Student Opinions
Adam Bloodworth, Georgia Tech Class of 2008
“…a country and culture that is completely misrepresented in America”To me, the ANE Summer program was an invaluable experience, and one that not only taught me language skills, but also about a country and culture that is completely unknown and misrepresented in America. The program itself was helpful, providing both intensive classes and excursions to important, historical landmarks, but the true gem of the experience is simply living in Moscow. The Russian capital has more culturally-engrossing activities than can possibly be covered in a single trip, from a stroll around Red Square at dusk to parks inhabited by fire-and-baton-wielding teenagers. I would highly recommend this program to anyone seeking to improve language skills, wanting to discover a truly unique culture, and to those that are excited by the adventure and challenge that living in such a different setting provides. I highly enjoyed this program and my time in Moscow.
Carolyn Forstein, Stanford University Class of 2008
“… a country which is truly on the opposite side of the world”The Stanford in Moscow program is a fantastic introduction to a city and country with a long cultural and historical heritage and which is truly on the opposite side of the world. I studied in Moscow in the fall of 2008, and arrived in Moscow in early September having never taken a Russian class before. The intensive three-week Russian language program, offered to beginning speakers before the start of the quarter, is an ideal way to learn a new language and immediately throw what you learn in class into practical use - be it navigating the Moscow metro or attempting to read a street sign.
One of the best things about the program is how much it fully immerses you in the life and culture of Russia. While in Moscow, I lived with a university teacher, Larisa, and her mother, Nina, and over the course of three months talked about everything - in a mix of English and Russian - from their family history, including a grandfather who had attended the post-WWII conference at Yalta, to religion and politics in modern Russia.
Katherine Hoffman, Stanford University Class of 2007
“… Russia is both one of the most stereotyped and the most misunderstood nations in the world”For most Americans, Russia is both one of the most stereotyped and the most misunderstood nations in the world; as such, I really encourage students to take advantage of the chance to experience it for themselves!
Moscow is an incredibly dynamic and interesting city, and it has something for everyone - whether their interests lie in art, literature, history, politics, or even dance. It is a mix of cultures and eras, with tiny orthodox churches vying for attention with Soviet-era monuments, and immigrants from all over the Former Soviet Union sharing the streets with the designer label-wearing nouveau riche.
Rebecca Gong, Harvard College Class of 2008
My experience in Moscow was absolutely unforgettable. Not only did I finally get to immerse myself in one of the greatest cultures in the world, but I also came away with lifelong friends and a permanent membership in the “ANE family”. For a city as big and exciting as Moscow is, no one made it feel more like home than the wonderful people at the Academy of National Economy summer program.
I obviously come from an ethnic minority group when it comes to Russia, and before departure I was honestly quite worried for my safety after reading the Department of State notices about terrorism and random metro bombings. I remember being afraid to even walk around my first few days. Soon, however, I realized that I was in a big and vibrant city not unlike any other I had formerly lived in, and that while it was necessary to be aware and cautious, it was also necessary to not be afraid to explore and live the Muscovite life to its fullest.
Erik Adams, Stanford University Class of 2007
“...there is no better place to spend a summer or semester”Moscow is a truly amazing and unique city. Like any huge city there is no shortage of museums, restaurants, bars, clubs, concerts and events to attend, but in Moscow things are just different. The history and vitality of the city really comes through and can make just walking down the street a fascinating and fun experience. And the Russians themselves are amazing, wonderful people whose live-for-the-moment attitude not only will make every night unforgettable, but help teach you how to get fun and joy out of life that you didn't even know you were missing. Really everything about the city is amazing and there is no better place to spend a summer or semester!
Matt Ybarra, Stanford University Class of 2006
“My time in Moscow was unforgettable”If you are looking for adventure, challenge and something that will spice up your life and provide you with enough “culture shock” stories to last a lifetime, then Moscow is the place to go. As an American-born Russian, growing up experiencing aspects of Russian culture and speaking the language had provided me only so much exposure to actual Russian life. While in Moscow, I came to realize that there is no better way to experience and truly comprehend the magnificence and the misery of the Russian nation, both historically and presently, than to completely immerse yourself with the people in their own environment.
What struck me most about Russian people is how open (read: blunt) they are with each other, even complete strangers. They definitely speak their minds and very rarely are things taken personally. Pushing and shoving in crowded metro stations or buses bring no hard feelings. Russians feel free to tell you if you are not dressed warm enough for the weather. In a collective society which is still very much a part of the Russian culture, everybody's business is also everyone else's.
