St. Petersburg 2008

The Hermitage

Sun, 20 Jul 2008 01:36:48 +0800

One of the finest collections of art the world has to offer is located in The Hermitage in St. Petersburg. From Rembrandt’s renowned painting of “The Prodigal Son” to halls filled with art treasures from all around Europe, it is a wondrous step back into history, replete with vibrant colour, spectacular wonder, rich culture and modern art.

It is said that if you were to visit the Hermitage and spend a mere sixty seconds looking at each piece, you would need several years of 24-hour days to cover it all. Needless to say, the four hours we spent there barely scratched the surface of the breadth of treasures within.

Time Flies!

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 20:33:13 +0800

After three intensive weeks of English language instruction and study, the 2008 English Summer Institute draws to a close today.

Departing form our usual daily schedule, all the students and teachers gathered at 10:00 AM for an assembly at which each group of students presented a brief skit or song and then received their certificates for completing the programme. The teachers finished things off with a humourous look at the perils of riding the Metro in St. Petersburg.

We offer our sincere gratitude to God for the success of this summer’s programme through the work of the overall coordinators, Gordon and Judy Richardson, our host venue (St. Petersburg Christian University) and the teachers and students that made teaching and learning fun and interesting.

We are truly grateful for the bonds of friendship that have been newly made or strengthened over these past short few weeks. Just as in past years, a very strong sense of community, mutual respect and fellowship developed among all the participants over the course of the programme.

At the request of the teachers, the students provided much valuable feedback, which will be used to improve the curriculum for next year.

It is truly with mixed emotions that we reach the end of this year’s programme -- a sense of relief that the “always on” intensity has abated, mingled with deep regret that our time amongst new and old friends is drawing to a close for now.

We give thanks to God for a very happy and successful programme this year, and do not say, “goodbye”, but rather, “see you soon!”

The Canals of St. Petersburg

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 21:45:53 +0800

Whether it is a simple walk in the park, a visit to Dostoyevski’s Flat, an evening at the Mariinsky Theatre or an evening cruise along the canals of St. Petersburg, there are many truly special opportunities afforded by the English Summer Institute programme to visit and talk with students outside of the classroom.

The photos linked above show some of the truly beautiful architecture of this historic city, as seen from the canals and the river.

Jazz With Dostoyevski

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 22:06:02 +0800

Old meets new: a fusion of rich, cultural history (a visit through Dostoyevski’s flat -- a museum dedicated to the author) and an evening of Jazz...

We started our evening with a visit to Dostoyevski’s flat, accompanied by a number of students from the Business Class. We learned of his deep love for his wife, his passion for literature and the significant imprint his work left on the world of his day.

We then visited a small, elegant café to sample several varieties of МороЖеное (ice cream) before heading over to the Jazz Philharmonic for a wonderful evening of live Jazz music.

Novgorod: “New City” is 1149 years old!

Sat, 12 Jul 2008 20:49:16 +0800

Novgorod, or “New City” in Russian, is one of the oldest cities in Russia close to St. Petersburg. Next year, the city will celebrate its 1150th anniversary, with many people looking forward to this event.

With the help of some of our wonderful student hosts, we were able to visit an outdoor museum (a period village, showing the architecture and crafts of a century ago) as well as the city proper, in which we saw the Kremlin and various sights of this character-filled locale.

The visit to Novgorod was a wonderful time to deepen our appreciation of the Russian people and culture, and to continue to build our relationships among the students.

Hard at Work

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 23:49:38 +0800

Students at the English Summer Institute work hard -- very hard. The Business Class begins at 9:00 AM every morning, and runs for three hours until noon. The classes for English Teachers begin at 9:45, and there are two one-hour periods before lunch. Lunch runs from 12:00 until 12:45, after which we gather in the Activity Hall for a Sing and Share time until 13:30. At 13:35, the English teachers return to the classroom for their third period and this year, for the first time, the Business students have an option to return to their classroom for an hour of conversational practice.

The Business students remain in their programme the entire time -- fourteen days of instruction, four hours a day (including the optional conversation time after lunch). The English Teachers are divided into six separate groups, and each group attends a different class during each period. This way, over a two day rotational cycle, each class experiences each topic (and teacher) once.

This format has proved to be very effective at balancing between the number of students (up to ninety in the English Teachers’ classes and up to 20 in the Business Course), the number of teachers and a reasonable variety of topics.

To see the students in action, click the picture above for more photos.

Mariinsky Theatre: 149 Years of History

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 05:07:49 +0800

This evening, several of our students treated members of our team to a night at the Ballet at the famous Mariinsky Theatre. Rich with a lengthy history and culture, this theatre seats 1625 people, and dates back to 1859. For a brief glimpse into true Russian culture, click on the photo above to see some photographs of the Ballet.

Just Hanging Around

Wed, 9 Jul 2008 21:22:07 +0800

Returning from our visit to St. Isaac’s, we observed firsthand what it’s like to hang around in Russia (40 feet up, washing the building exterior)!

St. Isaac’s Cathedral

Tue, 8 Jul 2008 21:02:36 +0800

One of the oldest cathedrals in St. Petersburg, St. Isaac’s, is now a museum full of rich culture, tradition and history. Check out the photo page from the main Blog summary for a glimpse of some of the pictures of this truly spectacular historical site.

