Student Testimonials

John Bninski
(Moscow, High School of Economics, 2007)

... The capitalist spirit, alive and well in post-communist Moscow, sometimes manifests itself in unexpected forms, such as the fellow walking through the commuter train trying to sell fishing rods, and the folding tables at street corners where one can buy pirated DVDs of movies that are still in theaters (I’m a little tempted to spring for that new Jet Li / Jason Statham flick)...

Read the full story here.

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Elise Conway
(St. Petersburg, 2007)

This past summer I did a study abroad program in Saint Petersburg. While my Russian language skills are far from perfect, I was able to get along just fine and had an amazing time. I would highly recommend for Russian students to study in Russia, it really brings the language out of the classroom and into real life. While going to Russia can seem intimidating, as long as you keep an open mind and immerse yourself into the culture you will have a fantastic experience.

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Anastasia Kouriatova
(St. Petersburg, Smolny, 2007)

Smolny was a great chance to experience attending a Russian university and to learn side by side with Russian students. It was a total Russian language immersion - from living in a Russian family, to studying and working with students solely in Russian, to having an internship in a St. Petersburg company and working in a Russian office setting. The program, while very intense, was also very rewarding.

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Sean Pitt
(St. Petersburg & Moscow, University of Arizona, 2006)

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Maki Shibata
(St. Petersburg & Moscow, University of Arizona, 2007)

What I loved the most about Petersburg was the fact that many museums (including Hermitage) were free for students. I ended up going to Hermitage almost every weekend. In Moscow, my host mother and I became good friends after watching Russian soap opera together every night. I miss her a lot….

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Emily Stromquist
(St. Petersburg, ACTR, 2004)

... The Penn faculty offers an amazing introduction to Russian history, literature, culture, and politics. Northeast Philadelphia may offer you a little taste of mini-Russia. But nothing will allow you to appreciate such a fascinating and inspiring country except an extended visit to the motherland...

For full story click here.

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Sam Yankovoy
(St. Petersburg & Moscow, University of Arizona, 2007)

I would definitely recommend studying abroad in Russia to anyone interested in improving their language skills or learning about the country's fascinating people and culture. My time there was a lot of fun and one of the most educational experiences I've ever had. The opportunity to speak Russian with so many different people significantly helped my language acquisition and there is certainly no shortage of amazing sights to be seen. While living in Russia seemed like a challenging adjustment at first, the benefits of my trip were more than worth it.