Larisa Lehmer, Stanford University Class of 2006
“…an experience of a lifetime”My stay in Moscow under the auspices of the Stanford in Moscow program was an experience of a lifetime. Staying with a host family allowed me to see how people live from day to day. For example: how they determine what meat and produce to buy at the market, that clothes are line-dried to conserve energy, how real Russian food tastes and is prepared (the family I stayed with did not use a microwave), and (due to the sky-rocketing prices in the city) how industriously they make the most out of everything they own. I went to dozens of concerts which were absolutely exquisite and very affordable due to the substantial support the government provides to prosper the talent of the country's finest ballet, opera, and orchestral groups. There is so much history in Moscow and its environs. Our excursions which included a tour of the Kremlin, a trip to St. Petersburg with its imperial architecture and world- famous Hermitage museum, a day-trip to the small, nearby towns of Vladimir and Suzdal featuring all-wooden buildings and horse-drawn sleigh rides, and so much more.
Ross Perlin, Stanford Class of 2005
“Moscow… one of the most inscrutable cities in the world”Moscow, where I went to try to understand the many remarkable struggles and achievements of Russian civilization, has to be one of the most inscrutable cities in the world. The three months I spent there at the Center were a remarkable entry into Russian society and a unique opportunity to study somewhere where richness of culture and complexity of present-day issues are both constant realities. Moscow was a point of departure, but the reach of the Stanford Center took us everywhere from the hyper-refined elegance of St. Petersburg to the minarets of Bukhara in Uzbekistan. One professor, a top-drawer scholar of Islam in Russia, took us through St. Petersburg’s stunning museums on a private tour—seeing fantastic finds of Russian explorers everywhere from Alaska and Northern California to Central Asia brings home the universalism of Russian civilization. The Hermitage isn’t bad either. Another professor, an expert on security issues who is routinely featured on Russian TV, casually told stories of meeting Siberian shamans and Turkmen bureaucrats.
Kristle Irene McCracken, Stanford University Class of 2005
“Staying with my host family was awesome”My main benifits from coming to Russia: Getting an international perspective; raising my awareness of an international community. I learned a good amount of the Russian language, of course. I learned a lot about the Post-Soviet space that is incredibly relevant in today's international climate.
My perception of Russia was very limited and restricted to pop culture items like vodka and Matrioskas and cold weather. It was incredibly surprising to feel the remnants of Soviet life in Russia; a picture of how life was led rather than some theory of their system of government. I think that I also got a much more modern picture. I hadn't really learned that much about Russia after the Soviet era, so it was awesome to be in a city that you could feel was changing very quickly and moving very rapidly.
Staying with my host family was awesome. It helped my Russian language skills a bajillion times over. They told me about places to go and offered advice.
Jessica Topacio Long, Stanford University Class of 2005
“banyas are amazing and will change your life”On the photo: on the right I think that coming to Russia was a really unique experience and gave me a chance to experience life in a country that carries a lot of negative stereotypes in the United States. Although I didn’t have any idea what to expect, I went to Russia and gained a different perspective on Russian history, Russian culture, and the United States.
After living in Moscow for three months, I know I want to go back. Now I’m going to continue taking Russian and look into getting a job in Moscow for a year after I graduate from college. I also want to go back and see more of the country, like Siberia and other parts.
Eric Chow, Stanford University Class of 2005
“…not going back after visiting Russia is a real challenge”You know it’s interesting. I had spontaneously chosen to go to Russia when there were other countries that I could have visited. I mean, at least I would have known how to say more than “toilet” and “bortsch.” With my two words of Russian (one being a beet soup), I was nervous and excited to explore this new town. One of the first things I learned was that textbooks don’t teach you the etiquette of the metro. My most fond and exciting memories of Moscow are centralized around the life under ground. Perhaps taking the metro in Washington DC or New York is merely a ride, but in Moscow, it’s a culture completely secluded from the upper ground which seems to have evolved into a life of its own. I’ve learned two very important things I realized that saying “Izvinitiye”, the Russian word for excuse me, was just not going to get you to where you needed to go.
Beto Juarez, Stanford University Class of 2005
“Russia… is a place to be treasured and shared …”On the photo: Beto (in the blue) frolicks by the Kremlin with Iris Zimmerman Moscow is a place with many expectations coming in, most of them shattered, then reformed with amazing experiences.
Russia, I think is a place to be treasured and shared with as many as possible. Unfortunately it's geographic location prevents most people from visiting like they do with Western Europe. This is to your advantage however, because Russia is to be fully experienced by living and interacting with Russians every day. Only by immersing oneself, can you fully appreciate a culture so close and so far away from ours at the same time.
Almost everything will puzzle you at first. But that's half the fun: putting the pieces together.
Andrew Chen, Stanford University Class of 2005
“The best experiences … came from taking chances with people”
The best experiences I had in Moscow came from taking chances with people. No, from the first glance (and maybe even up to the tenth) Muscovite Russians don't appear to be the most friendly. But glancing isn't enough, I had to put myself out there to discover that some of them are more than ready to be friends.
