• Spend your summer in beautiful St. Petersburg, "The Venice of the North"

• Earn 9 credits in 6 weeks

• No prior knowledge of Russian required (all levels accommodated)

• Numerous field trips within St. Petersburg, as well as a weekend trip to Moscow

With a population of over five million, St. Petersburg is the second largest city in Russia. It is located on the Gulf of Finland at the mouth of the Neva Rver. More than 500 bridges span the Neva and its canals flow throughout the city. St. Petersburg is one of Russia's main cultural centers with 19 theaters, 40 museums, and more than 40 institutions of higher learning.

The city itself, which was the capital of Russia under the later czars, was planned and built by renowned architects and is a fascinating blend of Western and Russian architecture. St. Petersburg State University was founded in 1724 by order of Czar Peter I and is located along the banks of the Neva in a beautiful old part of the city.

The program's two courses are offered in conjunction with St. Petersburg State University.

"Russian Culture Past and Present" (RUSS 3601) is worth 3 hours of credit. It has been approved for historical context in the Arts and Sciences core curriculum. The class introduces you to Russian culture from the 9th century to the present through lectures about Russian literature, folklore, art, architecture, and music. It is taught by the program director, CU-Boulder Professor Artemi Romanov. Lectures will be given two hours per day, Monday through Friday. All lectures are in English. A journal and term paper (written after returning from St. Petersburg) are required for the course. A detailed course syllabus is available from the program director.

Field trips include visits to palaces, museums, churches, and other important cultural sites. There will also be several trips to sites outside St. Petersburg, such as the historic city of Novgorod and Valaam Island.

"Russian Language," the second course, is worth 6 hours of credit. This six-week language course serves students at all levels, from beginning to advanced. Russian language classes will be held 4 days per week at the Nevsky Institute of Language and Culture. You will be assigned to a small section (8-12 students per group) according to your level of proficiency. Classes in phonetics, conversation, and grammar will meet for three hours a day, Monday through Friday. Credit will be recorded at the appropriate level (first year, second year or upper-division) on your CU transcript.

• The program usually begins in mid-May and ends in late June.

For detailed dates and information about arrival and departure, see the Program Specific Handbook at the bottom of this page. You can stay in Russia or travel once the program has ended. If you plan to return to Boulder immediately after the program ends, you will have time to enroll in the "B" term of CU-Boulder's summer semester.

The program is directed by Professor Artemi Romanov, a faculty member of the CU-Boulder Russian department. A native of St. Petersburg who taught at St. Petersburg State University, Professor Romanov will assist in choosing program participants and lead an orientation session before the program begins. He also teaches the Russian Culture course, accompanies the group during excursions and other activities, and is regularly available to provide general assistance. Professor Romanov is aided in his duties by the staff of the Nevsky Institute, who assist with program excursions, classroom arrangements, and other administrative tasks. Both Professor Romanov and members of the Nevsky Institute are available in case of emergency.

See Professor Romanov's Faculty Spotlight.

All students live with a host family. Families are hired by the Nevsky Institute. You will be placed with a pre-screened Russian family and provided with a private bedroom. The homestay locations are throughout St. Petersburg, but all are close to metro stations. Families provide breakfast each day. In addition, some students arrange to pay their family for some dinners during the duration of the program.

Mid-day meals are taken independently. You can find a restaurant near the Nevsky Institute or bring a lunch. Many evening meals will be eaten on your own before or after evening program events.

You are responsible for making your own transportation arrangements to Russia and back. The program begins and ends in St. Petersburg. Transportation on program-related field trips outside of St. Petersburg is provided as part of the program fee. During the program you can purchase a student pass to use the St. Petersburg transportation system. It is very inexpensive to get around St. Petersburg on the metro and local trams.

• Scholarships offered by the Russian Department at CU-Boulder: The Russian department will one or two scholarships each summer to students with financial need. If you apply for the CU-Boulder study abroad scholarship you will automatically be considered for his scholarship.

• Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP) Grants: (up to $2400/project) for undergraduate research or creative work projects including projects while studying abroad. Application, detailed descriptions, project archive (to get project ideas) are available on the UROP website. Application deadline is EARLY - usually in late February/early March.

• The St. Peterburg Times

• Russian National Tourist Office

• Saint-Petersburg.com

• Exploring St. Petersburg

• The Nevsky Institute of Language and Culture