Thread: A Summer in Russia

I am a 22-year-old American student who thinking about spending a summer in Russia. The date will be somewhere between May 1st and August 15th. I am currently inquiring about international internships but would like to have some other options.

I am mainly looking for information on the St. Petersburg area since I have heard that it is around 30% cheaper than Moscow. I have read many people’s opinions on what are the best living arrangements for someone wanting to truly experience Russian culture. Many of these people state that living with a host family is the way to go. How would one find out more on this option? Does anyone know any good webpages or agencies that would be any help on this topic?

Experience Russian culture?

Well, if you want to stick around for the whole summer, then by all means try to find someone to stay with. In any case, it wouldn't make too much difference whether you go to Moscow or St. Pete; the level of Russian you know will have a much greater impact on how cheap or expensive this place can be.

As for agencies, can't help you, but I can make a suggestion. I've run into American college students that came over to teach English as a way of paying for their visit. The are using an organization called "Language Link," which you can find at www.languagelink.ru. Once the students arrive, LL finds them a place to stay, trains them to teach, and then pays them per hour, but also helps them pay for their rent. Just a thought.

An alternate route would be to befriend a Russian and get yourself invited over - that's how I got my first "Russian experience:" staying in a small village in the freezing month of January, complete with banya and outhouse.

Good luck.

You are not a russian dacha ?

Sorry, dogboy - my passport claims I'm American...

you're american, but in moscow ?! you're living my dream !!!!! Tell me your entire life history... starting with when u got to moscow.

Well, that's a little off topic for this post Dogboy. However you can PM about this subject if you want, and I can give you some details. Also, if you want contact with other expats in Moscow (American, British, whatever), you can try the forums at www.expat.ru (or maybe you already know this).

http://www.ivsgbn.demon.co.uk/about_ivs_projects.htm
IVS organise short term 3 weeks and longer term projects. They are great because you get to meet people you would normally not get to meet as a tourist or a student.

Depending on your interests there is voluntary work in restauration, ecology, culture and social projects (childrens homes, old people's homes, caring for the disabled). There is plenty of time for socialising, and usually the camps out of town often have their fair share of woods, Russian sauna's and a lot of swimming in lakes and rivers ))))))))))))))))))

In the international short term camps, other participants usually don't speak Russian, so even if you only know five words of Russian, you become an informal interpreter, and you get soooo much language experience.

I stayed in Moscow for a month May-June 2003, took classes (lessons) at MGU with ruslanguage.ru who will put you up in a dorm (yech) or a private household. Some other students were on their 3-month program. I think room and half board (breakfast, ужин) $125 a week. It was nice, May is great in Moscow. Went to Piter for a long weekend in there somewhere, also fantastic weather up there, though the white nights were harder to deal with than the ones in Moscow.

Originally Posted by chaika

I stayed in Moscow for a month May-June 2003, took classes (lessons) at MGU with ruslanguage.ru who will put you up in a dorm (yech) or a private household. Some other students were on their 3-month program. I think room and half board (breakfast, ужин) $125 a week. It was nice, May is great in Moscow. Went to Piter for a long weekend in there somewhere, also fantastic weather up there, though the white nights were harder to deal with than the ones in Moscow.

Has anyone else done anything like this? I've done a little research and it seems like it would be a great time and a good value. Please let me know. Thanks