January 01, 1990

Studying Russian Outside the Capitals


Looking for Language Outside the Capitals

 

The options for Russian language study today are extensive. In addition to over 200 college-level language programs in the US, there are summer workshops (like the largest ones at Middlebury College and Indiana University), summer camps (like the Concordia full-immersion program) and study abroad programs. The latter have boomed in recent years. Russian democratization and marketization has opened up academic exchange opportunities and fueled the start-up of privately-owned Russian language schools for foreigners.

Time was, if you wanted to study Russian in Russia, you had to go through one or two officially-sanctioned programs in Moscow or St. Petersburg. That has all changed, and the "cutting edge" of language study in Russia is study beyond the two capitals. The advantages of such "provincial" study may not be immediately apparent:

  • There will likely be fewer other foreigners, forcing one toward greater immersion;
  • The pace of life may be less frenetic;
  • Provincial residents tend to be more welcoming to foreigners;
  • One is exposed to less "beaten path" tourist options and more rural and provincial excursions.

On the other hand, there is a reason that "provincial" and "backwater" are often twinned. For some, only megalopolises like Moscow or major cultural centers like St. Petersburg offer the kind of diversions and activities that are sufficiently stimulating for one's year abroad. But Russia's two capitals are fast becoming more and more like the rest of the world's big cities. If you want to see the Russian heartland, to get a sense for how most Russians live, you need to go beyond the capitals.

What cities in Russia are open for language study? More than you would think. One way to investigate programs is to consider where you are interested in living for a semester or year, then looking into what programs are available. It makes no sense to get excited about Novosibirsk University's programs if you don't want to live in Siberia.

Here is a brief listing of programs, by location, with the name of the college or institution that offers the study program.

Irkutsk: School for Russian and Asian Studies (SRAS), Middlebury College

Krasnodar: St. Olaf College

Nizhny Novgorod: Lingua Service

Novgorod: Miami University of Ohio

Novosibirsk: SRAS

Petrozavodsk: SRAS

Saratov: University of Wyoming

Simferopol: Willamette University

Tver: Intercontact Group

Vladimir: American Councils for International Education

Vladivostok: SRAS

Voronezh: Middlebury College

Yaroslavl: Middlebury College

Here are some questions to ask of any program:

  • What is the local, Russian institution which hosts the program, and what is this institution best known for, academically? Do they have a traditionally strong Russian language program for foreigners, or have they just added this to make some money?
  • How much influence does the foreign partner (if there is one) have over curriculum, activities, housing, etc.?
  • How long has the program been in operation? Are there some program alums you can contact for feedback?
  • How do local facilities measure up to what you are used to?
  • Is the program accredited and/or will your credits transfer to your home school?
  • What kind of orientation program is in place for new students?

All of this, of course, is simply an introduction. But if you are serious about studying Russian in the provinces, take a look at the ads in this section, follow the links from the website and do your homework. RL

Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of Our Books

Dostoyevsky Bilingual

Dostoyevsky Bilingual

Bilingual series of short, lesser known, but highly significant works that show the traditional view of Dostoyevsky as a dour, intense, philosophical writer to be unnecessarily one-sided. 
Turgenev Bilingual

Turgenev Bilingual

A sampling of Ivan Turgenev's masterful short stories, plays, novellas and novels. Bilingual, with English and accented Russian texts running side by side on adjoining pages.
The Latchkey Murders

The Latchkey Murders

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin is back on the case in this prequel to the popular mystery Murder at the Dacha, in which a serial killer is on the loose in Khrushchev’s Moscow...
A Taste of Russia

A Taste of Russia

The definitive modern cookbook on Russian cuisine has been totally updated and redesigned in a 30th Anniversary Edition. Layering superbly researched recipes with informative essays on the dishes' rich historical and cultural context, A Taste of Russia includes over 200 recipes on everything from borshch to blini, from Salmon Coulibiac to Beef Stew with Rum, from Marinated Mushrooms to Walnut-honey Filled Pies. A Taste of Russia shows off the best that Russian cooking has to offer. Full of great quotes from Russian literature about Russian food and designed in a convenient wide format that stays open during use.
Murder at the Dacha

Murder at the Dacha

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin has a problem. Several, actually. Not the least of them is the fact that a powerful Soviet boss has been murdered, and Matyushkin's surly commander has given him an unreasonably short time frame to close the case.
Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices

Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices

Stargorod is a mid-sized provincial city that exists only in Russian metaphorical space. It has its roots in Gogol, and Ilf and Petrov, and is a place far from Moscow, but close to Russian hearts. It is a place of mystery and normality, of provincial innocence and Black Earth wisdom. Strange, inexplicable things happen in Stargorod. So do good things. And bad things. A lot like life everywhere, one might say. Only with a heavy dose of vodka, longing and mystery.
Murder and the Muse

Murder and the Muse

KGB Chief Andropov has tapped Matyushkin to solve a brazen jewel heist from Picasso’s wife at the posh Metropole Hotel. But when the case bleeds over into murder, machinations, and international intrigue, not everyone is eager to see where the clues might lead.
Woe From Wit (bilingual)

Woe From Wit (bilingual)

One of the most famous works of Russian literature, the four-act comedy in verse Woe from Wit skewers staid, nineteenth century Russian society, and it positively teems with “winged phrases” that are essential colloquialisms for students of Russian and Russian culture.
Moscow and Muscovites

Moscow and Muscovites

Vladimir Gilyarovsky's classic portrait of the Russian capital is one of Russians’ most beloved books. Yet it has never before been translated into English. Until now! It is a spectactular verbal pastiche: conversation, from gutter gibberish to the drawing room; oratory, from illiterates to aristocrats; prose, from boilerplate to Tolstoy; poetry, from earthy humor to Pushkin. 
The Little Humpbacked Horse (bilingual)

The Little Humpbacked Horse (bilingual)

A beloved Russian classic about a resourceful Russian peasant, Vanya, and his miracle-working horse, who together undergo various trials, exploits and adventures at the whim of a laughable tsar, told in rich, narrative poetry.
93 Untranslatable Russian Words

93 Untranslatable Russian Words

Every language has concepts, ideas, words and idioms that are nearly impossible to translate into another language. This book looks at nearly 100 such Russian words and offers paths to their understanding and translation by way of examples from literature and everyday life. Difficult to translate words and concepts are introduced with dictionary definitions, then elucidated with citations from literature, speech and prose, helping the student of Russian comprehend the word/concept in context.

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955