Russia 2014

Intensive Summer Russian Language Program in Novgorod the Great

Plus Touring Sites of Interest in Moscow and St. Petersburg


This program offers an extraordinary first-hand experience of Russia that includes intensive Russian language and culture study at the oldest Russian city, called "the motherland of Russia," Novgorod the Great, plus cultural tours in St. Petersburg and Moscow. In Novgorod students study at Novgorod State University and live in home stays with Russian families. Course work includes phonetics, grammar, conversation, writing, and reading about Russian culture and daily life. All the classes are taught by native specialists in Russian as a foreign language. Tours and excursions in Novgorod area and longer tours to Moscow and St. Petersburg and its environs (Peterhof and Pavlovsk).
Novgorod, a beautiful city on the banks of the Volkhov River, is the first city founded in Russia (859 A.D.). For centuries it served as a river port and the mediator town on the trade route from Europe to Byzantium. Novgorod is almost three centuries older than Moscow and about five and a half centuries older than St. Petersburg. Among Russia’s many ancient cities, Novgorod is one of the greatest repositories of medieval art, with a multitude of beautiful churches and monasteries (11th-17th centuries --St. Sophia’s Cathedral is the oldest in Russia). The Kremlin of Novgorod is the heart of the town. The chronicles first mention it around 1044. It was rebuilt at the end of the 15th century, and it has a powerful medieval appearance. Many of Novgorod's most famous sites are in the Kremlin. Among them are the Monument to Russia's Millennium, a famous Museum of History, Architecture and Art, and St. Sophia Cathedral. The Cathedral is home to Russia's national relic - the miraculous 12th century icon of Our Lady of the Sign. The main entrance to the Cathedral is adorned with the 12th century bronze gates cast in Magdeburg (Germany), decorated with scenes from the Old and New Testaments. On the right bank of the Volchov river (facing the Kremlin) are located the Prince Yaroslav Estate (a fascinating series of 12th-18th century architectural monuments) and the site of the medieval Market (which was a seasonal shopping gallery with public granaries and lively warehouses). Near Novgorod is an extraordinary open-air museum of folk wooden architecture, Vitoslavlitsy, which offers an evocative image of the sorts of homes, mills, public buildings, and churches Russians lived in for many centuries.

"Moscow, how many things fuse together for a Russian heart in this sound!" said Alexander Pushkin about the largest Russian city, founded in 1147 by Yury Dolgorukij who built the fortress (Kremlin) up the hill over the Moscow River. At the end of the fifteenth century the new powerful walls and towers that we can see now were built. Students will have tours to Red Square, the Kremlin, Tretiakovsky Gallery, and have a general tour of the city by bus with brief stops at different sites of interest.

St. Petersburg is magnificent and beautiful, unlike any city in the world. Students will visit the Peter-Paul Fortress, St. Isaac’s Cathedral, the Russian Museum, the Hermitage Art Museum, the tsarist suburban palaces at Pavlovsk, and Peterhof with its dazzling parks with guilded statues, beautiful gardens, and countless fountains. Our visit corresponds with the magical period of 'White Nights', perhaps best appreciated during a late night boat tour of the canals.

Living arrangements: Students live in home stays, with Russian families, and have meals with their host families. Hotel stays may be arranged for anyone not wanting the home stay arrangement.

Tours and excursions: in Novgorod and in the Novgorod area and longer tours in Moscow, St. Petersburg and its environs (Peterhof and Pavlovsk).

Open to All: No previous knowledge of Russian required. Program also open to students who are not currently enrolled at Miami University. Beginning, Intermediate, and Advanced levels of study.

Prerequisites:
  • Beginning students (199.B): no prerequisite.
  • Intermediate students (299.B): have taken at least one year of Russian 
  • Pre-Advanced students (399.B): have taken at least two years of Russian 
  • Advanced (499.B): have taken at least three years of Russian 
Credit: 6 credit hours from Miami University for undergraduates. 4 credit hours for graduate students.

Cost: (To Be Announced in the Fall) Includes all expenses in Russia (room and board, excursions, instruction, touring in Moscow and St. Petersburg). Not included are roundtrip airfare to St. Petersburg and theater tickets. Fees subject to slight changes.

Scholarships: Travel grants are available for Miami students, courtesy of the Havighurst Center and the Office of Lifelong Learning.

First on-campus informational meeting: Will be announced in the fall.

Provision: The program could be cancelled should it fail to reach a minimum of 10 students.

For further information: Please contact group leader, Dr. Irina Goncharenko-Rose (Dept. of GREAL, Miami University, 170 Irvin Hall, Oxford, OH 45056; ph.: (513) 529-2526 or (513) 221-5045. E-mail: gonchai@muohio.edu; fax: (513) 529-2296.

Deadline: The deadline will be announced in the fall. A deposit of $250 is required to hold your reservation. A deposit will not be refunded after March 1, 2014.

Application: Download the application.