Yale Summer Session in Batumi / Russian in Georgia: Second-Year Russian I & II + Culture

Description

[NOTE: Program details (overall status, dates, costs, etc.) are subject to change each summer, and the information on this page will be updated as such details are finalized.]

An intensive summer program abroad featuring language study at the second-year level of Russian that uses a four-skill approach - reading, writing, listening, and speaking with an emphasis on grammatical structure and communication practice. Students stay with local Russian-speaking families in the main resort city of Georgia on the Black Sea coast, known from Greek mythology as the land of Colchis where the Argonauts traveled for the Golden Fleece. In addition to rigorous language training, it features a rich cultural program that contextualizes Georgia’s historical and contemporary relationship with Russia past and present. Students experience the ancient and modern history of Georgia, its vibrant society, and stunning natural beauty. 

The program consists of a three-credit language course in conjunction with a separate one-credit culture course (RUSS S244) – Georgia, Russia, and the Caucasus in Literature, Cinema, and Visual Arts – that meets for 90 minutes twice per week. The culture course is an interdisciplinary exploration of Georgian and Russian cultural history through literature, cinema, and visual arts. Topics include Georgian and Russian cultures in their historical transformations and interrelations, representations of Georgia and the Caucasus in Russian literature, Georgian contributions to world literature and artistic culture, Russian-Georgian literary and visual avant-garde connections, the age of Stalin, and the politics and culture of Soviet and post-Soviet Georgia. The course is also supplemented by 20 hours of Georgian language instruction at the elementary level.

Budget

Yale Summer Session Programs Abroad updates program budgets in late January. Please note the year listed on the button below.

Summer 2024 Budget

Trips and Activities

Numerous field trips to important Georgian museums, historical, and natural sites align with the readings and lectures of the culture class. These trips include a three-night stay in Tbilisi – the country’s capital, a trip to Kutaisi, one of the oldest cities in the world and the capital of the ancient United Kingdom of Georgia, Gelati – an Orthodox monastery of the early 12th century and a religious, cultural, and academic center in West Georgia, the cave city Vardzia – the cultural center of South Georgia in the Golden Age of Queen Tamar and Shota Rustaveli, David-Gareja – a 12th century Christian Orthodox monastery and the cultural center of East Georgia, the Niko Pirosmani Museum in Sighnaghi in the heart of Kakheti, the main wine-region of Georgia, the Vladimir Mayakovsky Museum in Bagdati, his birthplace near Borjomi, the 9th-century city-fortress Akhaltsikhe, a trip to the mountains of Svaneti  higher than the Alps, and a visit to the Museum of Joseph Stalin in his birthplace, the town of Gori.

Housing

[NOTE: Students are required to stay in program-provided housing abroad.  There is no option for individually-arranged housing abroad.]

While in Batumi, students will live in the best part of the city by the Black Sea with carefully selected Russophone host families who will provide breakfast and dinner daily. Living conditions will vary, but most apartments will be within walking distance from classes.

Homestays are an integral part of this program. The living arrangements provide participants with the opportunity to learn more about the host culture, increase language proficiency, and form meaningful connections in the community. Students admitted into the program are expected to spend time getting to know their homestay families and be mindful of the need to balance time spent at home with time exploring the city or going out with friends. If you have any questions about living with a homestay family, we encourage you to reach out to the program instructor.

Participants must depart housing on the last day of the program.

Notes

The program starts on the 1st of June, Saturday, in Batumi, Georgia. The hosting institution in Batumi is a private school, Euro-2000, that offers instruction in various languages, including Russian. For the last week, the students travel for three days around the country and arrive in Tbilisi for the final three nights. In Tbilisi, students stay at a hotel, complete the academic part of the program, and explore the capital city with its culturally rich environs.

FOR SUMMER 2024: Participants are responsible for making their own travel arrangements to and from Georgia in such a way that they arrive in Batumi on June 1, 2024 (this will require departing the U.S. on Friday, May 31) but have their return flights originate from Tbilisi on July 29, 2024: NYC – Batumi; Tbilisi – NYC. The program will provide the transportation from Batumi to Tbilisi in the beginning of the eighth week. Sunday, July 28, 2024, is the last full day of the program. Additional information will be provided upon admission.

US and EU citizens, as well as citizens of many other countries do not require a visa to visit and study in Georgia for up to one year. See full list here.

The program staff in Georgia includes two local student assistants who accompany the program participants on all tours and provide them with additional language practice and possible help in everyday matters in an unfamiliar country.

Questions

For course content questions, contact Constantine Muravnik. For general program questions, contact the Study Abroad staff.

Important Information Before Applying

• All YSS Programs Abroad are intensive, highly structured academic programs for Yale credit and grades.
• Students may only apply to one YSS Program Abroad per summer.
• Admission is not guaranteed. Applicants should anticipate that more students will apply than there are spots available, and Yale College students should apply to a backup Non-Yale Summer Abroad opportunity.
• Ensure that your transcript reflects how you have met the pre-requisite, if applicable, prior to applying.
• Participants must commit to the full program dates. Late arrivals and early departures are not permitted.
• Participants are required to be enrolled in all program courses.
• Participants should expect evening and weekend requirements. Students who have questions about religious observance during a YSS Program Abroad are encouraged to Meet with an Adviser.
• Program-arranged housing is required for all YSS Programs Abroad. Students are not permitted to secure independent housing. Students who have housing-related questions about placements, allergies, religious observance, or disability-related access are encouraged to Meet with an Adviser.

Apply to a YSS Program Abroad