Khabarovsk: Zoya, 23, was with her former dorm roommate at a new, ‘hipster-styled’ bar in Khabarovsk on a recent evening. Zoya grew up in Komsomolskaya, but like many young people from that town, moved to Khabarovsk to study. She worked for the tax inspection upon receiving her bachelor’s degree. Having heard so many stories about the tax agency during my years in banking, I asked about the job.
‘’I was surprised by the amount of work,’’ she said. “There just aren’t enough people.” Despite work overload, ”tiny salaries and no career future” at the tax agency, Zoya said “there are some remarkable people there that nonetheless love their work.’’ It was almost the same comment I heard from another former tax worker in Siberia.
Zoya quit the job to focus on getting her master’s degree in law with hopes to teach at an institute. I asked why teaching. She said she loves sharing knowledge with others and mentioned it may be in her blood – her mom has more than 20 years teaching experience. But there was something else… ‘’Older teachers say that it is great to interact with young people because you always feel young among them. And I always want to feel young.’’
