EVGENIYA KASYAN

Evgeniya Kasyan — CEO of SilverShield Capital Ltd., Lawyer, Barrister, Counsellor for Russia and CIS at the University of Nicosia, teacher of Russian as a foreign language, and mother of two sons, in her interview, told us about her experience of moving to Cyprus, as well as about the services offered by her company, assisting families with children and companies to relocate or start a business in Cyprus.

How is it to leave everything… career, successful job, relatives, home, take two small kids and move to another country?

First, thank you for allowing me to share my life experiences with your readers. I hope my interview will help people in similar circumstances to mine and make their life easier during relocation to this amazing island called Cyprus.

Cyprus has always been a popular destination for relocation, as we know. While we are talking, a few more families in the world either decided to relocate to Cyprus or still contemplate relocating to Cyprus; some are already in the process.

Many are scared, stressed, panicked, depressed, and frustrated, and perhaps they have no idea where to go and what to start with. Moving to another country, especially with children, is one of the most stressful situations in life. You must rebuild at all levels: social, cultural, biological, and psychological. People find themselves alone in a foreign country. And besides all the psychological emotions, they have to solve many pressing routine questions to more or less adjust to their new life. All of the above I experienced myself.

Where are you from originally?

Originally, I am from Russia. My professional background is in law. And in Cyp­ rus, I work as a consultant at the University of Nicosia. With my two kids, I relocated to Cyprus 8 years ago for personal reasons. For us, it was a life­changing decision with the first noticeable change of the weather conditions from ­30 to +30, as we are Siberians.

“Homo Proponit Deus Disponit” (“Man Proposes God Disposes”). Life can sometimes be unpredictable. Even though we loved it here and it was an easy decision, a bit of frustration came along with the relocating process. The system here, the culture, and the people’s work style differ from the one I was used to. To joke a bit, the SIGA SIGA — SLOWLY SLOWLY attitude of this culture doesn’t sit well with someone rushing to take care of things to start everyday life in a new place. I have to admit that there were moments when I thought I would abandon the plan because delays and misunderstandings made me mad. However, persistence prevailed. I overcame the obstacles, and life here turned good. Cyprus became our second home, and we enjoyed living here, but the adjustment period wasn’t easy at all.

What difficulties did you face when moving to Cyprus?

When we moved, my sons were 9 and 4 years old, so you can imagine the specter of problems I had to deal with. Unfortunately, we didn’t know anyone here to advise us, so step by step, like a child learning how to walk, we were learning to live in our new reality, our new life. Sometimes it was not easy, and I wish I had someone to guide me through. I went through different legal procedures handling all different types of applications with immigration and migration. Dealing with the banks is not easier than dealing with immigration issues.

I started to work here, so more applications and registrations with local authorities. I rented a flat and then bought a house, which meant dealing with real estate contracts. I registered my kids to schools, which implies lots of research and preparation for entrance exams, ongoing education, and extracurricular activities.

I supported them during the adjusting period while trying to adjust myself. Let’s remember the easier stuff, like buying a car, registering with local doctors and the health system, etc. Getting help from different professionals, who are experts in their own specific areas, helps, but first, you have to find the right ones. The bigger problem is that so many different areas to cover that coordinating different professionals create problems and delays. If one of them delays doing their job, others cannot start theirs, and the delays and frustration add up. Once all these are done, you can relax while enjoying the beach, the excellent weather, and the delicious food.

Does your company SilverShield Capital deal with these issues?

SilverShield offers clients advice on all the above matters. We aim to save our clients the hustle and make their relocation experience as painless as possible.

‘Silver Shields’ were the elite soldiers of Alexander the Great’s army. They carried silver shields hence their name. This idea reflects our goal: to help, support, guide, and protect our client’s interests.

Nowadays, there are many companies in Cyprus offering similar services. What differentiates you?

You are right; many companies appear to offer similar services. However, most of these companies are focused on specific procedures and legal requirements, which is very important, but at the same time, it means that people are usually left behind after a task is completed, let’s say, their visa or a bank account application is submitted. The difference between those companies and us is that after we cover all the legal procedures and paperwork, we continue our super vision and guidance throughout their adjustment period. In addition, we are happy to receive a call any time in case of an emergency, and our team will be able to assist.

So, if your client got into an accident or their kid got sick in the middle of the night, they call you? Can we have this kind of service nowadays?

Not only possible, but that’s how we operate. Remember, we are the “silver shields”, frontline (smiling).

Frankly, I understand your reaction. We know how slow things might be done or not done at all. It is kind of “mission impossible” to reach some companies sometimes over the phone during even working hours; that’s why we are always here for our clients, alert and ready to help so that their move is safe, fast, and smooth.

Most families are relocating with children, which makes the whole transaction period even more difficult, especially if the kids are attending schools or ready for higher education. Does the company help with this?

The most important thing for parentsis to make the transition as painless as possible for their children and maintain and continue improving their lifestyle.

When we moved, my kids were 9 and 4 years old, didn’t speak English or Greek, and didn’t have any friends. My elder son now studies at the University of Nicosia, and the younger one attends an English High school; both speak Greek and have a diverse group of friends. Raising the boys through all levels of the education system, beginning with kindergarten, while encouraging them to participate in extracurricular activities and social events, certainly has been a hands ­ on training and the most valuable experience. The knowledge I have gained from this on how to prepare and assist kids is unmatched and gives us the capability to offer families excellent advice.

You also hold a position at the University of Nicosia?

Yes, this is another joy in my life. For me, the adaptation period in a new country coincided with the transformation and development of a new profession. For more than five years, I have been helping young people to find their way in education. Suppose relocation is an incredibly stressful event for a family. In that case, you can imagine how students feel when they come to study in a foreign country.

Sometimes it is even more difficult for them to adapt to a new environment away from their families. As a Regional Counselor for Russia and the CIS, I am always happy to help applicants with the choice of a suitable academic program, the admission process, and adaptation during the study period.

Today UNIC is the largest English­speaking University in Cyprus and Southern Europe, in the top 2% of universities in the world, 157th in the EU, 2nd in Cyprus, and 4th among Cypriot and Greek Universities, according to Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2023. At UNIC we have world­renowned faculty and stateof­the­art premises and are committed to delivering high­quality education.

As I said earlier, my elder son is now attending UNIC’s Business school, which is ranked among the Top 201­250 universities in the world in (a) Business and Economics and (b) Education by 2022 THE World University Rankings by Subject, and he feels happy here.

Every day do you help clients with relocation and adaptation in Cyprus? Who or what helps you with your problems? Do you have your own «silver shield»?

My family is my silver shield. In fact, our relocation experience and the whole situation where there is no one else to rely on but only one other has helped family members develop a stronger bonding. It taught us to help and support each other unconditionally. Therefore, for those people who decided to move, I would advise them not to get disappointed with obstacles on the way to their goal but to follow their plan and focus on the necessary tasks, the timely and correct implementation of which will accelerate the process of moving and adapting and thus the opportunity to enjoy their new life on this beautiful island. And our goal is to help them achieve that! We are truly delighted to see your happy faces.