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Harvard Summer Program in St. Petersburg, Russia

This page contains content from the Summer School 2009. For current information, visit the Harvard Summer School website at www.summer.harvard.edu.

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Contact

Information on the programs being offered summer 2010 will be available online in early September.

Russian language and cultural study on the Baltic coast

Faculty: Vladimir Gitin and Elizabeth Wood
(8 credits: UN, GR) Limited enrollment

Program dates: June 6–August 1, 2009
Application deadline: February 27
Cost: $7,350

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:

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.

Course of study

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

RUSS S-Bx 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 Russian—Reading, 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 Great’s orders for the building of the city, Pushkin’s Bronze Horseman and Falconet’s monument to Peter the Great, Gogol’s short stories (from The Overcoat and The Nose to Nevsky Prospect), Dostoevsky’s Notes from the Underground, Tolstoy’s Hadji Murad, and Zamyatin’s The Cave. We study the imperial capital city of St. Petersburg itself—its many monuments and museums, diverse architecture, and the curious juxtapositions of different time periods as reflected in the city’s 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.

Course credit

For Harvard College students, this program counts as one full-year course (8 credits) of degree credit for those taking RUSS S-B, and two-half year courses (4 credits each) of degree credit for those taking RUSS S-100 and SLAV S-50. Intermediate Language and Cultural Study is the equivalent of Slavic B. Advanced Intermediate Russian—Reading, Grammar Review, and Conversation is comparable to Slavic 101 (fifth semester).

Transfer credit. Harvard Summer School courses and credits are accepted toward degrees at most colleges and universities. Since degree requirements vary among schools, students are advised to obtain transfer credit approval from their home institutions before registering for Harvard Summer School courses.

Faculty

Vladimir Gitin, Senior Preceptor in Slavic Languages and Literatures, Harvard University

Elizabeth Wood, Professor, Russian and Soviety History, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Affiliate of the Davis Center for Russian and East European Studies, Harvard University

Application

Students must be at least 18 years old to apply. The application materials, outlined below, are due February 27:

Applications should be addressed as follows:

Matilda West
Study Abroad Coordinator
Harvard Summer School
51 Brattle Street
Cambridge, MA 02138 USA

Students are notified of admission decisions by mid-March.

Cost

The cost of the program is $7,350, plus a nonrefundable $50 application fee. In addition, students are responsible for a health insurance fee ($165; waived if students have US insurance that provides coverage outside the United States) and for transportation to and from St. Petersburg. The cost of the program covers the following:

Program directors will advise students of likely additional expenses.

Payment deadlines

Harvard Summer School online services allows accepted students to make payments or deposits with a valid credit card. Students can also mail their payment, along with a completed Study Abroad Payment Form (available in Forms), to:
Student Financial Services
Harvard Summer School
51 Brattle Street, Cambridge, MA 02138

For admitted students, a nonrefundable deposit of $735 must be received by April 15 to secure a place in the program. Payment in full is due by May 15. A $100 late fee will be charged for payments received after this date.

Funding

Harvard College students are eligible for funding through the Harvard College Office of International Programs (OIP), as well as a variety of centers around campus.  All Harvard Summer School study abroad programs qualify for summer funding. Programs of eight weeks or longer in duration (including extensions of Harvard Summer School Programs approved by faculty members) qualify for Rockefeller International Experience Grants; programs of shorter duration qualify for other summer grants.

Students may consult the Funding Sources Database for more information on all sources of funding. Please note that the funding application deadline for summer grants and Rockefeller International Experience Grants is February 27.

To apply for any study abroad funding, students need to provide information about the program’s budget, submit an application through the Common Application for Research and Travel (CARAT), as well as supplementary documents to the relevant center, if necessary. Additional information on the funding application process is available through CARAT.

Also see the Harvard College Financial Aid Office summer school page for information about assistance.

Other Harvard students may be eligible for financial assistance through their Harvard financial aid offices. Students enrolled at other institutions should consult their respective financial aid offices.

Accommodations

Students stay in homes with Russian families, where they have the fullest opportunity to immerse themselves in Russian life and to speak Russian with their hosts. Homestays are arranged by the host institution, the Nevsky Institute, which has extensive experience placing students with families.

Additional information

Vladimir Gitin, vgitin@fas.harvard.edu, or Elizabeth Wood, elizwood@mit.edu.

Students with disabilities should contact the disability services coordinator as soon as possible: (617) 495-0977, (617) 495-9419 (TTY), or disabilities@dcemail.harvard.edu. Request-for-accommodation forms and supporting diagnostic documentation must be submitted by April 15. See the Disability Services page for more information about disability services, including request forms and guidelines for documentation.

Students applying for admission to Harvard’s study abroad programs should understand that although the University provides reasonable assistance and support to facilitate the participation of qualified students in its programs (including students with disabilities and health impairments), some of our programs are located in parts of the world where accommodations may not be readily available. Students are encouraged to be forthcoming with the disability services coordinator about any specific needs and functional limitations so that the Summer School can collaborate with those students in a way that fosters their safe participation and allows them to fully appreciate any barriers that they may face, depending on the location and rigors of the particular program.

Harvard Summer School is aware of the risks associated with international travel. Should the US Department of State issue a travel warning for any of the countries in which a study abroad program is planned, the program in that country may be canceled.

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