Elizaveta Vagabova: Finding Home Through Coffee
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| ELIZAVETA VAGABOVA - Photo by Ann Gr |
You were born in Russia and now represent Portugal on the AeroPress stage. How does that personal journey shape the way you see coffee today?
I have been working with coffee for 12 years, and I have not lived in Russia for about four years. Of course, a large part of my knowledge was gained while living there. But I am from Saint Petersburg, just a six-hour drive from Helsinki, Finland. I was always inspired by Europe, traveling to championships and even competing in them while still living in Russia. I believe it’s important to have a broad perspective on coffee, and that can only be achieved by traveling beyond the country you live in. For me, coffee will always remain a language that I can use across different countries and even continents.
When you brew coffee now, do you ever feel that it carries pieces of your past life and the places you’ve lived in?
Of course, everything we do now is the result of our past experiences. And of course, I still have many habits that go back to my very first years working as a barista. I also have my own approach, which is different from that of my Portuguese colleagues.
Coffee is often described as a universal language. From your experience, how true is that in real life?
Coffee is 100% a universal language. I have always traveled a lot, and whenever I arrived in a new place, I would find a specialty coffee shop and then I could feel at home. People in the coffee industry are always connected by coffee, and it helps us build communication. Because of this, I never felt lonely, even when traveling alone.
You’ve worked in different countries and cultures. What has coffee taught you about people beyond borders and nationalities?
We may have different approaches, but we all share the same passion, and in that we are alike. Coffee unites us.
In times of conflict and division, do you believe the coffee industry can play a role in building understanding or even peace?
I believe that coffee should be a space without conflict. And I also believe that championship platforms should not be a place for arguments.
As someone who has experienced displacement, what does it mean to serve coffee to strangers every day?
Even in your own country, you serve coffee to people you don’t know. Probably the only fear you have is the language. When you live in a big country with one main language, English doesn’t seem very important. Luckily, I managed to start learning English before all of this.
Do you think cafés can become safe spaces for humanity, conversation, and empathy?
I think coffee shops can become such places, especially now, when so many foreigners work in coffee shops all over the world. They, more than anyone else, can understand what it’s like to move to another country. I myself have often helped guests with advice, especially when I knew how I could help.
How does competing in AeroPress reflect values beyond winning, such as connection or openness?
It’s been such an incredible experience. I’ve met old friends from all corners of the world, met many different people, and even made friends from Canada, Italy, and Finland. AeroPress brings people together, you have much more time to talk than, for example, at an SCA championship. I felt a lot of support and acceptance.
What did it feel like to stand on stage representing Portugal, knowing your story goes far beyond one country?
I felt proud to represent a country that I like so much and where I was welcomed so warmly. I’ve been living here for two years now and feel a genuine love for Portugal.
Have you ever had a moment behind the bar where coffee unexpectedly became a bridge between very different people?
This happens every day in the coffee shop. I work in a place whose main slogan is “meeting place.” We have very multinational guests, and many times this has gone beyond the coffee shop itself, people from different countries have created running clubs, practiced yoga together, and so on.
Does your approach to brewing change when you think about coffee as a human experience rather than a technical one?
I always try to match the guest’s preferences and find exactly what they like. I’m not a snob at all.
How do you reconcile competition with compassion?
For me, competitions are a way to test my skills. I separate them from my everyday work.
What does peace look like for you personally?
Probably the coffee industry demonstrates this very well by bringing people together all over the world and creating a space where we can all be equal.
Many people see competitions as ego-driven. How do you personally keep your values grounded?
I guess I don’t fully understand the ego-driven side of competitions. I’m very modest, so I’ve never felt the need to show off. I believe it’s important to share knowledge and stay open.
How has living in Portugal influenced your understanding of community and belonging through coffee?
I think I realized that the life in Europe I once dreamed about actually suits me very well. We are not that different from the Portuguese, and this similarity allows us to live and work together. But it always requires inner work on yourself.
Do you think coffee professionals should speak more openly about social issues and human stories?
I believe that telling your own story is important. It can inspire people. Sometimes it’s also important to raise pressing social issues, helping colleagues in the industry feel heard.
What parts of your life story do you carry silently when you brew for others?
Probably the two years before Portugal, when I really wanted to leave coffee because I couldn’t find myself. I was living in Georgia and thought my career was over. I felt lost.
In a divided world, what small role can a simple cup of coffee still play?
To remind someone of a taste, perhaps from their lived past.
If you could send one message to the global coffee community through AeroPress, what would it be?
You need to do everything with pleasure, not forget why we’ve been in coffee for so many years, share knowledge, and stay open to the world.
What did winning the Portugal AeroPress Championship mean to you beyond the title?
I proved to myself that I’m still in the saddle, haha. In 2019, I competed with a friend in the Barista League, and we won, the prize was a Coffee Trip to Seoul. When I won the Portuguese Championship and found out I was going to Seoul again, I thought it was destiny.
Has coffee ever helped you heal in moments when words failed?
I think yes, this is my safe place.
How do you define success now?
I believe I still have something to strive for and hope to do even more in the coming year. Although even now things are pretty good, I think, haha.
For young baristas who come from difficult backgrounds, what would you want them to know?
I think that no matter how hard it gets, you can’t stop. I never worked for popular companies, I did a lot on my own (often helped by people not even from the coffee industry). But I did everything persistently, without rest and without a coach. So never give up.
Finally, what does coffee mean to you today, not as a competitor, but as a human being?
Everything I have in life happened because of coffee, my best friends, my move to Portugal, the best travels. So whether I like it or not, I’ve built my whole life around coffee, and it has become my backbone.
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