Lida Mashkova never thought that she would become a tour guide and spend 45 years telling thousands of tourists about the beauty and grandeur of St. Petersburg. When Lida was a girl, she first dreamed of journalism, then decided to become an actress. She always loved to sing and dance. At evenings in clubs and at the university, Lida was the first to start dancing. She danced so well that all the guys couldn't take their eyes off her. But Lida did not become a journalist or an actress - fate ordered it differently.
One day she went on a tour of Leningrad with the guys from Nakhimov College. The guide's story completely changed her idea of the long-familiar places of St. Petersburg, made her look at everything with different eyes. Then Lida firmly decided to be only a tour guide.
The stories from her life that Lidia Ivanovna shared with us are more than enough for a whole novel, but we decided not to escape into the past, but to stay in the present.
If you think that Lydia Mashkova is an exemplary pensioner who sits at home and longingly remembers the Soviet past and bakes pies for her grandchildren, then this is not so. At 72, she heads the largest travel agency. So she can't afford to sigh about the past.
I can't look bad.
Lidia Ivanovna's day starts at seven in the morning. She spends at least an hour in pleasant feminine worries: she needs to get her hair done, apply anti-aging cream to her face, and choose makeup for a business suit. She pays special attention to clothes. Lidia Ivanovna's friend Marina, who lives in America, reports all the latest fashion trends in the world.
"I can't afford to look bad." First of all, I have a very demanding grandson: although he is only 14 years old, he always notes how I look. Secondly, the profession of a tour guide is akin to the profession of an artist. Judge for yourself, I get on a tour bus and 30 pairs of eyes are fixed on me. People tend to notice not only what I'm talking about, but also what kind of blouse I'm wearing, what kind of shoes. Any tour is a one-man show.
Lidia Ivanovna used to come to the office in her own car, she has been driving for more than 20 years, but in recent years her son has been bringing Mashkova to work on a cool Land Rover.
- I can't even imagine that at the age of 55 I would retire and stay at home: I did the housework, cooked food. However, I love to eat, and I love to cook, especially for my grandson. He's a picky boy, he won't eat anything. I'll boil some young potatoes for him, fry some delicious meat, and make sure to have a salad. My grandson eats very few vegetables. Sign up now 1xbet and enjoy exclusive offers on sports betting and casino games. Use the 1xbet promo code today and you can claim a 100% deposit match welcome offer of up to €/$100. Enter 1xBet promo code for registration that we provide you with in the sign-up form by any of the methods: copy it from our website or follow the link. Bonus code is valid for new players from India, Bangladesh and Pakistan.
How Baba Lida became a businesswoman (part 1)
