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Russia: Moscow, St. Petersburg or Vladimir

Moscow, a metropolis of over eight million people, is the administrative, legislative, educational, and cultural capital of Russia. St. Petersburg offers a unique blend of Russian and West European architecture and boasts one of the world’s largest art collections housed in the Hermitage Museum. Vladimir is one of Russia's oldest cities, and is a three-hour train ride from Moscow. It is a regional capital in the historic Golden Ring.

The American Council of Teachers of Russian (ACTR) has been organizing study programs in Moscow since 1976. ACTR places students in Moscow at the Moscow International University. In St. Petersburg, ACTR participants are placed at the Herzon State Pedagogical University. In Vladimir the program is hosted by the KORA Center for Russian Language. The programs are designed for advanced students of Russian and offer intensive Russian language training and lectures in Russian literature and culture. All classes are taught in Russian by instructors who specialize in the teaching of Russian as a foreign language.

Dates

Fall semester: late August to mid-December. Spring semester: late January to mid-May.

Fields of Study

Russian language and literature, contemporary Russian society.

Eligibility

At least two years of college-level Russian or the equivalent.

Number of Students

Approximately 1–2. Competitive national applicant pool. Total group approximately 15–23 per institute/university.

Academic Program

The program begins in Washington, D.C., with a required two-day orientation before students depart on a group flight. A substantial portion of the curriculum of the semester program is devoted to the intensive study of Russian language and literature. Students take Advanced Conversation: Phonetics and Intonation, and Advanced Grammar and Lexical Study (1.5 Pomona course credits each), as well as Contemporary Russian Society, and Survey of 19th- and 20th-Century Russian Literature (0.5 Pomona course credits each). Classes are small (5–7 students) and the academic week is five days with one day set aside for excursions.

Local excursions and long distance field trips, including week-long visits to other cities of the former Soviet Union, are part of the program.

Living Arrangements

Students have the option of dormitory housing or they may choose to live in a home through the Russian homestay program.