Last year we celebrated Liden & Denz’ 25th anniversary. As new students keep coming every day, we also sometimes look back and talk with former students, to see how they are doing, what they managed to do with their Russian, and so on. Today it is with great pleasure that we share with you our interview with Odorich von Susani. Born in Graz, Austria, he studied both in Austria and the US, obtaining at last the doctoral degree in Technical Chemistry. Working for the well-known DuPont, he was part of the marketing of Nylon®, Lycra® and Kevlar®, some of the textiles that have made DuPont so renowned and appreciate throughout the world. In the middle of his extraordinary career, in 1992, he came in St. Petersburg to study with us, and today he shared his thoughts on how that experience enriched him.
You were one of Liden & Denz’ first students in Saint Petersburg, 25 years ago. Have you been back to Russia since? If yes, please tell us a bit about things which have changed most according to your personal experience then and now.
I have been back to Russia twice since 1992. In 2012 I did a cycling tour from Moscow to St. Petersburg with the Russian Cycling Touring Club. In 2014 I was 2 days in St. Petersburg with my wife Christa. This was a stop on a cruise with Club MED 2 in the Baltic Sea. In 1992 there was a spirit of change in the air in St. Petersburg. This was best exemplified by Liden & Denz starting language courses then. Many times people from St. Petersburg told me that I had been the first foreigner they had ever talked to. In 2012 and 2014 it was evident that the changes had happened. St. Petersburg has become a modern, fast paced metropolis with all the advantages and disadvantages that come with that. What has remained is the unique charm of the 18th and 19th century parts of the city (buildings, churches, canals).
How important has knowledge of several languages proven to be throughout your life?
Throughout my life knowledge of several languages has been very important. University studies in Graz, Austria (in German), and in New York (in English), working in Wilmington, Delaware (in English), and in Geneva, Switzerland (in French, English and German), would not have been possible without language knowledge. In 1992 I began studying Russian to prepare for working in Russia. Even though this project in the end did not come about, studying Russian helped me to develop much better understanding of Russia, of its culture, of its thinking, of its life.
In the world of today multiple language skills are a prerequisite, especially for young people, for a successful professional career.
Did Russian ever come in handy, either in a work-related situation or during daily life?
Does Russian come in handy? Yes, it does. I worked many years in marketing assignments in Eastern Europe and it was often appreciated by clients when I said a few words in Russian. But I give you one specific example from my cycling tour in 2012. I was with a couple from the USA in Moscow on the Red Square. We were looking for a bookstore that had been highly recommended but we could not find it. I addressed myself in Russian to an elegant man in a dark suit and tie, wearing a briefcase. Come with me, he said, I am going in that direction. We walked together for about 10 minutes and he wanted to know everything about me, profession, employer, where I live, family etc. He pretended not to speak English, but I did not believe him. We came to a square and there was a big building in front of us. This is the Lubyanka, he explained. And he led us through a pedestrian underpass, it became dark. I asked him, are you sure of your way? With a smile he said, you can be confident that I know my way, I work in the Lubyanka. And we came back to the surface and to our right was the bookstore. Without the help of our guide we would have never found it. I thanked him and we parted with a big handshake. The bookstore was really excellent and we could purchase all the books we had been looking for. Without some knowledge of Russian I would have missed that encounter.
Do you have a stand-out memory from Russia, either when you were here as a language student or after?
In 1992 I lived with a family, selected by Liden & Denz. They had a nice flat near the Hermitage, the husband was a chemist, the wife was a high school teacher in mathematics and accounting. Their grown up son had left home and I got his room. When I came back from my Russian classes at Liden & Denz, the wife did not want me to go in my room, but to sit down in the kitchen which was quite spacious with also a table and a TV set. She explained to me: “To learn Russian it is best to learn like a child does.” And I watched children’s TV Programs for hours, she also explained to me everything when she cooked and made me repeat her words, and with her husband we had lots of fresh peppermint tea in the evening. I am forever thankful for that experience.
What have you found to be the most effective way to learn a new language?
The most effective way is definitely total immersion in the country whose language one wants to learn. It helps to focus all 5 senses on the task and progress is then relatively rapid. This is also the reason why language schools like Liden & Denz continue to thrive, despite of all electronic aids that exist today.
Why should a young graduate from Switzerland or elsewhere seriously think about learning Russian in the 21st century?
Russia is an interesting country with a lot of history and a lot of future. This is why young graduates who, besides their knowledge in their field of expertise, also have extended knowledge of languages including Russian, have much better career prospects. I remember the research director of an internationally renowned French cosmetics company. A native from France, she got her doctoral degree in London. She explained to me that her ability to additionally speak Russian fluently, which she had acquired by studying, had set her apart from other candidates for this position.