On Campus

Charlie Song is a student who spent a semester at HSE University - St. Petersburg. The courses that he studied related to Russian, Eurasian and Post- Soviet Studies including history, culture, literature, arts, society and politics. Charlie has shared his impressions about Russian culture and his life in St.Petersburg.

The first meeting of Language Lab Club took place on 22 of March. The club is organized by Alevtina Yagodova, senior lecturer at the Department of Foreign Languages at HSE University Saint Petersburg with the help of student volunteers from Erasmus Student Network.

Thursday, December 21, 2017 the student group of University College London gathered to take tea with traditional pancakes, to speak Russian, and to thank the academic staff for the time they have spent in St. Petersburg. We asked them about the city, studies, student life, and overall impressions.

For the second year now HSE Saint-Petersburg has been gladly welcoming students from UCL School of Slavonic and Eastern European Studies, coming to improve their language skills and immerse themselves into the mysterious Russian culture. Last weekend this year’s group of UCL SSEES students have visited Velikiy Novgorod – the cradle of Russian statehood and a real architectural gem. Helen Fortescue-Poole shared her impressions of the trip and told us about her academic life at HSE Saint-Petersburg.

Cheyenne Bishop from Mount Holyoke College (USA) studies the Russian language and culture at the Language & Culture Program in Saint Petersburg this summer. She shared with us her impressions.

Brett Sokol is participating in the Language & Culture Program in Saint Petersburg, Russia. It includes intensive Russian language coursework with cultural immersion and excursions in Saint Petersburg, Russia’s cultural capital. He shared his first impressions.

The HSE St Petersburg Buddy Club has officially become a section of the Erasmus Student Network (ESN). Today ESN brings together about 550 sections from 40 countries all over the world.

Prior to coming to St Petersburg, international students may anticipate some difficulty settling into a drastically new culture and lifestyle, and completing the more mundane tasks, such as navigating the transport system. However, Buddy Club at HSE St Petersburg helps make the transition smoother. Roland Mortimer, exchange student from University College London, shares his experience.

A group of 20 undergraduates from the United States visited “the Venice of the North” this January, taking part in a programme that blended the history, society and culture of the Russian Empire’s capital. Participants arrived from Mount Holyoke College and Smith College, opting to spend two weeks of their winter holidays here (6 – 22 January) learning about this city. Participants were diverse in their fields of studies, Russian knowledge, and travel experience, some even choosing this trip as their first chance to travel outside the borders of the United States.

On December 2, 2016 a traditional Culture Day was held at HSE St. Petersburg. Students from 21 countries took part in this colorful and enjoyable celebration. International students organized competitions and performances and cooked traditional food in order to showcase their home countries’ unique cultures. The organizers say over 500 people attended the event.