Date

Approx. March 10 – 18, 2007

DESCRIPTION

Explore Mother Russia on this weeklong spring break trip with the Center for Global Education. Faculty Director Jim Levine and the Center for Global Education - Mason Abroad staff will introduce you to the most important sites of Russian history and culture in St. Petersburg and Moscow. Local guides will help you get a feel for modern Russian life in the context of centuries old tradition.

The study tour begins in St. Petersburg with a tour of the city where you will see St. Isaac's Cathedral, one of the largest domed buildings in the word. You will also see the Admiralty building and the Peter and Paul Fortress. Another tour takes you to the world renowned Hermitage Museum. The Hermitage collections were put together over two and a half centuries and present world culture and are from the Bronze Age to the present.

Taking a day trip outside of the city you will visit the home of Tsar Paul I, Pavlovsk Palace and Park. Built under the direction of Charles Cameron, the famous Scottish architect, construction on the palace began in 1781. Today the palace is preserved as a museum, allowing you to see the opulence of Russian Imperial life.

An overnight sleep train will take you on to Moscow where you begin your stay with a city tour. You will visit the famous Red Square, which has been the center of Russian political life for centuries. While at the square you will also see the Savior Tower as well as the famous onion domes of St. Basil's Cathedral.

A tour of Kremlin will introduce you to the self contained 'city' with its palaces, churches and armories. An evening at the Moscow Circus and a farewell dinner cap off your stay before you return home.

Spring break in Russia will challenge your assumptions about Russian history and the modern day Russian state. Your first hand experience into Russian life will give you an insight few Americans possess.

To see the tentative day by day itinerary click here.

CREDITS

One credit is available for this program in courses to be determined. Students wishing to obtain credit for the program will pay an extra $267.

Housing

FACULTY

Jim Levine, Associate Professor of Russian, Department of Modern and Classical Languages, George Mason University

ELIGIBILITY

The program is open to George Mason University and non-Mason students of all levels, staff, faculty, and alumni, as well as the general public. You do not have to be currently enrolled as a student to participate in the program. To obtain credit, you need at least a 2.25 GPA.

COST

Program Fee: Approx. $2,473

The program fee includes:

• Round-trip airfare from Washington DC
  
• Russian visa fees and assistance in obtaining the visa
  
• Double accommodation in hotels
  
• Daily breakfast
  
• Welcome and Farewell Dinners
  
• One lunch
  
• Overnight train from St. Petersburg to Moscow
  
• Transfers between airports and hotels
  
• Transfers between cities
  
• Some transportation within cities
  
• Site visits and field trips
  
• Entrance fees
  
• Hotel taxes and service charges
  
• Pre-departure orientation
  
• Travel guide book
  
• International Student Identity Card
  
• All administrative and organizational costs

The fee does NOT include:

• Most lunches and dinners
  
• Personal expenses
  
• Passport fees
• Optional academic credit (extra $267)

Financial aid may apply, visit the financial aid office at your home university for details.

Center for Global Education - Mason Abroad reserves the right to make any necessary changes including adjustments in cost in the event that unforeseen circumstances arise.

APPLICATION & DEADLINE

Deadline: December 20, 2006

Apply Early to Secure Your Space

To apply, first, consult the "How to Apply" section and, second, complete the online Center for Global Education - Mason Abroad application. You must pay the non-refundable $50 application fee and the non-refundable $50 airline deposit for your application to be considered.

CONTACT INFORMATION

For more information contact: Rita Bartolo