Born in the USSR, I lived in Chile and the United States before moving to Canada in 2005 for graduate studies. I obtained my Bachelor’s degree in the English and German languages in Russia and my MA and PhD degrees in Religious Studies from the University of Calgary. I worked as a translator in the book publishing business and in international trade at various stages of my life. Currently I combine part-time teaching with running a small translation bureau that services a wide range of customers from federal and New Brunswick government agencies to businesses and religious organizations to private persons in Canada and abroad.