Study Abroad in St. Petersburg: Student Life
Cultural Activities
Students study and socialize at the Russian Language Center, one mile away from the main University campus. The center organizes a wide range of cultural and social events throughout the semester. There are numerous opportunities to make excursions into the city and surrounding environment. Students receive a monthly transportation pass for free travel on the metro, bus and tram in the city.
The Resident Director organizes a variety of activities, which usually include:
- visit to Russian, Dostoevsky and Hermitage museums, Pavlovsk and Yusupov Palaces
- day trip to Vyborg
- classical concert at Philharmonic Hall
- opera at Mussorgsky Theater and Hermitage Theater
- party with Russian students
- dinner at Georgian restaurant
- Russian film, Chekov play
- ice skating and hockey match
- Russian banya (bath house)
- Moscow Circus
Visa
The Russian government requires students to hold a valid visa for their period of study; AIFS will apply for the visa on behalf of students who apply to the program by the application deadline and submit all requested visa application materials, including original passports, by imposed deadlines. Applicants must possess a passport that will be valid for at least seven months after the student's return to the U.S. by May 15 for fall semester, October 1 for spring. Students who do not meet this requirement may be ineligible to attend this program.
In order to get their visa, all students must submit their passport information to the Admissions Officer by June 1 (Fall Semester) and November 1 (Spring Semester) at the latest. Please send a copy of your passport along with a typed version of the following details: Last Name, Given Names, Passport Number, Date of Issue, Expiry Date, Date of Birth, Place of Birth and Sex. This information should be sent to the Admissions Officer. After this date the university will attempt to obtain the visa invitation but cannot guarantee that it will be ready in time for the student to obtain his/her visa for the start of the program.
AIFS pays the Consulate's visa application fee of $100 for students who apply for visas through AIFS. Students who submit applications/visa materials after the deadlines may have to pay an expedited visa processing fee (an additional $200), or they may have to apply for the visa on their own if their application holds up the group. AIFS will send back the students' passports with their airline ticket approximately five days prior to departure.
AIFS will pay for a multi-entry visa in order for students to participate in the Helsinki/Tallinn trip. The AIFS Resident Director will purchase the additional multi-entry visa for this trip once students arrive in St. Petersburg. Students should not plan on traveling outside Russia at any other time during the semester, including weekends. If they do, they may jeopardize their academic standing.
