Country information: Russia
Russia, the world’s largest country, consisting of vast tundra and taiga landscapes holds a long history, culture and a great night life at the same time. it a huge country to describe in simple words with its numerous regions and many different people is quite a hopeless job.
The most popular cities amongst students are Moscow with its 10 million inhabitants and the smaller St. Petersburg with its white summer nights. The home of Tchaikowsky, Dostoyewsky and Pushkin is a perfect place to dive into Russian culture. Countless libraries, historical buildings and places are to discover. On the other hand, Russian nightlife involves a lot of drinking and a huge diversity of clubs to choose from.
Studying in Russia is less expensive than in most other countries, unless you choose one of the newer elite private colleges. They charge expensive tuition fees unlike State universities. Those are free for Russians and charge only a small fee for foreigners. But you should prepare your stay well in advance because bureaucracy will be a major hurdle. When contacting Russian universities, mind that it might take them weeks to answer your requests which can cause aggravating delays in your schedule. It is advisable to call rather than mailing them.
When looking for accomodation, you should plan it through a web site that locates room mates for you. If you decide to look for appartments yourself, you have to contact an agent in order to avoid your being scammed. The best choice for just a few months of stay is a room in a dormitory. In bigger cities they are comfortable and cost about 100 $ a month. Other expenses depend on whether you live like a Russian mogul or an ordinary Russian. Generally, life is quite cheap but if you call upon western style luxuries, it can get really expensive. With 400-500 $ a month you should be on living quite comfortable.
Student visas, so called stazhirovka, cost approximately 100 $ depending on the length of your visit. Here, as usual, expect 4-6 weeks of time before you actually have the visa. When entering the country you have 72 hours to register, then you are officially there.
Travelling in Russia is cheap and convenient because public transportation is well developed. Buses on the country side might be old and break down every once in a while. But be sure that some Russian will invite you to his home if it happens, So don’t worry about starvation or a longer teetotalism.
Russian weather basically consists of long and cold winters which makes you understand its inhabitants’ affinity for strong liquor. In the summer though, it can get very hot and humid. Whatever you decide to do or go to in Russia, it is an affordable and very interesting place for students