Ufa through the eyes of our British governess Adrianna

My experience working as a British governess abroad was awesome. I had just graduated from a master’s degree in the summer of 2018 and felt like doing something different over the summer. I was offered a temporary English governess position in Ufa, which is a city in the south of Russia, just after the Urals. It seemed like the perfect opportunity to go somewhere I’d never heard of and get some experience teaching English abroad.

English Nanny Agency helped to get a temporary governess position to prepare two boys aged 6 and 8 to enter an international school. The family was relocating to Europe and wanted the kids to have the best level of English they could possibly have before entering an international school, especially since they were transitioning from the Russian academic system which is not only a different language but a different approach altogether.

The job was very nice and easy. I was provided with a classroom area where I would plan and impart my lessons with the boys. Most of my 8-hour shifts were taken up by tutoring them together and individually but I’d also occasionally take them to hockey lessons and matches, out for lunch or for walks in the forest.

I spent two months there and was given a comfortable apartment to live in right next to the family’s house. They lived in the middle of the countryside on the outskirts of the city. We were always surrounded by nature, greenery and forest animals. There was even a river! It literally looked like a fairy tale setting. The city was a half hour drive and I was given a nanny car, so I would venture in to the city on my time off and explore the lovely monuments, museums and restaurants. I met a few British expats who were very nice and we became friends. It’s always nice to have some people to hang out with.

On my time off I attended Russian lessons which was really fun and provided me with basic knowledge of the language that I still remember and use today. I’d also go horse riding occasionally and made lots of friends there.

This placement was definitely a great opportunity to get a taste of what the life of a British governess feels like, to save money and explore remote places I wouldn’t really travel to in my regular life. After my experience in this position, I decided I would go into being an international British governess as a full-time career and I do not regret it at all. I am always traveling, having fun and being a positive part of lovely little children’s lives and earning a very good salary. English Nanny Agency are extremely comfortable to work with, Valentin was constantly in contact with me to make sure everything is ok.