Studying Abroad in St. Petersburg

I dreamed of going to Russia after reading Animal Farm in 8th grade. Fascinated by Russian Revolution history, I wanted to see the places where Lenin, Trotsky and Stalin had walked. My interest peaked when I learned about Catherine the Great, Anastasia and Peter the Great in 10th grade and wanted to see the palaces where they rule and live. As I was deciding where to attend college, I met with the head of University of Denver’s Russian department. That meeting led me to attend the University of Denver and began taking Russian my first quarter. In sophomore year, I was faced with the decision to study in St. Petersburg, Vladivostok or Irkutsk. I decided to go to St. Petersburg because I wanted to see Moscow and wanted to focus on culture, history and politics over language. I was accepted to SRAS’s Russian Studies Abroad program in St. Petersburg and arrived in St. Petersburg on September 1st, 2016.

Went to Historical Places

The best part of SRAS’ program in St. Petersburg is the location. My dorm was on Griboyedov Canal, up the street from Church of the Savior on Blood. The Winter Palace was a twenty-minute walk. When I had a tough day, I could walk to the Summer Gardens or the Field of Mars. My favorite walk was to start at the Bank Bridge over the Griboyedov Canal, walk to Peter and Paul Fortress through the Field of Mars, then to the Winter Palace. Besides after class walks, I went to palaces, museums and gardens in and around St. Petersburg like Pavlovsk Palace, Tsarskoye Selo and Peterhof. I felt at home surrounded by history.

Church of the Savior on Blood near my dorm

Studied Russian

SRAS programs are Russian-intensive. Four days a week, I had Russian classes. Initially, the class was very easy since I had been taking Russian for two years but it ended up being a great review of intermediate grammar because I had struggled in second year Russian. I also had private tutoring once a week. My private lessons focused on speaking. Throughout my time there, I had to complete a capstone project. Mine was about Russians’ opinions on their leaders. I thought that I built a foundation of Russian while I was abroad. The Russian I learned while I was studying abroad helped me live in Uzbekistan for ten months.

Swinging a Russian wooden architecture musuem

Learned about Local Culture

SRAS provided a cultural guide to show us around St. Petersburg and explain its culture to us. My favorite part was the trips to his banya. In September, we went to his dacha and I fell in love with the banya. A banya is a Russian sauna. You go into the sauna for twenty minutes, jump into either the snow or cold water then eat food with your friends. You repeat this cycle several times. When we went in the winter, we sledded down a hill with local children, cross country skied and jumped into the snow in our bathing suits. As we banya-ed, we ate delicious traditional Russian food. I developed a life-long enjoyment of saunas from these experiences.

Running outside in the snow after the banya

Sledding at a local village sledding hill

Travel throughout Russia

My program included guided trips to Velikiy Novgorod and Moscow. Besides that, my friends and I took a self-funded trip to Yekaterinburg and Vyborg as well. Velikiy Novgorod was the capital of the Novgorod Republic which was a democratic republic and only part of Russia that remained independent during the Golden Horde. Its medieval architecture includes the first Orthodox church where I was able to attend a service and take communion. My friends and I planned an ambitious trip to Yekaterinburg and Ural Mountains. We took a two-day train ride where I developed a hatred of overnight train rides. Exploring the continental-dividing Ural Mountains, we took a long hike through Deer Streams National Park (Природный парк Оленьи Ручьи). Then, we went to the border of Europe and Asia and received a certificate, stating that we had been to two continents. The next day was spent walking around Yekaterinburg and attending a ballet. The last major trip was to Moscow. My program provided the itinerary with free time in the afternoon. I went to the history museums, Gorkiy Park and Park Kultury but I mostly spent my time at Red Square. I had dreamed about it since I was a girl and was not disappointed when I finally made it to the Square.

The first Orthodox Church in Russia in Velikiy Novgorod

Me elated to see Red Square for the first time

Took Classes and Attended Presentations on Russia Related Topics

University of Denver only offered a Russian language major and limited classes about Russia in my international studies program, so I enjoyed taking classes on Russian civilization, foreign policy and political system. These classes were taught by specialists in their fields. My favorite class was Russian Foreign Policy. I constantly participated in discussions and was introduced to Central Asia which inspired me to apply for a Fulbright there. In Moscow, SRAS organized a presentation on the current political situation in Russia which was framed differently than what’s typically portrayed in Western media. I attended two events put on the St. Petersburg consulate, making me reconsider a career in the Foreign Service.

Me on the border of Asia and Europe near Yekaterinburg

I hope this post inspires you to study abroad in Russia. I highly recommend SRAS programs in St. Petersburg (https://sras.org). Without this experience, I would not have become the person I am today and would not have applied for a Fulbright. Also, St. Petersburg is the prettiest place I’ve ever lived; I miss it every day.