The early-in-the-year visits to the School of Vladimir Parshikov, Head of the Russian Translation Service, UNOG, have become a tradition. On 17 September he met with the students, trainers and the school administration. The talk was substantive, interesting and informal. The avalanche of questions bespoke of the seriousness of the students’ intention to master ins and outs of translation in the UN. A detailed account of intricacies of the UNOG Translation Service taught the trainees an important lesson: the condition of the translator’s success is the internal bonding of the translators’ community, teamwork and professional collegiality.