signals, and it’s no exception that in 2010 we will continue the program “Development of infrastructure in nano-industry”. Also we had to stop construction of large dormitory complex.

Are you waiting for the guests from abroad for SSU centenary?

Yes, we are waiting for them. From CIS countries, from our neighbors. From more distant countries... I can recall representatives from Colorado State University, Brunel University, Queen Mary University.

What gift is the best for the university for its centenary?

I think that the best gift can be visits of our honorable guests; people who did a lot for Saratov State University: our alumni, local and federal authorities, State Duma (Parliament) representatives, our partners from spheres of education and research. Gifts are always pleasant, but it’s more pleasure to have such guests, people who are very close to you, who you are connected to.

What will the university look like in 100 years?

I have no gift of providence, but one thing I can say for sure: it will be one of the most powerful, one of the biggest scientific centers in the Russian Federation... and generally speaking what it is now. It will be another country in 100 years, another scientific potential and development – everything will be another. And in these new conditions Saratov State University will take the leading position.