Kazakhstan is located in Central Asia, a landlocked country and the ninth largest country in the world. I took a four-hour flight from Moscow to Almaty for a little over $100 (cheaper tickets are definitely available). The gargantuan mountains that tower Almaty to the south of the city dominated my first impressions of the city, […]

A semester or year stay abroad requires considerable planning. If you will be spending winter months in most SRAS locations, luggage can quite easily become unwieldy, which can mean airline charges for overweight bags. Planning what you need in advance can help you avoid this (and help you avoid forgetting something important). Invest in good, […]

I’ve recently completed my year-long term as a Home and Abroad scholar with SRAS. The Home and Abroad program is an intensive intern-scholarship program that helps fund an SRAS study abroad program. Home and abroad enriched my study abroad experience by encouraging me to do extensive research before heading abroad, and requiring me to get out […]

Eurasia today is quite affordable. Students are often surprised how far their dollars will go even in major cities like St. Petersburg and Warsaw – and very surprised at how far they go in places like Bishkek and Irkutsk. However, students can also be surprised at how easy it is to run into troubles – […]

The following is a quick overview to some of those services and products that students often need in the course of a semester or summer abroad. This covers everything from haircuts to pharmacies and gyms to computer repair. Students should generally expect to need to speak at least some Russian when seeking out these experiences […]

Students in Moscow report spending about $90-110 a week average over the course of their stay. This covers groceries, eating at the university cafeteria, city transport, an occasional meal out, school supplies, modest weekend entertainment, and other general living expenses. Note that this guide assumes 60 rubles = 1 US dollar. Prices current as of […]

The Golden Ring, a group of historic cities northeast of Moscow, is known for kremlins, monasteries and churches preserved from the 12th–18th centuries. There are eight principal cities (plus several more that have come, especially as tourism in Russia has grown, to market themselves as part of the Ring). Thus, it’s impossible to see it […]

I visited Vilnius in January 2018 to catch up with an old friend who’d moved there from America about a year earlier. Although it was my first time in the Baltics, and I had no idea what to expect, I quickly fell in love with the small, winding cobblestone streets, the old architecture and charm […]

After hearing my friends and professors rave about Kazan for months, a friend and I finally went from Thursday through Saturday during the last week of February. At a brisk -12C, it certainly could have been colder, but the wind did cause us to spend a little more time indoors. Nonetheless, Kazan lived up to […]

On February 17, squares, avenues and parks in every corner of Russia celebrated Maslenitsa, a traditional Russian holiday that marks the imminent end of winter with mountains of hot, delicious blini and revelry. Originally a pagan holiday celebrated as early as the 2nd century A.D., Maslenitsa has been somewhat folded into Orthodox Christian traditions and […]

Free Laundry at MGU Сектор Б / Sector b MGU Main Building / Main Dorms Monday – Friday, Sunday, from 9:00 – 12:00; 16:00 – 23:30 Closed Saturdays Free of Charge!   MGU offers two student laundry facilities. One is a paid service that comes with free detergent and various service options, such as the […]

Krutitskoe Podvorye Religious History in Moscow Free area of town to stroll in Directions: Take the metro to Proletarskaya station. After leaving the metro, head straight down Krutitskiy Per., toward the Moscow River. Continue past the four-way intersection with Novospasskiy Pr-d. On your left, you will see Krutitskaya Ul. Head down the road, and at […]

Studying by itself can be challenging, which puts studying in a foreign country in a whole different level of difficulty. This past summer has been one of the most formative and informational experiences that I have ever had; but it may not have ended that way unless I took the advice from my professor before […]

Starlite Diner (with Russian Politics Presentation) Breakfast and presentation included as part of SRAS Cultural Program Summer, 2017 Locations throughout Moscow; Hours vary Otherwise, meals available for about $12-15 In celebration of the Fourth of July, the students of SRAS Moscow were invited to breakfast at an American-themed restaurant called, “Starlite Diner.” Starlet Diner takes the […]

Masha’s Dacha Included as part of SRAS’ Cultural Program Summer, 2017 This summer, the students enrolled with SRAS Moscow had the opportunity to visit the outskirts of the city and spend the day at a very generous Russian family’s dacha. A dacha is similar to a country house, and they are a hugely important part […]

Dzhon Dzholi in Moscow Locations across Moscow – Hours vary Dinners from $15-40 Our summer program with SRAS is unfortunately coming to an end. To celebrate the end of a great experience, our group was invited to a Georgian feast where we ate some of the tastiest food in the city. We went to Джон […]

