Search Slavic Website:
collage
Penn SAS Home
 

PENN-IN-MOSCOW 2004

 DATES OF THE PROGRAM 

May 28, 2004 - July 11, 2004

May 28, 2004 - July 25, 2004 (Elementary Russian only)

 

 DESCRIPTION

The beginning of the 21st century is undoubtedly one of the most critical and fascinating periods in Russia's history. The collapse of communism in the world's largest country and the transition to new political, social, and economic modes have resulted in profound changes for the people of Russia and the rest of the world, changes that have brought an unprecedented diversity of opportunities for some and, for others, severe restrictions. The Penn-in-Moscow program offers an in-depth introduction to the social and economic changes, cultural developments, and political movements that have emerged in contemporary Russia. The courses in society and culture, both taught in English, examine two forums with respect to these issues that of the mass media in Russia and that of the more private-realm of the customs, behaviors, and belief systems of the people. Language courses, including Business Russian, allow students to develop their Russian proficiency in total linguistic and cultural immersion.

Located on green hills that look out over the city, Lomonosov Moscow State University was founded in 1755 and is the oldest and most famous university in Russia. Classes will meet five days a week and will be supplemented by a cultural program that includes visits to museums and theaters in and around Moscow, as well as to private organizations and government buildings. A four-day excursion to St. Petersburg and the ancient city of Novgorod is also included.

Participants will live in suites of two single rooms and one bath in the university dormitory. Meals may be purchased in any of the inexpensive cafeterias and quaint dormitory cafes on campus or at the neighboring markets. A wide variety of restaurants and cafes can be found in the center of the city, only a short metro ride away. Participants will depart from the United States as a group on May 28 and start classes on May 31.

 return to top

THE FACULTY

Dr. Alexander Livshin, Department of History, Moscow State University
Dr. Anna Petanova, Department of Russian, Moscow State University
Dr. Georgii Moskvin, Department of Russian, Moscow State University
Dr. Ilya Vinitsky, Department of Slavic Languages, University of Pennsylvania

return to top 

COURSES



All students are expected to register either for one 2 c.u.'s course or two 1 c.u. courses.

Russ 100: Elementary Russian (2 CUs)

This intensive eight-week course covers the basics of elementary Russian. Class work will be supplemented by field trips in and around the city. This course is equivalent to Russ 001 and Russ 002.

Russ 511: Business Russian 1 (1 CU) (in Russian)

Prerequisite(s): 2 or more years of Russian.
This course is designed for students who are interested in applying their Russian skills for use in a business environment. Students will learn the basics of business communication in Russian, including writing business letters, contracts, and other documents. The distinctive nature of the business environment in Russia will also be addressed.

Russ 290/Russ 419: Russian Society and Folkloric Traditions (1 CU) (in English or Russian)

How do Russian folk customs help us to understand the private life of Russians? Traditional folk beliefs and customs today still, to a significant extent, influence the behavior, mentality, and belief systems of Russians. Designed to introduce students to the intricacies of everyday Russian behavior and customs, this course examines the inheritance of Russian folk culture by modern Russian society. Films, music, and field trips will supplement the course. Students with two or more years of Russian may take the course in Russian and receive credit for Russ 419. Students with no Russian may enroll in the English section of the course (Russian 290).

Russ 294/ Russ 414: Reading Moscow/Living Moscow

This course will be devoted to Moscow as Russia’s perennial national symbol, an embodiment of her rich and controversial cultural history. It will deal with “reading” the contemporary city as a living text that tells us of Russia’s past, present, and future. Students will discuss ideological, literary, and cinematic visions of Moscow in various periods of Russia’s history. These include political projects (the medieval theory of “Moscow - the Third Rome”; Stalin’s General Plan for the Reconstruction of Moscow), literary representations of Moscow by Pushkin (“Evgenii Onegin”), Tolstoy (“War and Peace”), Bulgakov (“Master and Margarita”), Erofeev (“Moscow to the End of the Line,” as well as classic Russian films “I'm Walking Down the Streets of Moscow ,“ “Pokrovsky Gates,” and “Moscow Does not Believe in Tears.” This course will include fieldwork assignments dealing with various phenomena and institutions of Moscow contemporary life – from theater to night clubs, from Lenin’s Mausaleum to the stock market. Frequent excursions will supplement course content. Students with two or more years of Russian may take the course in Russian and receive credit for Russ 416. Students with no Russian may enroll in the English section of the course (Russian 294). Pending approval, this course will fulfil the General Requirement III: Arts and Letters.

return to top 

 LOCATION AND ACCOMMODATION

Living in the Vorobyovy Gory district, you will find yourself completely absorbed in student life. You will converse and communicate with students from Russia and from all around the world. There is a park near there - 10 minutes walking from "Universitet" subway station. It takes 30 minutes to get to the dormitory from downtown by tram or 20 minutes by subway. You will live in one of the unique skyscrapers of Moscow. Also on the campus are playgrounds, sports clubs, stadium, swimming pool, library, concert hall, cafeteria, shops, laundry, hairdressing saloon, Internet cafe, fax-center and travel agencies  You will live in single one-bedroom apartments with one neighbor in the block. All rooms are furnished; in each block there is a shower room and a bathroom. From your window you will have a wonderful view. This is a comfortable student lodging from a
reasonable price (see details: http://www.cie.ru/index.asp?page=mainbuildinghostel).

 return to top

FINANCIAL INFORMATION (tentative)

Tuition

$1945

Housing

$220

Housing (Elementary Russian only)

$290

Activities/Excursions (in Moscow + Novgorod-St. Petersburg trip)

$625

Air Travel

$1000 est.

Visa

$65

Visa support

$12

return to top

APPLICATION AND REGISTRATION

 

 The application deadline is April 1. All applications must be accompanied by a non-refundable $45 fee made payable to "Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania." There will be an additional $25 fee charged for any returned checks. Also, send us a brief statement explaining your interest in the program; your experience abroad, if any; and what you hope to gain from the Prague program. Finally, please ask a faculty member at the institution you are presently attending to mail us under separate cover a letter of recommendation. It should indicate: how long the person has known you and in what capacity; your maturity, ability to get along with others, flexibility in an unfamiliar environment; and your academic ability, discipline, motivation. Non-Penn students: Please enclose a copy of your transcripts and description of relevant courses. All correspondence will be sent to the applicants' campus address until May 1. After May 1 information is routed to the permanent address. On admission, a non-refundable $300 deposit is required to hold the place; this will be credited toward the final cost of the program.  Students applying to the Moscow program may be eligible for the William A. Levy Fellowship

Send fee, completed applications, and all supporting materials to:

Penn Summer Abroad
College of General Studies
University of Pennsylvania
3440 Market Street, Suite 100
Philadelphia, PA 1914-3335
(215) 898-5738
http://www.upenn.edu/summer/abroad/moscow/moscow.html
For your convenience, use this electronic Application Form. You can also download a printable Application Form with Adobe Acrobat Reader.

 return to top

CONTACT

Ilya Vinitsky
e-mail: ivinitsk@sas.upenn.edu
Department of Slavic Languages
University of Pennsylvania
133 Bennett Hall
Philadelphia, PA 19104-6305
(215) 746-0174

or

Penn Summer Abroad
e-mail: esachs@mail.sas.upenn.edu
College of General Studies
University of Pennsylvania
3440 Market Street, Suite 100
Philadelphia, PA 19104-3335
(215) 898-5738 Fax: (215) 573-2053

return to top