International faces of TU Braunschweig Meet Artur Atamantschuk

People from all over the world work, study or carry out research on the campus of TU Braunschweig. They all have different stories to tell. In our series “International faces of TU Braunschweig”, we are sharing some of them with you. For example, the one of Artur Atamantschuk, who has been working in Facilities Management at TU Braunschweig since August 2020.

Artur Atamantschuk emigrated with his parents from the Ukrainian city of Odessa to Germany as a child. For the then 9-year old, his parents’ decision came as a complete shock. “I remember that I didn’t want to leave my home country under any circumstances. When it was decided to move, I was very sad and, of course, a bit afraid of the unknown,” says the now 32-year-old. But moving here turned out better than he might have expected at first: Within a few months, Atamantschuk, who had previously received German lessons in Ukraine for a year, became fluent in the new language and quickly felt comfortable in his new home town of Braunschweig. So comfortable, in fact, that today he doesn’t want to leave anymore: “I really love Braunschweig and want to spend my life here,” he says with confidence. “The size of the city is just perfect, there’s everything you need for daily life.”

Teamwork and a positive atmosphere on the job

In good mood not only in the interview, but also at work: Artur Atamantschuk very much appreciates the positive atmosphere and the team spirit among his colleagues in Division 3. Photo: Simone Fürst/TU Braunschweig.

When he finished school, Atamantschuk trained as an electrician for energy and building services and worked in a company specialising in electrical engineering afterwards. Since August 2020, he has been a part of TU Braunschweig’s Facilities Management. In the Department of Communications, Automation and Energy Management, Atamantschuk is responsible for monitoring the heating and ventilation systems, among other things. It’s a job he really enjoys: “I think TU Braunschweig is a great employer. I particularly appreciate the flexible working hours. I tend to get up late and like to come in a bit later,” he laughs. But the team at Facilities Management is also reason why he enjoys going to work. “I have been really lucky with my colleagues. There’s a great atmosphere in the team and we often exchange ideas.” Even at times when there’s more to do, as for example when the University recently introduced new energy-saving measures, the support in the team is great. “I know that I can rely on everyone and that we will always help each other,” he says.

While working, Atamantschuk is currently also attending the Meisterschule, a school for master craftspeople in Germany. In less than a year, he hopes to have his master craftsman’s certificate in electrical engineering in the bag. In other words, the young man is quite busy. To clear his mind after work, he likes to use the outdoor facilities of the Sports Centre.

“I very much hope that the war will end soon”

But in recent months, outside of work, the Ukrainian-born engineer has been mainly concerned with the situation in his home country. The Russian war of aggression against Ukraine came as a great shock to him: “My wife was visiting Ukraine at the time of the first attacks. At first, I couldn’t believe the news at all, but then, of course, I immediately went to get my wife and her family out of there.” Atamantschuk also often talks to colleagues at work about the situation in his home country.

In his free time, the native Ukrainian supports families who have fled the war in Ukraine. Photo: Simone Fürst/TU Braunschweig

The compassion and willingness to help is great, he says. The fact that TU Braunschweig has set up aid programmes such as an emergency fund in a very short time has also been very positively perceived by him. In his spare time, he is also involved in helping refugee families from Ukraine, for example by assisting them in their dealings with the authorities. “I very much hope that the war will end soon. Families are torn apart as a result, lives are extinguished. Even now, one year after the war began, I cannot believe that this is really happening in my home country,” he says in dismay.

Before the war broke out, Atamantschuk regularly visited family and friends in Ukraine. Now, every day he hopes that there will be no bad news from home and that there will be a time after the war when Ukrainians will be able to return to their normal lives.