The young immigrant from India waxes about his love for both medicine and Ukraine.
When I asked Indian-born Rajith Puthen, the head of representation for the Unichem Laboratories office in Kyiv, for an interview, he agreed, adding the caveat that it would be the first one he’s ever done in Ukraine. We decided to meet for a quiet lunch at Ukrainian restaurant O’Panas in Shevchenko park.
Rajith had been promoted to his current position only in January, before which he worked in the company’s Russian division. He came to Russia 12 years ago to study medicine at the State Medical University and completed his M.D.
“After graduation I planned to go back to India to work as a doctor, but I got an opportunity to work at Unichem and I joined the company as a national sales manager six years ago.”
He admits that it was hard to give up Russia for Ukraine, because he’d gotten used to Russian traditions. He was told that Ukraine was a difficult country to live in, but he really wanted to see it with his own eyes.
“When I came here it was a different atmosphere. The first impression is the best impression. As soon as you land at Boryspil airport, you start feeling at home, especially compared to [Moscow’s] Sheremetyevo [airport]. Russians are more aggressive, while Ukrainians are more friendly and positive.”
Having been born on the Indian coast, his move to Russia was really hard for him.
“I had to exchange the warm Indian climate for cold weather. Also I did not speak Russian and it was a cultural shock. I needed to change my food habits and for a while I felt sick and uncomfortable. Now I find it difficult to go back to my homeland, because I need to change everything back again. I’ve been to Siberia and St. Petersburg and it is a totally different experience.”
Business opportunities
Ordering a cappuccino (Hr 13) to start, the 29-year-old Rajith said that he’s proud to be a part of Unichem, one of the oldest companies in India, founded in 1944.
“It is a company with great traditions and one of the basic aims is quality. I’m not working for Unichem, I’m a part of Unichem.” He’d always wanted to have experience with medicine in such a big company. As for Ukraine, he feels more comfortable here then he ever would have imagined when he was back working in Russia.
“When I first came to Ukraine I at once felt like I was coming home. I don’t feel like a foreigner here, because people are always smiling and are more accepting of foreigners.”
In Russia, Rajith had a totally different experience. He says that people there are less accepting of foreigners, and seem to have a little less patience than their western neighbors. What’s more, he adds, they speak English with much less frequency.
“Here most people know English or at least can understand you. In Moscow it is quite difficult to find a person who knows it.”
Rajith also likes to travel and in only three months he’s already visited almost every major Ukrainian city except for a few in the east.
“When I went to Donetsk, it seemed like I was back in Russia. I did not see anybody speaking Ukrainian.”
Ukrainians, he thinks, have an incredibly developed sense of culture. “They really know who they are as a people.”
Food habits
“Indian food is spicy and I really changed my food habits when I started to work in Ukraine.”
Now he confesses that he does not like hot spices anymore and has completely converted his eating habits to the Russian and Ukrainian style. “I noticed that Ukrainians like to eat,” he says, ordering Ukrainian borsch (Hr 19.50) and roast mutton (Hr 60) with Bon Aqua (Hr 6). “Once I went to the Khutorets restaurant and I ordered borsch and potato with rabbit, but they brought me such a huge amount of food that I could not imagine one person eating so much.” He sees the Ukrainians’ pride of ownership in their cuisine, with delicious dishes such as borsch, pampushki and salo. “I went to a Ukrainian restaurant in Russia, but it wasn’t the same. There’s a big difference between how borsch is prepared here and there.” Happy with his new adopted home, he relaxes, leans back in his chair, smiles and adds: “You feel the difference.”
O’PANAS
10 Shevchenko Park at Tereshchenkivska, 235-2132
Open daily from 10 a.m. to 1 a.m.
English menu: Yes
English-speaking staff: YesAverage price of a main dish: Hr 50
