Enjoy a Russian language course in Russia at our language school in the city of St. Petersburg.

Located in the Neva River, spanning numerous islands, sits St. Petersburg (formerly known as Leningrad). This crisp yet stunning city of 5 million people is known as the "The Venice of the North" due to its many rivers. It is the second largest city in Russia, and was the home of the Czars.

Founded in 1703, this is a city of palaces, culture, wide avenues, spectacular bridges, spectacular museums and landmarks – all reflecting the diversity and history of this grand city. Officially proclaimed the "Cultural Capital of Russia," St. Petersburg is an exciting city, which has much to offer the visitor, including the famous Hermitage Museum and the Kirov Ballet of the Mariinsky Theater.

Other favorite landmarks include; the Peter and Paul Fortress which is the oldest building in St Petersburg, the spectacular Palace Square and the Winter Palace of Peter the Great, the Stock Exchange and the Rostral Columns, the Admiralty and the Cathedral, which dominates the skyline of St. Petersburg.

The "Northern Capital of Russia" offers both locals and visitors a diverse entertainment program and lively nightlife. You can enjoy leisure time at various venues including theaters, opera, circus and concert halls, nightclubs and music bars. The city restaurants offer both the Old Russian culinary and the new trends, which come both from the West and the East.

Created by Peter the Great as a seaport on the Baltic, this city is an open-air museum combining the best of the Western and Eastern influences. It is a stunning place to learn the language and is filled with unlimited cultural treasures.

Our program allows you plenty of time to discover your new country, culture and customs. Below are some of our recommended highlights. Some tours and packages can be organized when booking your program, please see the program price page for more information.

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Pushkin (summer palace),
Hermitage Art Museum (winter palace),
Peter Paul Fortress (burial place of the Czars),
Palace Square (Imperial square),
Peter the Great Statue,
St. Isaac's Cathedral,
Cathedral of Our Lady of Kazan,
The Mariinsky Theater (Kirov Ballet),
The Winter Palace (most famous building),
The Russian Museum (art collections)

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SCHOOL FACILITIES
All 15 classrooms are located on the 4th floor (no elevator) and it boasts a self-access center, cafeteria with freshly prepared hot and cold meals, social area with FREE internet access. Other facilities include a range of Russian and international newspapers, satellite TV. The school also offers free airport/train station pickup. The schools in-house travel agency handles onward journeys to other parts of Russia, deals with visa issues and arranges train/flight tickets.

Our school is centrally located in a historic district, close to the Metro Ligovsky Prospekt and is easily accessible from any point in the city. Bars, restaurants and theatres are all within walking distance.

School facilities include satellite TV, reliable courier service for incoming / outgoing mail, a range of newspapers, 24 hour accessibility, and a comfortable atmosphere where staff and students socialize both inside and outside of class . The school also offers free airport/ train station pickup. There is a hotel fitness club nearby where facilities include bicycle, treadmill, rower, stepper, single stations, free weights and more. The Centre offers a wide variety of training facilities at reasonable rates.

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THE BASICS
Course for all language levels - set dates for beginners - use of course materials - Lessons are usually held in the mornings, starting at 10 am - 1.45pm - min age 18 - Max. 8 students per class - unlimited course length - minimum length of program is 2 weeks. Lectures are normally held at 2:30pm on wednesday and fridays.

Standard: (20 lessons per week)

Intensive: (25 lessons per week)

Our programs cater for all language levels from absolute beginners to the more advanced, include the use of course materials and provide a variety of options to enhance your program. Beginners must start on set start dates and have at least the knowledge of the cyrillic alphabet.

Each student will be expected to take a short placement test on the first Monday morning of the course (unless a complete beginner), to determine the students language level and ensure placement in the correct class.

Teachers are native speakers and many are university educated with years of teaching experience. They will help enhance your speaking, listening, grammar and general comprehension skills. They will also use interactive techniques such as role-play, games and perhaps videos to support lesson content. Current political, social and cultural materials are integrated to add interest and increase knowledge of the host country and culture.

>>IMPORTANT VISA INFORMATION
After we have enrolled you in the program, you will receive an official invitation from the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. You will need this invitation for the visa application, which you will send to your local consulate.

For further information on obtaining a visa in the United States contact the consulate responsible for your state. In order to determine which U.S. consulate has jurisdiction in your state refer to www.russianembassy.org. Please allow ample time for the procedure of obtaining a visa.

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Host Family: (private room) 2 meals daily.
Living with a host family is probably the best and most effective way to become fully immersed into the language and culture of your chosen country. Russia is a country with a basic infrastructure and power or hot water failures are not uncommon. However, justly famous Russian hospitality will play its part in overcoming most of these problems.

We usually select families without any foreign language knowledge (English speaking Russians are desperate for some English conversation). However, if a participant feels uneasy about this approach, we will find them a host family where English is spoken. Our experience shows that even absolute beginners will be able to communicate after the first few days.

Our host families usually live not more than 40 minutes away by public transport. Students have access to all living areas in the house and in most cases, will be expected to share the bathroom. All bed linens and pillows will be provided, however we suggest you bring your own towels.

Self Catering Apartments: (private room) no meals.
Our apartments are normally located within the same distance as the host families and are shared with other international students studying at the school. Our apartments are co-ed, however rooms are shared with the same gender. Apartments are not air conditioned but have fans and will be cleaned once every week. No washing machine is available, however, there is generally a laundromat close-by.

All apartments provide a well equipped kitchen (including cooking utensils), shared bathroom facilities and living areas. The apartments vary in size and number of bedrooms, depending on the location in the city but expect to share with 2 - 4 other students.

NOTES: Airport transfers may be included or available, also extra nights can be booked before / after course (at an additional cost), please check price page for details. The Sunday night accommodation before your course begins on Monday, is included in the program price. All meals will be local custom and meal times may be different to what you are used to, however you are not obligated to eat all your meals with the family, just notify them when you will not be returning to eat.. Our families are diverse with young couples without children, couples with children (of all age groups) and older couples with grown children who are no longer at home. Please see the Accommodation link for additional information.
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