American Institute For Foreign Study

American Institute For Foreign Study
Санкт-Петербург, Россия
St. Petersburg, Russia
Fall 2014 – Newsletter 4
I hope you all enjoyed our trip to Moscow and fall break.
Please note that there will be changes to the academic timetable because
of the public holiday in November. Please check it REGULARLY!
Contents:
Reminder: Reimbursement for Museums &
Yusupov Palace
(page 2)
День народного
единства &
Blockade Museum
(page 3)
AIFS Trip to Moscow
(pages 4 &5)
Fall 2014—Newsletter 4– page 1
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Reminder: Reimbursement for Museums
As stated in Newsletter 1, AIFS will reimburse you up to
500 roubles for museums/theatre tickets/concerts/ sporting events on presentation of tickets/receipts.
Please note that you must submit receipts no later than
December 1.
Yusupov Palace
Things to take with you:
Please remember your student cards and travel passes.
About the palace:
The wealthy Yusupov family purchased the palace in 1830
– one of the most beautiful and surprising in St. Petersburg.
The Yusupov’s were great patrons of the arts and they
exhibited their impressive collection and hosted concerts
in this palace.
The palace was also the scene of the murder of the infamous Rasputin. You will be shown the scene of the crime
where Felix Yusupov and his entourage tried to poison and
shoot Rasputin in the cellar in 1916, before throwing him
into the river, where he finally died.
This is one of our favorite palaces in St. Petersburg – it is rich
and astonishing, but somehow still retains the feel of a
family home.
Fall 2014—Newsletter 4– page 2
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Tuesday November 4 –
Day of National Unity / День народного единства
November 4 is a public holiday. Therefore, there will not
be any classes on Monday November 3 and Tuesday
November 4, and the AIFS office will be closed.
The Day of National Unity / День народного единства is
seen as the youngest public holiday. It was re-introduced
in 2005 to replace the November 7 holiday which celebrated the anniversary of the Great October Socialist
Revolution. In reality, the Day of National Unity was celebrated before 1917 and commemorates the end of the
Time of Troubles (1612). Kuzma Minin, a merchant, and
Dmitry Pozharsky, a nobleman, joined forces to overthrow Polish-Lithuanian invaders who had taken power in
the Kremlin for around 50 years. We saw their statue in
front of St. Basil’s Cathedral on Red Square in Moscow.
Siege of Leningrad: exhibition at the Rumyantsev Mansion
Things to take with you:
Student cards and travel passes.
About the tour:
Siege of Leningrad (1941-1944) is one of the darkest pages in St. Petersburg’s history. More than a million people died during the 900 day siege,
the majority from starvation. They endured one of the coldest winters on
record, no electricity, no heating, no running water and barely any food.
Thanks to the courage and defiance of the citizens, the city survived. This
January marked 70 years since the siege was broken.
The other Blockade museums:
Those of you who want to learn more about the siege can visit the Monument of the Heroic Defenders of Leningrad on the other side of the city
(metro station Moskovskaya). The monument is an impressive sight with
huge statues honoring the citizens and defenders of Leningrad and a high
needle in the center. Underneath the monument there is a museum. There
is also a Blockade Museum on Solyanoy pereulok, 9 (15 minutes walk from
Chernyshevskaya metro). You can also visit the Piskaryovskoye Cemetery
not far from the university where over half a million victims are buried. The
monument of Mother Russia looks over the mass graves which are marked
by the year and month that the dead were buried. Amongst the music
that plays in the cemetery is Shostakovich's 7th Symphony (Leningrad Symphony), which he composed during the siege.
Fall 2014—Newsletter 4– page 3
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AIFS Trip to Moscow
Last weekend, AIFS students enjoyed a trip to Moscow,
the capital of the Russian Federation. Photos are on pages 1 & 5.
Friday
Classes as per the academic timetable.
Meet at Moskovsky Train Station (metro station Ploshad Vosstaniya) by the
statue of Peter the Great. We will then board the train together. We can
board 30-40 minutes prior to departure.
Train departs St. Petersburg (to board the train you will need your passport,
multi-entry visa, migration card, city registration and train ticket).
Arrival in Moscow. Travel to the hotel by private bus and overnight.
Saturday
Breakfast in hotel.
Meet in the hotel lobby.
Tour of the city by private bus – we will be shown the historical and architectural sites of Moscow including Red Square and Novodevichy Cemetery. We
will be getting off the bus several times for approximately 30-40 minutes each
time so please ensure you wear appropriate clothing.
Meet in the hotel lobby to leave by metro for the Circus performance.
Sunday
Breakfast in hotel.
Meet in the hotel lobby to go by metro to the city center. We will be outside
most of the day so please wear appropriate clothing.
Lenin’s Mausoleum.
Meet guide. Tour of Kremlin. We will be shown the ancient cathedrals and
also the armory where the treasures of the Russian State are kept.
Free time.
Monday
Breakfast in hotel.
Check-out of hotel (you may leave your belongings in the luggage room at
the hotel for free).
Free time.
Meet in hotel lobby to leave for the train station by metro.
Depart Moscow.
Arrival in St. Petersburg and travel home by metro.
Fall 2014—Newsletter 4– page 4
See what’s happening on campus https://www.facebook.com/AIFSRussia
Fall 2014—Newsletter 4– page 5
See what’s happening on campus https://www.facebook.com/AIFSRussia