I received my high school diploma in Saratov, Russia where I was born and received my education until I turned 16. I was awarded a scholarship from the American goverment which made it possible for me to continue my studies in US. Saratov is over 400 year old and was originally built as a fortress to protect Russian border from the invasions of Mongol and Turkish tribes from the south. The city is located in South-Western Russia, about 500 miles from Moscow and has a population of about one million people. Saratov is famous for its architecture which was influenced by Western European as well as Eastern European traditions.