St Petersburg

St. Petersburg, Russia is a relatively new city, founded in 1703. When it was nine years old it became the capital of Russia and retained this status till 1918. Over almost 300 years of its history St. Petersburg accumulated all the grandeur of the Russian Imperial Court and became one of the largest centres of culture, science and industry. Created by Peter the Great as a sea port on the Baltic it was essentially "a window to the West" for Russia, combining the best of the West and the East.

St. Petersburg has a beautiful city centre, virtually untouched by the Soviet years. Since the collapse of communism, the city has been rejuvenated. You can wander round the shops of the central street, Nevsky Prospekt and when you are tired, call in at one of the numerous cafes and restaurants that now flourish on every corner. In the evening you can go to a ballet or opera at the world famous Mariinsky Theatre (or the Kirov, as it used to be called), or you can enjoy a concert in the superb concert hall of the St Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra. There are numerous clubs, disco and bars to suit all tastes. You will not be bored in St. Petersburg.

COURSES

Essex Russian Services can arrange individual tuition at the Benedict School at any time of the year. We can also arrange for you to join a group course at the State University in St Petersburg.

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The Benedict School

The Benedict School has been arranging language courses in St Petersburg ever since the break-up of the Soviet Union. They currently arrange courses for many students of Russian at British universities on their year abroad, as well as courses in the summer vacation. They have recently won an award for the quality of their teaching. All of their teachers are fully qualified and have many years experience of teaching Russian as a foreign language at university or equivalent level. Each year one of their teachers is seconded to teach Russian at a university in Great Britain.

You will have your own teacher, who will design a course to suit your own needs. The Benedict School is totally flexible and will arrange courses when you wish for as many or as few classes per week as you wish. All we ask is that you book your course at least six weeks in advance to allow time for you to obtain a visa.

The Benedict School will arrange homestay accommodation. You will have a room of your own but will share the facilities of the flat with the family. Russian flats tend to be smaller than English ones and the standard is in general lower than in UK. The Benedict School will try to find accommodation near to the centre but this is not always possible. The Benedict School will be made aware of any special requirements and choose the families accordingly. You may be a smoker/non-smoker, love or hate children or pets or you may have dietary requirements.

State University

Each year from May to September the Centre for Russian Language and Culture at the State University in St Petersburg arranges a summer school. You will join an international group of 6-9 students and be given 20 45-munute classes per week, covering both spoken and written Russian. You can attend for any length of time, from 2 to 12 weeks. The course runs in June, July and August. The only condition is that you arrive in time to start the course on a Monday. You will be tested on arrival and placed in a suitable group.

Apart from the summer course, the University arranges courses throughout the year and it may be possible for you to join one of them, if you wish to study at the University when the summer course is not running.

Classes take place in the beautiful buildings of the former Smolny convent. All the teachers are very experienced full time teachers of Russian as a Foreign Language and are aware of the needs of the foreign student of Russian.

Accommodation can be arranged in a shared room in one of the university’s hostels. Alternatively, the University can arrange homestay accommodation on a bed and breakfast basis. Your accommodation preferences will be passed on to the Sate University and they will do their best to arrange appropriate homestay accommodation.

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Last updated 15 March 2006