Dmitrii Bugaev
Tiraspol city, Moldova
Tell us about yourself.
I am from Tiraspol city, Republic of Moldova. I grew up in a Christian family.
Why did you go to the seminary?
I decided to go to the seminary because I enjoy reading the Bible. I chose Biblical Studies program because of its significant emphasis on Bible exposition.
I want to study and know the Scripture as my father who leads Bible study at church, or perhaps even better. This advice on choosing a program of study I received from my uncle who himself is a seminary graduate. “If you want to know the Bible well, go to Biblical Studies program, but be ready to do a lot of reading,” – said he. However, I love reading!
I hope that after graduation I will be able to benefit my church, by telling others something new about the Bible, biblical writers, and also teach them to interpret specific passages of the Scriptures.
Why did you choose to study in Ukraine?
The reason is simple. There is a seminary in Chisinau with Moldavian language as language of instruction, yet my command of the language is poor. I grew up hearing Ukrainian language in my home because my grandmother moved to Tiraspol (Moldova) from Kyiv (Ukraine).
What are your impressions of the seminary as you completing your first year of studies here?
I was impressed by Introduction to Biblical Studies class during my first session as well as by Mark McDonnel, who taught the class. He knows the Bible very well and can quickly find an applicable text in the Bible. He can unpack difficult passages of the Scriptures. He knows Greek and Hebrew languages. He also taught us Greek.
I also liked Hebrew language class with professor Vitaliy Maryash. Hebrew is a difficult language to learn, it bears no resemblance to Slavic languages, starting with alphabet, but once we begin learning it we can understand the Bible better.
I also have fresh memories of Exposition of the Gospel of Mathew with professor Vyacheslav Kruppa. I learned a lot about some interpretations. For example, phrase “You have heard that it was said to those of old” means wrong interpretation of the Law, not written words of the Scriptures. I also learned about many historical evidences how people dated books and how they determined authorship. Though authorship is not the most important issue, rather what the book is about that matters.
What can you say about accommodations and facilities?
The seminary’s cafeteria is the thing. I like that the seminary has nice big building with library which contains many books to read and learn new things.
What would you say to your coevals who consider going to the seminary?
It is possible to study the Bible at home, but if you want to get guidance, direction and help for understanding the Scriptures and dealing with life’s issues according to the Scriptures, you should go to the seminary.