It is now, apparently, Spring in Russia. With Spring comes Maslenitsa. Maslenitsa is a week-long Shrovetide celebration where every day is Pancake Day.

From the first week to the fifth the Russian-language students of Piter have discovered the stolovaya. Due to the rather noticeable lack of fast-food chains such as McDonalds and KFC (these do exist, yet in much smaller numbers compared with the UK!), I conclude that these canteens are Russia’s answer to a student’s hunger and small budget.

My name is Eloise Penman and I’m studying Russian at University College London. I will be in Saint Petersburg, Russia for the duration of the University Year from September 2012.

I’m one of triplets and have a mother who has her own catering (specifically Sugarcraft) business. Naturally, this small army of offspring was drafted into our mother’s business from an early age. My choice was either to reject such a pursuit or love it and fully immerse myself in it. Luckily, I knew what was best for my continuing existence and accepted my role as ‘Private Penman’.