My programming story began at a young age — when our new shop teacher at school introduced me to the basics of programming. This brilliant man with several higher degrees could do everything, he really ignited the spark. I remember how back then BASIC seemed like a magical language that allowed you to create something out of nothing. Then came Pascal — and I dived headfirst into studying algorithms and writing my first programs.
"Code is the magic that brings ideas to life."
But my main partner in crime was my neighbor — Dimon. Together we programmed like crazy, spending evenings at his place and mine, if we even had electricity (which was often turned off). Imagine, we even tried to set up a network between our houses — in the era of 9600 baud modems! My COM port almost burned out. It felt like the whole world was open to us, and technology was a playground for experiments and creativity.
At the end of school, I tried preparing to enter university as a programmer, but my parents moved me from my hometown Vladivostok to Moscow, where the only option was to enter Gubkin University, and not in computer science, but in physics and math — which was a big mistake for me. So I quit after my bachelor's and completing the military department and went to work at a company building websites: HTML and all that.
Working at the Institute and Early Projects
At the institute, I started working on my own project, which later brought me:
- new knowledge,
- decent money,
- a ton of friends and comrades.
I began making websites on order, then helped create a photo bank, worked in several companies optimizing websites for search engines, and so on. Later I got married, landed a proper job, and my boss took me with him to Switzerland to work on cool startups. There were many interesting and complex projects, though not all of them were successful.
Modern Stage and Skills
Many years have passed since then, but my passion for programming hasn't faded.
I became an experienced senior full-stack developer, creating:
- complex web applications,
- scalable cloud solutions,
- projects with artificial intelligence components.
My tools are Node.js for backend and React for modern, responsive interfaces.
Over the years I have:
- led teams of brilliant people,
- built management systems,
- automated business processes,
- worked in several well-known Swiss startups and international teams,
- attempted to create a research and development department in Switzerland.
Experience with payment systems, high-load e-commerce sites, and innovative AI startups gave me not only technical knowledge but also the ability to see the big architecture picture and build reliable and efficient solutions.
Personal Projects and Languages
At the same time, I created and developed personal projects — from photo communities to news portals integrated with artificial intelligence. I’ve also honed my photography skills and communication with photo enthusiasts since I have been involved in photo stocks and photo sites for over 10 years. Now I have several projects where I realize my most ambitious ideas, combining creativity and technology.
I am fluent in Russian and English, and I learned German at an intermediate level (though I’m already forgetting it), as I live in Switzerland and enjoy meeting new people and cultures.
If someone asked me what programming means to me, I would say:
"It's not just a profession, but a lifestyle and a way to change the world by creating the future today."
Or maybe it's just a personal illness)) Always wanting to do something cool and try all the newest stuff!