Study Russia

If you’re contemplating going on a study program in Russia, you’ll need all the advice you can get. Corin C. Cummings provides a guide to current options for study, volunteering and interning in Russia. Photos by Sergei Kaptilkin.

It seems the honeymoon between America and Russia is over. The stars have vanished from our eyes, and we (East and West) are left looking at the great heaps of work to be done. Traveling and studying in Russia may not be as ‘fashionable’ as it has been in the past few years, but it is no less exciting and vital, and for those who wish to do it, there are a wide variety of options.

Existing programs range considerably in level of Russian language skills required, degree of independence, difficulty, length and cost. Many of today’s study, exchange and volunteer programs are stronger and better connected than ever before. They have been tried and, to a degree, have had the bugs worked out.