< return to index

Max Novoselov
Freshman

Max Novoselov moved to Moscow last summer to attend RACU. His native town, Staryi Oskol, in the Belgorod area, is located on the southwest slopes of the Central Russian upland. “My life in Staryi Oskol was not very exciting,” Maxim recalls. “The town is small, and it doesn’t offer much in terms of activities for young people.” As a result, Maxim spent most of his free time at home, reading books and watching television. But then his life changed: His mother took him with her to a Christmas party at the local Baptist church she attended. Max was attracted by the family-type atmosphere in the church and the friendly young people he met there, and he started to attend regularly. In 1999, in a Christian summer camp, Max accepted Jesus Christ as his Savior; in 2003, he was baptized.

A year earlier, in 2002, Max’s family had gone through a very tough time. For a few months, the city of Staryi Oskol was terrorized by a group of people who robbed and killed the residents. When police finally caught the gangsters, the leader of this violent group turned out to be Max’s stepfather. The whole family was shocked. Max’s mother had no idea that her husband had been leading a double life. He was sent to prison for life, and they got a divorce. To provide for the family, Max’s mother moved to Moscow to find work; she sold books, cleaned apartments and offices, and worked as a babysitter. Max stayed in his native town with his grandmother, visiting his mother every summer.

When in Moscow, Max and his mother attended a Baptist church. Max went to Christian camps organized by the church and participated in Christian youth conferences there. The pastor of that church, Ruslan Nadyuk, also serves as the acting chair of the Social Work Department at RACU, and through this connection Max and his family learned about RACU. “When I was a senior in high school,” Max says, “my mom sent me a RACU catalog from Moscow. She told me to study it and get prepared for RACU entrance exams.”

Max has a gentle character; he is friendly, calm, and compassionate. A people-oriented person and a very diligent student, Max is much respected by his classmates and professors for his spirit and attitude. “I have a big desire to help people, to comfort and to encourage them,” he explains. “I want people to have fewer problems and more joy and happiness in their lives and in their relationships with each other. That’s why I decided to study social work – even though my mom wanted me to be a businessman!”