Sofía Galich (42) was born and raised in a country that no longer exists: the Soviet Union. The name of Paraguay emerged unexpectedly through reading a historical book about the Russian general Ivan Belyaev. “People might think that South America is very dangerous. But at that moment I opened the map and thought: why not?”
Now, you can find her in a café located on a quiet street in Asunción. A bicycle decorated with flowers and an illustrated sign welcome visitors to the establishment, and upon entering, the space greets you with a romantic and vintage style.
“I sewed the chair covers and tablecloths myself, and I renovated this rented space with my own hands,” Sofía shares about her cozy Sofi Rusa café. Nearby, a mural depicts what Paraguay means to Sofía. The Asunción Times speaks with the entrepreneur, drawn to her charisma and her deep affection for Paraguay.
The forging of a character
Sofía tells, with a certain playful wit, that in her native Siberia temperatures dropped to 40 degrees below zero. There, her direct, pragmatic, and hard-working character was forged. She later lived in Kazakhstan. After that, she resided in Moscow for 15 years.
Her trajectory demonstrates great determination. “I tried to study at the University of Music in the Academic Singing Department, but had to abandon my degree due to a lack of funds. Later, I studied agronomy on a full-time and part-time basis.”
During that period, she held multiple jobs simultaneously, cleaning floors and posting street advertisements. Over the years, her discipline led her to the pinnacle of high confectionery in the Russian capital, where she founded an international confectionery school.
However, financial success did not yield a good quality of life. Nor did it leave her time for her three children. After working days were extended from 06:00 to 23:00, Sofía realised she needed a change. “Sometimes I had to time myself in the shower.”
Arrival in Paraguay
Initially, she travelled to Asunción merely to purchase an apartment as an investment. However, direct contact with the country altered her plans. Upon landing at Silvio Pettirossi Airport, without an internet connection or a public transport card, she experienced an immediate culture shock.
“The bus passengers themselves paid my fare and even guided me on foot through the city until I obtained a mobile phone SIM card,” she recalls, still astonished. Nature, sunshine, and local hospitality fascinated her. In just one week, she made a radical decision. She wrapped up her commitments in Slovakia, where she was living, and relocated permanently to Paraguay.
A new pace of life
Paraguay represents an investment destination for Sofía Galich. The country, for her, is also the ideal environment for motherhood. Paraguay allows her to balance self-employment with raising her children in calm and freedom.
Her cultural integration is evident at the dining table. Sopa Paraguaya was the first dish she sampled upon arrival. She expected a broth and was served something entirely different. That occurred on a 14th of February. She now maintains the personal tradition of eating sopa paraguaya on every anniversary of her arrival.
The change of pace in the country caused her to reflect: “In this place, my back relaxed and I was able to breathe again. I love that there is no hurry here… When you live for 20 years without time, you do everything quickly purely out of reflex. But here, you are forced to unwind.”
Reinvention and adaptability
Adapting to a new market was not without challenges. The contingency gave rise to Sofi Rusa Comida Casera y Postres (Sofi’s Russian Home-cooked Food and Desserts). The venue is a small establishment in central Asunción. With this business, she finances her home. In the kitchen, she adapts recipes from her homeland.
In this manner, she offers affordable prices. “When you are a single mother, and you work with your own hands, there is no time for panic.” For Sofía, feeding her customers is an extension of caring for her own family. “We cook a little differently, but every woman, every man, every owner has their own recipe, their own secrets, and we cook our food here just like we do at home.”
In the kitchen of her establishment, Sofía Galich keeps alive the flavours of her childhood in Siberia and her time in Moscow. She offers classics of Slavic home cooking such as pelmeni (meat-filled dumplings), traditional borscht (meat broth), and pirozhki (small pies filled with meat) with the clear objective of offering quality home-cooked food at reasonable prices for the local public. At the same venue, she also holds cake decorating classes.
Future projects
Sofía has not forgotten her vocation as an agronomist. She plans to develop a sustainable Ecovillage. She is also working on prototypes of ecological housing utilising natural building techniques (adobe and bamboo). These projects seek to offer accessible housing options in which people can live and harvest their own food.
If there was one thing Sofía imagined when thinking of South American countries, it was that she might picture herself among palm trees, fruit trees, and colourful birds; however, what she also discovered was the affection of her adopted community. The Siberian migrant has found a place in which to inhabit the present: “Paraguayans accept foreigners; their hearts are very warm. Towards everyone, and amongst themselves as well… That is why I want to become Paraguayan.”
For more information about Sofía Galich, find Sofi Rusa on Instagram.