Vegas City Hall Shopping Mall in Moscow Sunday-Thursday: 10 am to 11 pm, Friday-Saturday: 10 am to 12 am Entrance to the mall is free! Bring money for shopping / food. Directions: Take the metro to Myakinino Station and follow the street directly upon the exit of the station. Have you ever wanted to live […]

Сергиев Посад/Sergiyev Posad Троице-Сергиева Лавра/Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius Троице-Сергиева Лавра – open daily 8:00 to 18:00 Weekends churches are closed to the public Lavra’s Museum on-site closed on Mondays Free Admission to the monastery Train tickets round-trip – 600-1000 rubles   As our program rounds out to a close, some friends and I decided […]

ToDaSyo / ТоДаСе Locations around Moscow Meals for around 600ru ($10) Website After hearing a very positive recommendation from a friend, I decided to take a trip to a really cool Japanese restaurant, ТоДаСе (ToDaSyo.) This place is worth checking out if you are planning a sushi night with friends, or if you would like […]

Tour of Muzeon Included in the SRAS Cultural Program Summer, 2017 Free Admission Website Directions: Take the metro to Park Kultury and cross the Krymskiy Bridge over the Moscow River. On your right, you will see Gorky Park, and on your left is the New Tretyakov Gallery and Muzeon. Budget: Muzeon is free to the […]

Чистая Линия (Chistaya Liniya) Ice Cream Factory Tour Included as part of the SRAS Cultural Program Summer, 2017 Website The SRAS group in Moscow was invited on an excursion to Чистая Линия (Chistaya Liniya), an ice cream factory known for quality ingredients and of course, delicious ice cream! We started off the tour by meeting […]

Moscow Day Celebrations June 12th – multiple locations throughout Moscow Guided excursion included as part of SRAS’ Summer, 2017 cultural program ~1000 rubles for food, drink, and souvenirs С Днëм России! This holiday is a very exciting time not only for native Russians, but for visitors as well! This year, celebrations were particularly extensive in […]

Шоколадница / Shokoladnitsa Locations across Moscow Hours vary by location Budget: ~600 rubles for meal Website Looking for a quiet place to enjoy great food and get some studying done? Check out one of Moscow’s ubiquitous Шоколадница (Shokoladnitsa) branches—they are absolutely everywhere! With around one hundred cafés in Moscow alone, you will have no trouble […]

The Coffeeshop Company Multiple locations throughout Moscow Hours vary by location Budget: 300 rubles for coffee, 900 rubles for a snack included (maximum) Website Coffeeshop Company is a unique franchise founded in Vienna, Austria and the menu reflects its cultural roots. Moscow boasts harboring about thirty Coffeeshop Company cafés across the city. While I was […]

Vernisazh Souvenir Market at Izmailovo Izmailovo Park (Metro Partizanskaya) Wednesday-Sunday from 10am to 8pm Closed Monday and Tuesday Budget: 40 rubles – infinity   Calling all tourist trap victims who are simultaneously balling on a budget: Put down that overpriced Matryoshka doll that you found in Red Square and back away slowly. If you’re as […]

Chaihona 01 / Чайхона №1 Multiple locations across Moscow Hours vary by location, many are 24 hours Snacks for 200 rubles Meals for 1000-1500 Website You know that feeling you get when you try a new type of food and suddenly become obsessed with it and want to eat it all the time, everyday for […]

Holidays in Russia with descriptions, histories and official days off for 2017 A list of those holidays of cultural importance in Russia. Dates, days off, and histories of the holidays are all listed. New Year / Новый Год December 31, 2016 – January 1, 2017 (days off: Jan 1, 2017 – Jan 8, 2017) Russians will have […]

Note that The School of Russian and Asian Studies does not hire English teachers. However, many of our students, past and present, have inquired into the logistics of teaching while abroad, while as students or otherwise. We have therefore provided this resource. Demand for English teachers remains very strong in Russia. Ambitious students who are […]

Note: When this article was written, the conversion rate was $1 USD to 65 RUB. Hello everyone, I’m Jack. I studied with SRAS’s 2016 summer language program in Moscow. Living here can be expensive or cheap. It all depends on you. I came to Moscow planning on spending about $70 a week, but over the […]

Muzeon Where: Krimsky Val, вл. 2, Moscow Open 8:00-23:00 Free Entrence (~$3 for coffee or a snack) Muzeon is a park and open air sculpture museum located next to Gorky Park and within the Garden ring of Moscow. Opened in 1992, the park consists of huge green areas, old soviet monuments, sculptures that could not […]

The Bolshoi Theater A Night Out with SRAS Tickets typically run $50 and more Included with SRAS summer 2016 program Are you interested in theater? I wasn’t. I went with SRAS to the ballet anyway though, thinking I’d at least get my money’s worth out of the study abroad package. Knowing what I know now, […]