Study Abroad Program in St. Petersburg, Russia
May - June 2013

An updated syllabus will be posted here in the next few weeks (Sept. 2012).

No previous knowledge of Russian is required. Participants will be enrolled in one of two courses as part of this study abroad program: either Beginning Russian Language and Culture in St. Petersburg (RUSS 1110, 8 credits) or Intermediate Russian Language and Culture in St. Petersburg (RUSS 1210, 8 credits). For the second course, one year of college level Russian is required.
The following activities will be available for participants. Not all activities are required:

Week 1
Introduction to Petersburg; Ancient History and Natural Surroundings
• May 21st – Flight from Duluth to St. Petersburg
• May 22nd – Food shopping in Petersburg; boat tour of canals
• May 23rd – Introduction to bus, metro, and taxi travel in the city; walking tour
• May 24th – Excursion to Finnish Gulf; learn how to prepare shasklyki on the beach
• May 25th – Getting to know the environs; excursion to Schlisselburg Castle
• May 26th – Relaxing in Petersburg, visit parks on Krestovskii and Elagin Island, visit Spilled Blood Church

Week 2
Classes Begin; Imperial Russia in the 17th and 18th Centuries
• May 27th – Classes begin at Liden & Denz Language School; introduction by school
• Director Walter Denz
• May 28th – Morning classes; *excursion to Peter and Paul Fortress
• May 29th – Morning classes; Peterhof excursionon the Russian designed "Meteor"
• May 30th – Morning classes; *excursion to Smolnii Monastery, and Nevsky Monastery
• May 31st – Morning classes; visit the Twelve Collegia & the Menshikov Palace
• June 1st – Optional excursion to Nienschanz Castle reconstruction site
• June 2nd – Optional brunch at Eliseyev Emporium; visit Kazansky Cathedral

Week 3
19th Century Russia
• June 3rd – Morning classes; The Hermitage (19th century painting)
• June 4th – Morning classes; *Walking tour on the architectural history of the city
• June 5th – Morning classes; Visit Dostoevskii's apartment and Dostoevskii Museum
• June 6th – Morning classes; *Opera evening at Mariinsky Theatre
• June 7th – Morning classes; Tour of the Senate Square on the Decembrist Uprising
• June 8th – Weekend at the Dacha on the Finnish Gulf, shasklyki on the beach
• June 9th – Return from Dacha

Week 4
20th Century Russia
• June 10th – Morning classes; *excursion to Senate Square & Anna Akhmatova Museum
• June 11th – Morning classes; meeting with students from St. Petersburg State University
• June 12th – Morning classes; ballet evening at Mariinsky Theatre
• June 13th – Morning classes; *The Museum of Russian Politics
• June 14th – Morning classes; depart for weekend excursion to Moscow
• June 15th – Weekend excursion in Moscow
• June 16th – Return from weekend excursion in Moscow

Week 5
Contemporary Russian Society
• June 17th – Morning classes; meetings with St. Petersburg State University students
• June 18th – Morning classes; The Russian Museum at Michael's Palace
• June 19th – Morning classes; * Leningrad Blockade walking tour
• June 20th – Morning classes; "Digital Culture in Russia" Colloquium
• June 22nd – Morning classes; no excursion
• June 23rd – Final Meetings with students from St. Petersburg State University
• June 24th – prepare for departure

Return flight
• June 25th – Flight: St. Petersburg to Duluth


An historic postcard of a typical street scene in Petersburg.