About Me

I was born in Palermo, Sicily, and I have lived in Moscow since 2012.
For more than 30 years, my professional life has been connected with tourism, travel and people.
Since 2020, another important area has become part of my work: teaching Italian to adult students.

Palermo and My First Steps in Tourism

I started working in tourism in the mid-1990s while continuing my studies.

That was where I gained my first practical experience in working with clients, organising travel and developing tourism products.

Those early years taught me something that has remained important throughout my career: tourism is ultimately about people, expectations and trust.

Developing My Own Tourism Projects

In the early 2000s, I gradually moved from direct client work into the development of my own tourism projects.

I worked on travel programmes, tourism products, relationships with partners and the organisation of trips in Italy and across Europe.

This period gave me practical experience not only in sales, but also in the wider management of tourism projects: from the initial idea to a complete product ready for the client.

Moscow, 2012

In 2012, I moved to Moscow for work.
This became the beginning of a new stage in my professional life.

I continued working in tourism, now within the Russian market, developing cooperation with international partners and contributing to tourism products for travel in Russia.

Moscow quickly became much more than simply a place where I worked. It became the city where I decided to stay and build the next part of my life.

Living Abroad

Moving to Russia also changed the way I think about languages.
I learned Russian mainly through everyday life rather than in a classroom: work, conversations, documents, shops, friends and all the small situations that come with building a life in another country.
So I know what it feels like to communicate when you do not yet have all the words you need.
That experience is one of the reasons I strongly believe that a language should be used, not only studied.
It also helps me understand the frustration, hesitation and small victories that come with learning to communicate in a foreign language.

Working in Russia & International Projects

After moving to Moscow, I continued developing my career in tourism, working with international partners and the Russian market.
My work included:

tourism programme development;
cooperation with suppliers and hotels;
individual and group travel;
international partnerships;
complex travel projects for international clients.

This experience gave me a deep practical understanding of the Russian tourism market and of working between different countries, cultures and business environments.

A New Stage: Maxelenatravel

In 2022, a new stage of my professional life began when Elena and I created Maxelenatravel LLC. The company works in incoming tourism in Russia for international visitors.

In Russia con Max is a commercial brand developed primarily for the Italian-speaking market.

Within Maxelenatravel, my role is focused mainly on tourism product development, relationships with partners, project development, client consulting and situations where experience and knowledge of the Russian and international tourism markets are particularly important.
Day-to-day operations, reservations and travel organisation are handled by the project team.

Maxelenatravel LLC is a separate legal entity and is not part of my individual entrepreneur activity.

Teaching Italian

In 2020, I began teaching Italian to adult students.
Before starting this work, I completed specialised training in teaching Italian as a foreign language, Italian grammar, linguistics and supervised teaching practice.
In total, I completed 145 hours of documented specialised training.

Today I work with students at different levels and build lessons around active communication, gradual development of independent speaking skills and structured work on grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation and listening comprehension.

My aim is not simply to explain Italian.
It is to help students actually use it.

A Little More Personally

Outside work, I enjoy travelling, sport and kickboxing, and I have a particular weakness for animals — enough to make my life occasionally more complicated than planned.

I still feel strongly connected to Italy, but after many years in Russia my life genuinely belongs to both worlds.

That mix of Italy and Russia, languages, travel and different cultures has become a very natural part of who I am.

Today

Today my professional activity develops in two main directions:
Italian language teaching and tourism.

Through my individual entrepreneur activity, I work as an Italian teacher for adult students.

At the same time, I continue my professional work in tourism through Maxelenatravel and as Technical Director of Arbat Viaggi.

Maxelenatravel and Arbat Viaggi are separate professional projects and are not part of my individual entrepreneur activity.

They are different companies and different projects, but they share the same elements that have been present throughout my professional life:
people, languages, cultures and travel.

Let’s Stay in Touch

If you would like to discuss Italian lessons or professional cooperation, feel free to write to me. I prefer written communication and try to reply as soon as possible.

Contact Me

Individual Entrepreneur Massimiliano De Vecchi

INN 773395534390
OGRNIP 326774600549410
125459 Moscow, Turistskaya Street 2, Building 2, Apt. 90, Russian Federation
Telephone: +7 993 275-54-46
E-mail::m.devecchi76@gmail.com

© 2026 Individual Entrepreneur Massimiliano De Vecchi.
All rights reserved.

LEGAL DOCUMENTS

Legal documents are currently available in Russian only.