My experience

I have been working in the field of culture and education for a long time. I had my own educational project “House of Benois”, I was the program director of the International Cultural Forum and launched various cultural spaces.

Why France?

France is my old love. I first moved here at the age of 19, studied at the local conservatory for two years, but then returned to St. Petersburg, which I repeatedly regretted.

In February last year, I left Russia without a specific plan, and in May I made myself a birthday present: booked an apartment in Paris for a month. When I arrived, I realized that I wanted to stay here.

My way

I got the Visa Visiteur. But since I could not work in France and wanted to start working in France, I applied for the Passeport Talent.

My French project

P.ART.iculaire is a door to the Parisian art scene. An incredible number of cultural events take place in the city, and not all of them are covered as widely as, for example, exhibitions in the Louvre. I wanted to make the art world more accessible to more people via lectures, art breakfasts, visits to galleries, meetings with artists and curators, trips, etc.

It became possible to fully launch the project with the Passeport Talent visa, which I received in July. I knew about the “talent passport” for a long time, but I didn’t know that it could suit me: I am neither an artist nor a startup. A photographer friend advised me to talk to a lawyer, with whom we studied my file and chose the “renommée nationale/internationale” category for me (visa for world famous specialists or people famous at the national level).

I applied in May and was approved for a two-year visa in July.

My tips

The most important thing for this type of visa is to show a large number of achievements recognized at the international level: interviews, media coverage, recommendations, a significant portfolio with international experience. You need to prove that your activities have been significant over the years. Collecting the dossier was easier than I thought. It was also a pleasant experience for self-esteem!

My main advice is to believe in yourself more and understand that initially Passeport Talent may seem like a "superstars only" visa, but all the limitations are only in our head. Of course, you need to adequately assess your capabilities and prospects, and for this the best start is a consultation with an experienced specialist. So good luck and let's go!