LEARNING RUSSIAN IN MOSCOW

at the famous Lomonosov-University

for students, teachers, journalists and for all, who would like to discover Russia not without knowing its language

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Russia today | A short history about the Russian language | Language courses at Lomonosov University | Application | Accommodation | Our services | General conditions | Your partner | Fact sheet about Russia | Russian history | Moscow

Russia today

St-Basil's Cathedral on the Red Square

After the transformation of perestroika and glasnost, Russia is now ready for visitors and businessmen to be discovered. The history of Russia is profoundly marked by the destiny of the biggest country changing so drastically from communism to a market economy. Moscow as the capital plays the key role in this transformation. New shops and restaurants open everywhere in the streets and bring in a lively color into the gray of the buildings of social realism. ---> Key facts about Russia, Moscow sights View of Kremlin in Moscow Moscow is not only the center of power but also starting point for travel throughout the country. And Russia hosts a few of the World's finest universities with many thousands foreign students enrolled. Is there any other place to meet past and nowadays culture and the very soul of Russians than in their capital, and at one of the most prestigious universities? We are delighted to invite you to the famous Lomonosov Moscow State University (MGU).

Language courses at Lomonosov Moscow State University (MGU) |

The State University of Moscow (MGU) Internet café at the MGU

We would like to invite you to learn the Russian language at the famous Lomonosov Moscow State University (MGU). Lomonosov University is the biggest and oldest University of Russia, founded in 1755 by the poet and scientist Mikhail Lomonosov. More than 30000 students are nowadays enrolled at 16 different faculties. MGU was the alma mater of many famous artists, politicians and scientists, such as Mikhail Gorbatschev or Jegor Gaidar. The campus is beautifully located in the middle of a huge park at the outside of the city center on the former Lenin hills, a 15 min. metro ride from the red square (maps and directions to MGU). The main building is 240m high and was built after Word War II in the typical Stalinian style. The large campus includes many libraries hosting more than 6 million books, magazines, internet cafés, kiosks, banks, hairdressers, cinemas, theaters, sport and leisure facilities. MGU offers courses of all levels. Subjects can be chosen from standard grammar, conversation, phonetics, or literature to more specialized subjects such as Russian for scientists, teaching Russian, Russian law, business Russian etc. All our teachers have many years of experience with foreign students. Every year, more than 300 students are enrolling in such courses, from countries all over the world. To learn the Russian language, we highly recommend individual classes which guarantee maximum efficiency for and a specific focus on your needs. A certificate is delivered to all participants upon completion of the program.

We offer two types of courses (group and individual tuition):

A. STANDARD COURSES for beginners, medium and advanced students

Individual classes

Standard courses will give beginners the necessary Russian language skill for its practical use. Emphasis is laid on conversation. Medium and advanced students will get the necessary training to improve their command in both oral and written form. See our examples of programs for more details. We strongly encourage you to take individual classes where the program is custom built by the teacher in accordance to the needs of the students. One-to-one tuition guarantees fast progress and an optimal focus on needed language skills. Only groups of students with approximately equal knowledge may apply to enroll in group courses. For each group, an individual program is set up in accordance to the needs of the group.

We recommend you to take at least 20 lessons per week, in order to facilitate the immersion into the Russian language and culture. If you prefer to have more spare time, we offer a LEISURE program that leaves you free afternoons for studies or excursions. SUBJECTS offered are grammar, phonetics/intonation, conversation, analytical reading, and Russian literature. Students can also view Russian featured films once a week or work in the language laboratory. The individual program will be discussed with the teacher on the first day after an entry-level test of your Russian language knowledge. Did you ever want to learn how to write Russian letters ? Or are you curious about Bulgakov, Gogol, Lermontov, Pushkin and others (-->Russian literature section)
We will teach you everything ...

B. SPECIALIZED COURSES for teachers, journalists, business people, diplomats, lawyers, scientists, etc.

Specialized courses are designed for professionals seeking specialized knowledge of language terms in their fields. At least medium level knowledge of Russian is necessary to enroll in specialized classes. The following choice of subjects is available: Business Russian, Russian law, teaching Russian to foreigners, Russian for diplomats, writing modern Russian, grammar, phonetics/intonation, spoken Russian, conversation, literature. Relying on the best university staff and experts in their field, high quality training is guaranteed. Often, professional advice can be given at a fraction of what consultants would cost ! For larger groups of 6-10 people, we can also provide group business courses together with MIIT. Please contact us for an individual offer, if you plan to take a business Russian course.

