Search by tag «Life in Russia» 141 results

  • Getting to Know Russian Literature: Part 1

    Remember the Lord of War movie? I really liked the joke about suicide novelists being a Russian export on par with caviar and vodka, and only slightly losing to the ever popular Kalashnikovs. Suicide part aside, we are very proud of our literature, and you don’t get  to really experience Russia unless you’ve read some. Still, there’s one thing that can discourage you from trying, and it’s the “notorious wordiness” of Russian authors – in fact, many school students get terrified by the mere prospect of having to read War and Peace as the book itself is something that you can kill with. For that reason, we’ve decided to come up with a quick overview – and give you some advice on the shorter titles to start with.

    27.11.2018

  • Pick a Dream Apartment Like a Russian

    Personal space? What personal space? It’s likely you’ll get to experience that concept in a whole new way in your Saint Petersburg home. 

    12.11.2018

  • A Different View: 10 St. Petersburg Instagram Accounts for a New Perspective

    Bleak days of November inspire to look anywhere but outside. What if you could experience the city through the eyes of a ballerina, an antiques dealer or a botanist? Here’re 10 Instagram accounts that just might add a new dimension to how you see Saint Petersburg. 

    05.11.2018

  • Buy Groceries Like a Russian

    How hard is it to buy a pound of apples? Here’s how to ace a grocery run and save a ruble or two.  

    01.10.2018

  • A Dummies Guide to Mushroom Hunting

    From late summer till autumn’s first chills, many Russians leave the comfort of their homes and dachas to go mushroom hunting. Getting up as early as possible to spend your whole day in a forest  poking about the undergrowth sure sounds like a strange idea; still, this seemingly tedious activity is ever popular. For those willing to try this traditional Russian pastime, we’ve decided to give a few tips, as well as try to figure out what exactly is so good about hunting a game that can’t run.  

    18.09.2018

  • Secret Rules of Russian Public Transport

    Recently, an Indian student who came to study at ITMO commented on how organized the transit system is in St. Petersburg. I wasn’t sure what he meant by that. Maybe he was impressed by how everything comes on time or the fact that you can take public transport to the most obscure parts of the city. Now, I think he was talking about all the unwritten rules that every local knows… how to navigate the mysterious world of public transportation.

    14.08.2018

  • Hermitage, Football, and Lots of Programming: Summer Camp at ITMO

    For several years now, students from all over the world have been coming to St. Petersburg to take part in ITMO University's Camp in Programming. We met three current students: Hassan from The Gambia, Roh from Slovenia, and Enrique from Mexico, to talk about their experience.

    02.08.2018

  • ITMO’s Russian Language Summer School: Attracting Students from Around the World

    For the third year in a row, ITMO University's Russian Language Summer School has given students from around the world an opportunity to delve into intense Russian language study for a few weeks, get to know the beautiful city of St. Petersburg, and learn more about Russian culture.

    27.07.2018

  • It’s Time to Celebrate Russia Day

    One of the newest holidays, Russia Day is a mystery even to many Russians. In fact, it is being celebrated for the 24th time and is more exciting than it sounds.

    12.06.2018

  • Today We Celebrate Victory Day

    There’s probably not a single Russian family that wasn’t touched by the Second World War, or the Great Patriotic War as it is called in Russia and many former Soviet republics. The years 1941 – 1945 are engraved in all of us, even generations removed from the actual war, as the years of sacrifice, suffering, and faith in victory. It’s what we think about in times of hardship even now – the songs that we sang as kids at school about how victory is to be achieved it at any cost. And the cost was great.

    09.05.2018