The Moscow Flair

July 25, 2016

We officially began our program as we landed in Moscow, Russia. After about 15 hours of traveling, each student was transported over to their homestays to rest and prepare for the first day of classes. As our taxi dropped off each student, I was able to observe many of the main roads of Moscow. I was told that the city was a mixture of Western and Eastern cultures, yet I found most of the architecture to be European-influenced. I was in awe when we drove by the many cathedrals throughout the city. Each one was covered in gold and an assortment of colors; they are truly unlike anything I have ever seen in America.

Our orientation was much shorter than I anticipated. After our morning language classes, we received our school IDs and SIM cards for our cell phones but did not spend much time going over syllabi and expectations. Since we reviewed most of the information several months before departure, each person felt confident that they were as prepared as they could be for our trip to Russia. I am eager to see how my classmates and I adjust to the academic rigor of our courses adapt to an entirely different culture.

Written By

Elisabeth Borja

Hello! My name is Elise and I am a senior at Northeastern University. I have a major in Communication Studies with two minors in International Affairs and French. I will be apart of the Tale of Three Cities Dialogue of Civilizations program, which takes place in Moscow, Kazan, and St. Petersburg, Russia. I hope that this Dialogue of Civilizations program will help me improve my Russian language skills, as well as educate me on the many parts of Russia that aren't shown in Western media. A fun fact about me is I speak three languages: English, French, and Russian. I am very eager to share my experiences with you for the next several weeks, and hope you continue to read my weekly posts!