Students wishing to use their Russian language knowledge for further studies in Russia, or to enroll at Moscow State University, are offered special preparation courses to pass entrance examination tests in Russian required for foreign students. MGU has more than 2000 foreign students from 70 countries enrolled in its 16 different departments. We would be pleased to help you enroll at this prestigious place of study (minimum length of stay is 9 months, classes run from 9/1-6/1 as a spring and fall semester).

If you need credit for Russian language courses, talk to your department/school. As Moscow State University is one of the leading educational institutions in Russia and Moscow, credit approval is usually not a problem. If you need help regarding this matter, we would be glad to contact your supervisor/school to provide further information. We have a list of resources to apply for scholarships, however, we do not provide scholarships.

All students are invited to pass the TORFL (Test of Russian as a Foreign Language) at the testing center at MGU. This test is somewhat equivalent to the TOEFL test of English speakers and highly recommended for students who wish to apply for jobs in Russia or academic institutions. There are five levels. Non-native Russian speakers with basic knowledge at the beginning of a language course should be able to achieve level 2 (advanced) after three months and level 3 (proficiency) after a year of intensive study. See a description of levels of Russian and the specific requirements. This may also help to assess your level before applying.

As an official agent of Moscow State University, we also offer you to continue studying at MGU. You can enroll directly into any of the 21 departments of MGU via our webpage.

Number of lessons per week

We offer three different options for course intensity: Leisure (16 lessons per week), Normal (20 lessons per week) and Intense (24 lessons per week). In general, classes will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and/or from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., 5 days a week from Monday through Friday. There are some public holidays, where no classes are held unless explicitly required. Lessons are 45 minutes each, usually with a 15 min break after 2 lessons, and start at 10 AM. All classes are held on the campus in designated class or study rooms. There is a significant amount of homework and preparation required for individual classes, so 24 lessons per week will keep you pretty busy during the week. Homework is usually 15-20 hours per week, depending on your goals. If you prefer to have more excursions or a more relaxing program, please take advantage of our "leisure program" with 16 lessons per week. Let us know if you have special requirements. We can always adapt to your needs !

Duration of your stay

From numerous experiences we have learnt that the minimal time you will need to get acquainted with the new environment is two weeks. However, if time permits, we strongly recommend you to stay for at least four weeks. The longer you stay, the more progress you will make, obviously. Beginners will need six to twelve weeks in order to develop the language skills necessary to communicate in an every-day-situation, and to be able to read and understand texts. Keep in mind: Russian is a complicated and difficult language to learn for foreigners and you will need to work hard on your progress. We require that you are familiar with the Russian alphabet prior to departure. This will facilitate your immersion into the Russian culture, and is, in fact, an easy task. Study material is available in any bookshop (check out also our own online bookshop)

Campus of Moscow State University

Our representative office is located conveniently on the MGU campus and Farid Valitov and his staff will be glad to help also with your travel plans or other requests. ZIEGLER & Partner GmbH Moscow State University Vorob'evy gory Humanitarian Korpus Nr 1, k.175 119899 Moscow Tel/Fax +7 495 939 09 80 Campus map with office location

We would be pleased to help you if you are interested in scientific work, access to libraries or archives, business opportunities, traveling etc. Do not hesitate to contact us early, preferably by email.

Application |

Applications should come as soon as possible, latest four weeks before departure. You will receive a confirmation and course material including a brochure about the university. We will also send you an official invitation to apply for a visa at your embassy. Application forms can be downloaded and printed from our server. We also have an online application form of our language courses.