I saw that several ping-pong tables were set up in the basement of MGIMO's athletic building, so I decided that I'd try to join them. I didn't even know how to say "ball" and "racket" in Russian, so you can imagine it wasn't easy borrowing them. Yet once I got up the nerve to ask someone to play, Sasha and I became immediate friends. We met every week and played for an hour or more, and we talked about different things in between trying to one-up each other. It wasn't always smooth sailing, of course, Muscovites speak fast and it was hard to understand him, but ping-pong was our common link, so there never was a dull moment.
There were other instances of me finding a friend when I didn't mind embarrassing myself a little bit. Letting your pride down a little is probably the best way to connect with another people.
Alina Liberman, Stanford University Class of 2005
“My time was divided between the mundane and the extraordinary”
Studying in Moscow was a challenging experience for me, and it opened my eyes up to a way of life that I only heard horror stories about from well-meaning friends and family. After getting used to Moscow life, I realized it was like any other big city, with the exception of random visa checks on Red Square. My time there was divided between the mundane and the extraordinary. On days not spent on the crowded metro to school, I rode the Ferris wheel in Gorky Park or explored the Pushkin Museum. I got to do spontaneous things like take a group trip to Istanbul for the weekend, or fight through an angry Russian mob outside of Aeroflot for tickets to Greece. Most importantly, Russia was a way for me to explore my background and get to know my family. I will treasure those personal experiences the most. I look forward to going back and exploring more of the mysteries that Russia has to offer.
Cassandra E. Cuellar, Stanford University Class, Spring quarter 2004
“Russia … 3 months there was definitely not enough”On the photo: on the left Russia was AMAZING! A few people I met there are people that I can not imagine not having in my life today. I plan to go back to visit the friends I made once I finish college and to travel more around the country since I loved my traveling experiences in Russia and 3 months there was definitely not enough. Prior to college, I had never left the United States and I can not imagine what life would be like had I never went abroad. My view of the world was very limited since all my life was spent in California and everything I knew of the world came from text books.
Johnny Falla, Stanford University Class, Spring quarter 2004
“Russia has changed me forever”On the photo: Johnny (upper row, middle) and the lovely men on the Spring 2004 program in front of the Tsar Bell at the Kremlin Russia has changed me forever-- for better or worse, it's too early to tell, haha. My world is a different place now, and I possess a valuable perspective few of my peers will ever have. The things I saw and did would shock you-- from the mundane to the wildly absurd. This place is nothing else you have ever seen.
The image of Moscow as a bleak, cold concrete city is actually a lie-- this place is bursting with energy and creativity, and the people edgy and dynamic.
To come to Moscow is to challenge yourself, and challenge your understanding of the world. The city itself is a mystery, a big riddle to crack, and once you begin to break down the social barriers and stereotypes that define it from the outside, your reward will be great as you finally feel at home, earning a place in the city that for so long was off limits to us. Sure you can have a great impression of Moscow by passing through or reading up on it, but submitting yourself to the city and letting it reshape you is a journey you will never forget-- and certainly, it's not an adventure for the faint of heart.
Michael Sulmeyer, Stanford University Class of 2002
“The experience in Moscow has served me well in my professional ventures.”My journey to Moscow in September of 2000 was my first time traveling outside of the United States alone. The program took excellent care of me, from meeting me at the airport with a friendly sign to arranging an excellent home-stay environment and providing a strong academic experience. All went to Murmansk, some ventured through Siberia while others made it to Minsk, but every student was provided with countless opportunities to explore Russia and the surrounding regions.
For me, the capstone of the experience was a private military history tutorial with the chief of military history from the Russian Ministry of Defense. As a youngster who grew up reading about the Great Patriotic War and imagining what it must have been like to visit the land of the Tsars, this tutorial provided a unique insight into understanding Russia and her military. In addition to classroom sessions, we went to several military museums around Moscow that I would have been unable to understand fully without guidance and language help.
Haim Zaltzman, Class 2001
“Moscow in general, it is sensational city”I attended the Stanford Program during the Fall of 1999. The program not only introduced me to Moscow, a city that I enjoyed socially for many years to come, but also introduced me to the multitude of business, political and social issues that are unique to Russian studies. The classes I took during that time in Moscow, including Russian political economy, Russian economic structures, and Russian language and literature, ushered me into a career focused on Russian economic and legal development. The professors and instructors employed by the Stanford Program are top notch; truly individuals who knew their subjects and passionately studied their fields. My Russian language abilities skyrocketed during my time at the Stanford Program in large thanks to the efforts of the Stanford Program.
Furthermore, the subjects I studied in Moscow became the foundation of not only my honors thesis at Stanford (post-Soviet economic development) but also my tenure as a Fulbright Scholar in Russia following my undergraduate career.