The Program was organized as part of the implementation of the Cooperation Agreement. For five weeks, a group of British students studied the nuances of Russian grammar, as well as got acquainted with the culture and sights of the Krasnodar Territory.
According to the requirements of Federal Service for Supervision of Education and Science, for the first two weeks, students kept a self-isolation regime and attended classes online. Every day, online meetings with Russian students were arranged for them, where KubSU students introduced the guests to Russian traditions, national cuisine, Russian fashion, popular performers, sports and cultural life of Krasnodar.
The intensive face-to-face part of the program gave students from the UK the opportunity to learn the history of Krasnodar, visit the branch of KubSU in Gelendzhik, watch celestial bodies in the observatory of the University, as well as visit Taman, Novorossiysk, the village of Abrau-Durso and the town of Goryachy Klyuch.
During the certificate awarding ceremony, Temyr Aitechevich Khagurov, Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs, Quality of Education — the first Vice-Rector of KubSU, noted the importance of the long-term cooperation of KubSU with the British University, wished students professional success and invited them to study at KubSU as part of the exchange program.
The teacher of the Russian Language Natalia Viktorovna Chunchukova marked the good level of training of students, their responsible attitude to classes, hard work and good results in the Program mastering.
All students received souvenirs with the symbols of KubSU and the Russian Language textbooks authored by Dr. Olga Ivanovna Kuznetsova, Associate Professor of the Department of Russian as a Foreign Language at KubSU, who provided methodological support of the Program.
In response, the students emphasized that the training was perfectly organized, and the Russian School Program was full of interesting activities.
Dr. Elena McNeilly, a lecturer at the University of Bristol, who supervises the Program from the British University side, sent a letter of gratitude to the Head of International Affairs Department Galina Nikolaevna Govorova and the Program coordinator from the KubSU side Evgenia Mikhailovna Rotai, emphasising on the successful organization and realization of the Program. She also remarked that the written and oral feedback received from the guys was extremely positive. The colleague from Bristol especially noted the progress in the level of the students’ Russian proficiency and expressed hope for the continuation of the Russian summer school in 2022.
It should be noted that the cooperation between the University of Bristol and Kuban State University has been successfully developing since 1991. Every year, UK students study at KubSU for one semester. During a pandemic, training takes place in a distance format.
At the end of the Program, Bristol students wrote small reviews about their stay in Krasnodar:
Dix Samuel Arthur Frederick: «Our trip to Krasnodar included a wide variety of events and places to visit. We visited museums, galleries and many beautiful parks of the city, but the main thing was our visit to the theater, where we watched the ballet «Don Quixote». Thanks to this, everyone had the opportunity to wear nice clothes and listen to great classical music. Outside Krasnodar, we swam in the sea in Gelendzhik and near Ataman, learned about Soviet military history in Novorossiysk, and walked in the forest of Goryachiy Klyuch. The weather was always beautiful. If I have to choose the most vivid impression, I would choose talks with Russian people. Meeting real Russian citizens, talking to them about life in Krasnodar, making friends with them was the most useful experience for me. I will always remember this.»
Brewer Frank Mungo: «Thanks to my trip to Krasnodar, I have known Krasnodar and the Krasnodar Territory quite well. This place is much more beautiful than I’ve expected. The weather is hotter than at home that I really like. I do not know if it is only in Krasnodar or in Russia at all, but the food here is wonderful. I haven’t learned much about Russian food yet, but I will be cooking the food I tried in Krasnodar when I return to England. I also really liked the sights in Krasnodar. For example, on Krasnaya Street you can see a Ferris wheel, a temple and many wonderful restaurants. We rested in the evening there, and this is one of my favorite places in Krasnodar. In fact, I also liked going to the city center by tram, because it’s not expensive and you can chat with people who are always very nice.»
Karina Mary Ollerton: «Krasnodar is a very beautiful city with many monuments and attractions. I especially liked the churches and monuments. There is a monument to Catherine the Second on Krasnaya Street. There are many restaurants in Krasnodar. Krasnodar stadium and the park are a very impressive and modern place. There are a lot of things that are worth visiting in the city, it is a good place to relax. There is also a Ferris wheel in the city center and you can see most of the city center, which is especially beautiful at night. You can spend evenings in the theater, which is very pleasant. I watched the ballet «Don Quixote» at the musical theater. I really liked it because of the atmosphere and the quality of the dancing.»
Imogen Joy Gibbon: «I decided to travel to Russia and spend the summer there. I thought that exchange would be only one chance to come to Russia, because I couldn’t come earlier because of the pandemic. I chose to spend my time in Krasnodar. A lecturer at the University of Bristol told me that the weather there is hot, and the city is one of the most popular resorts in Russia. It is not often that a person who has returned from Russia can say that he was sunbathing on the beach! I would say that I will remember and greatly appreciate my time in Russia, and I am very glad that I decided to go to Russia.»
Ben Kitchener: «I remember most of all two days. First day – I remember when we were at the theater to watch the ballet «Don Quixote», because in England it is impossible to go to the theater because of the pandemic. Also, I really like live music, and there was good live music in the theater. Second – I will never forget the day when I met my friend, who is from Krasnodar. We decided to meet in Zhukov Square, and then went to the city center. Russian was the only language I had to speak, and thanks to this meeting, I felt comfortable when I spoke Russian after I had spoken with a friend. Therefore, my most vivid impression of Krasnodar is pleasant people who always want to help you.»
Calum Iain Stuart Mccorquodale: «Now that I have spent five weeks in Russia, I believe that my most vivid impression was the day when we went to the theater to see a play. I liked the music and dancing. It reminded me of when I was little and I was doing theater with my friends. However, I had never seen ballet before. After the theater, we walked around the city. There were many various shops and restaurants. If I had more time, I would have tried dishes that are more different. I’m looking forward to going there again.»
For reference: for many years, various summer schools for international students has successfully worked at KubSU. Here are some examples:
* More than 50 students from the twin city of Karlsruhe have participated in the program of Russian Summer School for the past six years;
* In 2019, the International volunteer school for students of Nukus State Pedagogical Institute named after Azhiniyaz was held.
* The summer school «Economics of the Krasnodar Territory» taught in English was organized for students of the Southwestern University of Political Science and Law (Chongqing, China).
* For many years, American students from the Universities of Colorado, Kentucky and Angello University have improved the Russian Language skills and got acquainted with Russian culture in the framework of Russian summer school, etc.