VOICES From Migrations | Mariam Sanoyan's story

“VOICES From Migrations" is a project co-funded by the European Union exploring untold migration stories. Mariam Sanoyan is from Armenia, and she moved to Greece when she met her husband. This is her story:

Mariam Sanoyan | VOICES From Migrations

“My name is Mariam Sanoyan, and I am Armenian. At the age of 20, my family and I migrated to Russia, where my father had found a job. There were limited opportunities back home, so the decision was made. For 13 years, I lived in Nizhny Novgorod, until I met my husband.

He is Greek and found the idea of moving to Russia very difficult. We chose to settle in Greece, and I am so glad for that.

I vividly remember my first arrival in Greece and the moment I saw the sea from the airplane. That initial view left a lasting impression on me, and it made the country feel immediately welcoming and remarkably beautiful.

I find everything in Greece amazing: the weather, the landscapes, and the people. The atmosphere feels open and kind, and I appreciate the energy of the city and the calmness of the coast. 

When I arrived in Greece, the hardest part for me was the language. Adapting to the culture was easy, as I found it similar to Armenia. But not so the language. I had had the opposite problem in Russia, actually, as I knew the language, but was shocked by the cultural differences. Nevertheless, I had strong support from my husband, and adaptation was easy as I had my family and my job keeping me steady. I was also very lucky to have a close friend in Thessaloniki who had moved from Armenia as a child. She guided me a lot, making integration even easier.

We now live in different places depending on the season: in summer, we go to Neos Marmaras, where I work as a Manager at a Hotel. The rest of the year, we move back to Thessaloniki, where we work in our shipyard business, my husband as a ship engineer, and I as a secretary.

Looking ahead, I would love to enroll in a university to further my education in management. I do not see myself going to another place thanks to the life I have built here. We have a young child, and we feel very happy.”

Interviewers: Gkesouli Ellie, Corina Elena Voicilă, Camila Velez Martinez, Grzegorz Zając, and Joaquín Emiliano Espinoza Castro

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Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.