Strategy, endurance, surprise and resistance. For Russia, it's never just a game. Nizhnii Novgorod, your home for the semester, was destroyed and rebuilt seven times in its first 150 years. After the revolution in 1917, communist leaders tried to wipe out the old culture, destroying churches and imprisoning progressive people. But no struggle will stop this town. And in this way, Nizhnii is a reflection of Russia.
Russia's third largest city, Nizhnii Novgorod, situated on the confluence of the Oka and Volga Rivers, is "home base" for the program and where you will spend 12 weeks of the semester. This city, renamed Gorky during the Communist era, was closed for almost 60 years (1932-1991) due to its strategic location and production of military aircraft and submarines. This city of 1.8 million people was the international trade capital of the Volga region in previous centuries and offers insights into life in Russia's "heartland," which cannot be found in the cosmopolitan centers of Moscow and St. Petersburg. The University of Nizhnii Novgorod, one of the leading universities of the country, serves as host campus for the program, providing room and board, language instruction and opportunities for interaction with students.