Accommodation |

A room at the MGU

We can offer newly renovated rooms in the guest hostel of MGU right in the main building of the University Campus (--> Map of the MGU campus with locations). All rooms have shower and a separate toilet, and some of the rooms are equipped with television, fridge and phone. For short term stays (less than 2 months), students can stay at the MGU Student Guest House, which works like a hotel. See a more detailed description with pictures. Some rooms have spectacular views on downtown Moscow, about 10 miles away. Inquire early for reservation as rooms are booked out early, especially during summer. Every floor has its own kitchen and a room for conversion and discussions. Also, there is a reception desk (open 24h, 7 days a week) on each floor to ensure maximum convenience and safety. The MGU University Campus is considered a very safe place with strict entry control (you need a student card and a "propusk" to enter the gate of the campus and the guest hostel). Fore more about security, read a posting about security on our message board.

A viable alternative is Hotel "Universitetskaya" located some 10 min from the main MGU campus. If you prefer, we can also book a room at one of the more centrally located hotels in Moscow (we can recommend Hotel Akademicheskaya, Hotel Zolotoi Kolos or Hotel Arbat) or organize an apartment in the city center for the duration of your stay.

And if you prefer, you can have your language course conveniently organized at your own place.

Living with a family

If you want to live with a Russian family, we can offer homestays in the neighborhood of MGU with accommodation in a separate room and including breakfast or full board. All our families have links with the university and are carefully chosen. You are free to change your host family should there be any reason for you to decide so.

Food and drink |

Vodka party

There are four university cafeterias that offer breakfast and diner from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m. Typical Russian dishes such as soup, fish and meat are being served as well as western European like meals. Prices are moderate at 3 to 5 USD for a main course. Quality has improved a lot over the last years and is comparable to Western university cafeterias. In a newly opened restaurant and in some cafes, you can find high quality food with good service, but significantly more expensive. Check out our tips and tricks page. Once a week (or every two weeks depending on the season), our local partner Farid Valitof invites all students for a vodka party at a nice café in the MGU. It is a great occasion to meet other persons from all over the world and to welcome new students. A shot of vodka and typical Russian dishes help great friendships to born!

Excursion and travel |

Every two weeks on Saturday, our guide Mila Popova will take you for a tour in Moscow or its surroundings in order to show you the city, its secret places and famous monuments. Tours are in Russian: an excellent way to practice what you learnt during the week! You can also book other excursions right at the MGU. With your Russian student card, you will benefit from substantial reductions on air and train fares, museums and tickets for theater, ballet, circus and opera - you will actually pay the Russian student price. Don't miss this opportunity! We also have further travel info on our tips and tricks page.

We are delighted to help organizing your travel in Russia. Every year since 1993, we have been touring with 8-12 people on a unique Trans Siberian journey from Moscow to Beijing. Join-us for August 2007, if you are interested in this unique guided tour Moscow-Beijing. For individual travelers, we also offer a number of Trans-Siberian railroad tours. And for airline tickets and hotels throughout Russia, why not book online ?

Our services |

• Language courses (individual or group tuition)
• Accommodation (hotel, MGU or family)
• Ticket desk for excursions
• Medical services in case of emergencies, medical insurance available for long term residents
• Metro and bus ticket for your duration of stay^*
• Certificate of Russian^*
• Dinner with the other students once a week (or every two weeks)^*
• Excursions in Moscow every two weeks^*
• Transfer from and to airport/train station
• Tour of the MGU (for students living at the MGU)^*
• Visa and local registration^*
• Student card of MGU giving you numerous discounts^*
• Access to all libraries at MGU^*
• All kind of help by our local agent Farid Valitov^*

Our prices |

You can price your preferred language course online in all major currencies.
We are committed to offer high quality courses that exactly fit your needs, but are also affordable to students. We can only do so from our own experience as students in Moscow and Russia and as an official agent and representative of Moscow State University abroad. (-->about us).

a) Liability

b) Application and validity of contract

c) Cancellation and reimbursement

d) Prolongation

e) Change of program

f) Insurance

g) Swiss law is applicable. Place of judgment is Lausanne, Switzerland.

Back to our homepage | Calculate the cost of your course | Online application form

Switzerland: Ziegler & Partner GmbH, Orzens 42, CH-1095 Lausanne
Moscow: Ziegler & Partner GmbH, Vorob'evy gory, Moscow, Tel./Fax +7-495-939-0980
Last updated May 3, 2007. © info@studyrussian.com