Harvard Summer Program in St. Petersburg, Russia

  Russia

• St. Petersburg: 
St. Petersburg

Term: Summer 
Dates: June 6-August 1

Description: As the capital of the Russian Empire, St. Petersburg was the seat of military might, ceremonial pomp, and official state policy. But Piter, as insiders have always liked to call it, was also the literary capital of tsarist Russia and, as such, the setting for major works by Pushkin, Gogol, Dostoevsky, and Tolstoy. Established by Peter the Great in 1703 on remote swampland at the northwestern edge of Russian territory, the new Russian capital became the hub of a great empire and a showpiece city with strikingly western baroque and neoclassical architectural ensembles and a network of canals that many have likened to Venice and Amsterdam. Renamed Leningrad in the 1920s and famously blockaded by the Nazis during World War II, St. Petersburg returned to its original name in the early 1990s and celebrated its tricentennial and rich history in 2003.

The program consists of seven weeks of course instruction at the Nevsky Institute of Language and Culture in St. Petersburg and one week of travel to Moscow and Pskov. The program pursues two goals:

To develop students knowledge and skills in Russian using Harvard University Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures materials applicable to everyday life situations. All language classes are conducted in Russian.

To give students a broad understanding of the culture, art, and social life of Russias northern capital, and of the imperial and Soviet periods of Russian history. Class lectures are complemented with trips to local museums and places of historic interest. Students produce an independent research paper on a chosen cultural, historical, or social topic.

The program also includes field trips around St. Petersburg with professional photographers from the Institute of Design. Interested students can learn the art of photography applied to the unique architectural space of this city, and develop this skill in studio work under the guidance of professional photographers.

Highlights: Intermediate-level students take only RUSS S-B. Advanced-level students take both RUSS S-100 and SLAV S-50.

RUSS S-B Study Abroad in St. Petersburg: Intermediate Language and Cultural Study

In this 8-credit course, students develop vocabulary and oral expression while continuing to work on difficult grammar topics. The course will cover the material of Intermediate Russian. Students also practice the language of common social situations. Vocabulary is reinforced through films and the reading of prose and poetry, much of it related to the Petersburg theme. Each week, students spend five hours on grammar and 10 hours on conversation and videos. Prerequisites: one year of college-level Russian or the equivalent (as determined by placement test).

RUSS S-100 Study Abroad in St. Petersburg: Advanced Intermediate RussianReading, Grammar Review, and Conversation

In this 4-credit advanced Russian-language course, students continue developing speaking and reading proficiency. Vocabulary work emphasizes verbs and verb government as essential for communication. Students work on word formation to increase reading vocabulary. Reading and discussion covers works in prose, poetry, and film. Each week students spend five hours on grammar, and 10 hours on conversation, videos, and discussion of reading, much of it related to the Petersburg theme in Russian literature. Prerequisites: two years of college-level Russian or the equivalent (as determined by placement test).

SLAV S-50 Study Abroad in St. Petersburg: Russian Imperial Masterworks

This 4-credit course investigates major works of imperial Russian culture (historical and literary) as generations of St. Petersburg residents have experienced them from the eighteenth century to the present. Works include Peter the Greats orders for the building of the city, Pushkins Bronze Horseman and Falconets monument to Peter the Great, Gogols short stories (from The Overcoat and The Nose to Nevsky Prospect), Dostoevskys Notes from the Underground, Tolstoys Hadji Murad, and Zamyatins The Cave. We study the imperial capital city of St. Petersburg itselfits many monuments and museums, diverse architecture, and the curious juxtapositions of different time periods as reflected in the citys broad vistas and lesser-known corners. Students spend five classroom hours a week in this course and also have opportunities for related explorations of the city with the professor. Prerequisites: none.

Degree Level: Bachelors Degree (Undergraduate)

Cost in US$: $7,350

- tuition
- room and some meals
- excursions (including meals when appropriate)

Experience Required: yes

Prerequisites: one year of college-level Russian or the equivalent

This Program is open to Worldwide Participants.

Application Process Involves:

• Essay
• Transcript
• Written Application

Harvard Summer School Study Abroad Programs's Mission Statement: The Harvard Summer School makes Harvards academic resourcesa distinguished faculty, well-equipped laboratories, fine museums, and a world-class university library available to men and women of many ages, backgrounds, and nationalities through an intensive summer session of liberal arts courses in Cambridge and overseas. Our international student body includes Harvard undergraduate and graduate students, visitors from other colleges and universities, highly qualified secondary school students, adult learners, and nonnative English speakers seeking to refine their language skills. Students take courses to challenge themselves academically, meet degree requirements, prepare for graduate school, gain college experience, advance their careers, and pursue personal enrichment. Students who study at Harvard Summer School may reside in a supportive residential environment, commute to campus, complete courses via distance education, or participate in one of the faculty-led programs based abroad. Many come to experience the extraordinary environment of Harvard College academics, resources, and residential life. Harvard Summer School serves the University community by providing faculty with teaching opportunities that allow them to experiment with new materials and teaching methods. Students from many Harvard schools take advantage of the breadth of summer course offerings to meet requirements for concentrations and degree programs, and to create more flexibility within their term-time academic program. Harvard graduate students from abroad can work on refining their English language skills, and Harvard College students take advantage of the summer session to expand their cultural, social, and intellectual horizons by studying abroad.