Alla is Russian and spent her childhood there, then as an adolescent moved to Ukraine because of her father’s job, where she finished her schooling . She earned an MA in Russian Philology from Dnipropetrovsk State University (Ukraine), and a Postgraduate Diploma in Russian Literature from Kiev National Linguistic University (Ukraine). She also trained on a courts of Russian as a Foreign Language and Bilingualism from The Herzen State Pedagogical University (Russia). She has also done further study in Comparative Russian and English Literature, and modern early 20th Century Russian Literature, and she has also done a year-long course with the BBC on Journalism.
When she finished her university studies, she taught in Ukraine for several years until she moved to Moscow, Russia where she also started to work as a business consultant. At one point she also lived in Washington DC for 2 years when she and travelled with her young children across the USA. In 2010 she moved to London which she now consider her home.
During her career, before and intertwined with her teaching as a university lecturer Alla has been a journalist working with Kiev National Linguistic University Radio as a Presenter (1995-1998), Ukraine Radio as a programme producer (2011-2015), BBC Russian service, London, and has worked offering UK School Career and Placement Advice and Orientation Expertise for international students. She has also supported university students with research essays on the following topics: By what means have Russian dramatists exposed what they see as the shortcomings of contemporary society (A. Chekhov “Cherry Orchard”); Symbolist and Acmeist Russian Poetry (O. Mandel’shtam, A.Blok. A.Akhmatova); and A-Level topics including Space Race in the Cold War: Who Won?; Chernobyl As The Worst Nuclear Disaster In Human History.
In 2023 Alla was recognised by the University of Chicago as an Outstanding Educator, having been nominated by two of her students who were accepted at the University. This award was given in recognition of Alla’s ability to challenge them intellectually, for stimulating new vistas of discovery and for channelling private interests into paths for intellectual growth.
Alla is currently teaching Russian at the French Lycee in London, and since joining ILLTC has worked SSST Russian Lit A students in Korea, Portugal, Switzerland and Germany.