Where Home Begins

My name is Amalia Galieva, and I’m from the Samara Region, specifically the urban-type settlement of Bezenchuk. Because of my studies, I had to move to a neighboring region, the Saratov Region. And the farther I am from home, the more I realize just how dear it is to me.

Bezenchuk isn’t a metropolis—it isn’t even a city. It’s a small urban-type settlement. But to me, it feels so much like home that I can literally call it home. It’s a place where I want to come back to, relax, and just clear my mind.

By the way, there’s an unusual historical detail about Bezenchuk. Anyone who has read Ilf and Petrov’s *The Twelve Chairs* surely remembers one of the characters—Bezenchuk. The authors visited a station in the Samara Region, liked its unusual name, and later gave it to their character.

That’s why every time I come across a mention of Bezenchuk in a book or movie, it gives me a special thrill. It feels as though my little hometown suddenly becomes part of a grand narrative.

But if we’re talking about the place I associate most with home, it’s the Volga.

The village is located on the Volga, and for us, the people of the Volga, it has always been a special place. As a child, I often went down to the river, and now, when I return there, it’s as if I’m back in those years. I remember my childhood, my youth, and the simplest and happiest moments.

I especially remember how, in the 2010s, my dad and I would sail down the Volga in a simple boat. We’d row ourselves, go fishing, and come home with our catch. Back then, it just seemed like a normal part of life. But now I realize that it’s precisely these moments that shape the memory of a place you call home.