CO-READING SPACES

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— How did you come up with the idea of Pausify?

Ksenia: We are two sisters who grew up in a big family of 7, and all of us share a love for reading. Our siblings now live all over the world — but when the Covid pandemic hit, we all flew back to our parents’ house in Siberia, Novosibirsk — and stayed together for a few months. With more time on our hands (and the occasional drop to -40°C outside!), we would often spend evenings in our living room, each of us reading their own book. This experience of simply sharing a space with people you love, reading and sharing thoughts afterwards — all while the world around slowed down — was as idyllic as it sounds.

Back in Berlin, we couldn’t shake off the idea of creating something similar here. A place where like-minded people come together to read or work on creative projects, taking a break from the rush of life. We started it as a hobby project, but the response was so immense that we couldn’t keep up with the demand. As a result, we decided to expand, making it accessible to more people.

Barbara: Having moved around extensively for studies and work — Russia, China, the USA, and now Germany — I’ve made a simple yet profound realisation. Things like decent infrastructure, education, medical coverage, and ‘whether there is a beach’ are all important considerations when moving places. But once you settle in, the real deal-breaker in how you’ll feel about the place is the kind of people you’ll surround yourself with.

Seeing how literally everything is shifting online these days — remote work, digital learning, streaming, shopping — it’s getting more and more challenging to find people that you can genuinely connect with. That’s why the idea of creating Pausify felt so natural and so timely for us.

— Any recent books or creative projects that caught your attention?

Ksenia: Lately, I’ve picked up drawing. No Picasso in the making, but it has altered the way I see everyday things. Now, when I chat with a friend, I sometimes can’t help but register the play of light and shadows on their face. I’ve also started to pick up angles & proportions of things around: buildings, cars, a trash can. It’s absolutely fascinating as it has a way of transforming even the most mundane things, like my everyday bike ride.

Barbara: One of my recent reads that I really enjoyed was “Crime” by Ferdinand von Schirach, a famous German defence lawyer-turned-author. The stories are based on his real cases and they explore the nuanced intersection between the current legal system and our moral beliefs. Some stories unfold in Berlin, the familiar streets I walk regularly, so it made them even more relatable.

— How do you imagine your project growing up?

Barbara: We see it evolving into much more than a physical location. Rather, it’s a response to a significant societal gap — the absence of what urban sociologists refer to as ‘third spaces.’ These are the places that are neither home nor work, but where people come together for social interaction, leisure, and community building. Historically, there were plenty of those — now, they’re scarce. Our goal is to create a dynamic social ecosystem that fills this gap and facilitates the kind of serendipitous encounters that lead to lasting connections — friendships, partnerships, etc.

Ksenia: We’ve all been there — planning for a wholesome, productive weekend only to end up in a Netflix binge or scrolling through social media for hours. Technology moves faster than we can purposefully respond to it. Our long-term vision for Pausify is to provide that deliberate choice to slow down, take control of our time, embrace constructive, meaningful activities and reflect on the developments around us.