Study Abroad Program in St. Petersburg, Russia

In the summer of 2015 we're heading to St. Petersburg for three weeks. This program will focus both on the literary and cultural heritage of the city, as well as the rapid developments of the past twenty years. Contact me if you are interested. For a provisional list of events, click on the course syllabus listed above.

This program offers an immersion experience that will allow you to explore your interests in Russian culture. During the five weeks of this program you will be able to make dramatic progress with your speaking and writing skills in Russian. Either the beginning or intermediate level language instruction you will receive will help you make the most out of your stay in Petersburg, by giving you opportunities to use your Russian skills during the cultural study excursions in Petersburg and the surrounding areas.

Each morning students take beginning or intermediate level language courses at the Liden & Denz Language School. Students at the inermediate level will be enrolled in intermediate language courses with a prerequisite of one year language training in Russian. These courses are taught at the school's location in the heart of the city on Nevskii Prospect. Students continue to use their Russian language skills in their student housing environment, also located in the center of the city. Students live together in an apartment style dormitory where they practice their language skills by learning to talk about shopping, cooking and transportation in Russian.

The Liden & Denz classes also prepare students for the cultural study excursions that are offered each afternoon. Students at either the beginning or the intermediate level are required to take part in excursions three days a week. Other excursions are offered but not required. For intermediate level students, excursions conducted in English will be translated into Russian for intermediate level students, in part by the instructor and in part by other intermediate level students in the program.

The excursions offered in this program are designed to provide an overview of the history of St. Petersburg, and in doing so, offer students insight into the structure and history of Russian society in general. The five weeks of the program are divided into four segments: early history natural environment, 17th and 18th century imperial Russia, 19th century Russia, and 20th century Russia. The richness of Petersburg and its significance for the history of Russia can hardly be overstated. The city contains dozens of world heritage sites, such as the Hermitage Museum and Peterhoff Palaces, diverse and beautiful natural environments, and ancient castles left by medieval Swedish invaders. In addition to the required instructor-lead excursions, students can also take part in excursions offered daily by the Liden & Denz Language School.

In addition to cultural study excursions, students are given the opportunity to study the rise of digital culture in contemporary Russian society. As is well-known, the Russian economy, like the other so-called BRIC countries, has recently been characterized by rapid development. This development has been accompanied by a broad set of societal changes, offering students an intensely dynamic and interesting field, full of potential for students' future careers and for academic research. This study abroad program offers students insight into one of the most fascinating changes taking place in Russian culture today. By meeting with students at universities in St. Petersburg, our students will have the opportunity to discuss and chart the specific role the internet has played in politics and business in the past ten years in Russian society. In a short essay, in Russian, students are asked to compare digital culture abroad with the digital culture they have known at home.

In addition to colloquia on "Digital Culture in Russia," students will have the opportunity to work on an ongoing research project using digital media at UMD: the St. Petersburg Study Abroad App. The Mobile Language Learning Group at UMD is working on an ongoing project to develop a study abroad application for mobile devices. Students in this program will be invited to take part in the development of the application by collecting digital media and composing elements of the application.

An historic postcard of a typical street scene in Petersburg.