Testimonials

I’ve been studying Russian for several years, and I needed practicing it with native speakers. Besides, I wanted to know more about society, politics, culture, and arts of Russia. I very much liked the practical and theoretical Russian Language classes; I also enjoyed the lectures on the history of art and politics, as well as the exciting trips we had during the program. It was wonderful to study in such a pleasant and friendly atmosphere, and our teachers are true professionals. We had lots of useful exercises and speaking clubs, and all this has helped me to significantly improve my language skills. In addition, I’ve got many new friends here, and the tutors helped us to know more about the city, I am extremely thankful for this experience!

The integration of cultural and academic activities were very fitting for the "Open your mind to Russia" course. The elements of Russian language, history, and business culture come alive in the contexts that St. Petersburg and it surroundings provide. My views of Russia and its values have changed as much as could be expected from a three-week program, due to the flexibility of the programme both in and outside the classroom. Exceeding the formalities of the programme, the uniquely internation composition of the student population, spanning east and west, offers a remarkable environment reflecting the international position of Russia.

I was very happy to take the Molecular Gastronomy course at SpbPU last summer. It was very interesting to talk about gastronomy with friends from all over the world and taste dishes of Russian cuisine. Looking forward to more students taking this course!

The reasons that underpinned my decision to take part in the summer school were the international outlook of the program, the involvement of leading professors in the educational process, the visit to industrial facilities and the chance to be exposed to the Russian culture in a vibrant city as Saint-Petersburg. I am delighted that all professors, as I expected, were very knowledgeable, open-minded and positively-oriented, and also very eager to transfer their knowledge in a non-traditional (more interactive) way. Furthermore, the visit of some large electricity generation (Rosenergoatom, the branch of Leningradskaya NPP) and turbine manufacturing (REP Holding) sites was undoubtedly a cornerstone in terms of providing additional added value to the program. In addition, for the positive outcome of the school contributed the big variety of cultural activities organized during the stay. For instance, the excursions to the world-renowned The State Hermitage Museum and Peterhof Palace, and the boat trip along the Neva river were absolutely marvelous. Last but not least, all program coordinators were extremely supportive and always ready to help throughout the entire program, which has made the stay even more delightful. So this is my impression of the summer school in a nutshell. Hopefully, it will suit your needs. Please let me know if there is anything else that I have forgotten. Also, I believe that this type of international programmes are not only about acquiring new knowledge, experiencing the life in a new country with a different culture, but also about establishing new professional contacts. Hence, I am hoping that we will manage to keep our contacts successfully in the future as well. Since I don't have all the contacts of your university colleagues who have been involved in the summer school (and I don't want to miss anyone), please say hello to them from me. Lastly, I wish you a great success to all your current and future endeavours.

The summer school was an excellent experience and I am very grateful that Polytech gave me the opportunity to experience Russia firsthand and make my dream of learning Russian possible on a scholarship. I made so many close friends there and got to visit so many different cultural sites that I would not have visited otherwise. The most amazing thing that I witnessed there was the White nights. A great thank you to everyone who made the summer school possible and for providing me with a perspective of Russia that I would not have gotten otherwise.