Week Two

Mon, 7 Jul 2008 20:53:03 +0800

With plenty of encouraging feedback from the students on week one, the team started week two with enthusiasm. There have been many opportunities for visiting with students during the day and in the evenings, and there are some wonderful examples of real Christian growth amongst the students.

Each day from 12:45 to 13:30, there is a Sing and Share time, at which we sing a number of fun and spiritual songs, hold a draw for some small prizes and hear a brief message on this year’s theme: Parables. Each day, Paul McKechnie has delivered some valuable insights into a variety of parables, and their relevance for us today. On many days, we have also had some special musical presentations to accent the delivery of the message.

A Weekend in St. Petersburg

Sat, 5 Jul 2008 20:42:56 +0800

With the first week of classes successfully behind us, the team enjoyed a visit to Pavlovsk Palace, one of the historic palaces near St. Petersburg. Traveling by train for thirty minutes, we found ourselves surrounded by a gorgeous, natural forest, replete with wildlife, wild flowers, creeks and pathways. As we walked toward the centre of the vast estate, various statues, manicured gardens and wonderful historic buildings emerged.

After a wonderful afternoon seeing various areas of the estate, we promptly got lost on our way to the evening’s venue, a Strauss Concert at the Rose Pavilion. Fortunately, thanks to the good graces of some kind people in the park, we found our way to the concert with only seconds to spare. It is amazing what gestures, an amicable nature and “ПОЖАЛУЙСТА” (Pazhalsta -- the Russian word for Please) can achieve, particularly when the map one is using is of questionable integrity!

The Earplugs Work!

Thu, 3 Jul 2008 04:48:15 +0800

Despite concerns that the long daylight hours in St. Petersburg (the sun rises at 4:30 AM and sets at 11:45 PM) together with the noise of a city in its period of “White Nights” (the Russian term used to describe the very short and bright night time) would make sleeping difficult, the team is ready to endorse a particular brand of ear plugs as being unexpectedly effective!

The doors on our dorm rooms can be locked from either side with the key. This makes for a very secure situation, but does create interesting challenges when one partner of one of our couples goes to bed early, and inadvertently locks the door, leaving a key in the lock on the inside, thereby preventing a second key from being used to unlock the door from the corridor outside.

When said partner goes to sleep, using an especially effective set of earplugs, we discovered that no amount of knocking, yelling or tapping at the window was sufficient to rouse our drowsy team member from slumber.

Only after a prolonged period of very loud slapping on the door did our peacefully sleeping team member awake, unlock the door and rescue the other partner from a long and uncomfortable night on the kitchen floor.

The adventure continues...

First Day of Class

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 20:33:47 +0800

At 9:00 Monday morning, our classes began in earnest. The Business Class, with fifteen students, began lessons in Conflict Resolution and Negotiations, led by Gordon Richardson, Paul McKechnie and Scott Hurd.

At 9:45, the Teachers’ Classes began, with the group of approximately seventy English Teachers being divided into six different groups. These groups will remain together throughout the three-week training period.

The classes this year consist of Comprehension of Genres (led by Tim Stewart), The Art of Speaking Well (led by Emily Stewart), The Dramatic Moment (led by Esther Wiens), a split class on Inuit Art -- Works on Cloth and Conflict Resolution (led by Libby McKechnie and June Buhr, respectively), Working With Words (led by Ruth Whitehead) and Listening Comprehension (led by Judy Richardson).

Getting Acquainted

Sun, 29 Jun 2008 20:26:38 +0800

The first couple of days were filled with activities: getting settled in to our residence, meeting the whole team, familiarizing ourselves with our surroundings and getting to church Sunday morning at the nearby Anglican church where Tanya regularly worships.

We then walked the streets of St. Petersburg for a few hours to take in some of the rich culture and history, before settling down to begin classes Monday morning.

The Adventure Begins

Sat, 28 Jun 2008 20:13:37 +0800

Following an hour-long delay leaving Ottawa on Thursday, June 26 and a smooth 7-hour flight direct to Frankfurt, the Ottawa group boarded a convenient connection bound directly for St. Petersburg. We met up with other team members in the airport, and arrived in Russia at approximately 13:30 on Friday.

Tanya Philpott met us at the airport to escort us safely to St. Petersburg Christian University, the venue for the three-week programme.

At the University, we have all the required amenities: comfortable dorm rooms, a kitchen for our use, and Gordon and Judy have ensured the fridge is well stocked for the meals we share in common. For a look at the facilities, check the photo album by clicking the picture above.

The Team

Thu, 26 Jun 2008 04:34:25 +0800

This year, the team to St. Petersburg is made up of a mixture of new and returning members from all across Canada.

From British Columbia, Tim and Emily Stewart join the team for the first time, working with the English teachers.

Returning this year are Esther Wiens and June Buhr from Saskatchewan. Both Esther and June are experienced teachers, and have a real love for Russia and the people in this programme.

Returning this year from St. Paul’s are Gordon and Judy Richardson (the programme coordinators), Paul and Libby McKechnie and Ruth Whitehead. Scott Hurd also joined the team this year for the first time.

Tanya Philpott works as the on-site coordinator in Russia, and is the key member of the team handling registration for the programme, and ensuring all the proper local arrangements are made effectively.

Tim, Emily, Esther, June, Ruth, Judy and Libby will each be teaching a class to the English Teachers, and Gordon, Paul and Scott will be teaching the Business Course.