Indian summer!!! Unforgettable moments while learning Russian, staying in hostfamily and enjoying vivid cultural program in Russia!!!

How much poсket money you need in Petrozavodsk

Every year a great number of foreign students come to Petrozavodsk and stay here for a couple of weeks. They don’t only go sightseeing and learn Russian but also live the lives of common citizens which means they have to count their expenses on meals, public transport or taxi, and leisure. So if you’re planning to come to Petrozavodsk this article should be very helpful for you. Keep in mind that all prices are given in rubles (1 euro = 40 rubles). First of all you might be interested in how much you’ll have to spend on food/nutrition. You can either choose to cook all the food yourself or to have your daily meals at a café. The first option is much cheaper but it takes a lot of time and effort especially if you have a busy schedule. You need as much as 200-350 rubles a day.

 

 

Bread costs about 30 rubles, milk also about 30 rubles, the average cheese price is 150-250 rubles for a kilo, sausages cost from 100 rubles and more. In summer and late spring vegetables are not very expensive. For example tomatoes are 100 rubles, potatoes 20-25 rubles for a kilo. The price on sugar is about 30-40 rubles for a kilo and tea is about 50 rubles and more depending on the sort. Meat is rather expensive and chicken is the cheapest kind of meat.

On the other hand you may prefer to dine out and in this case the cost depends on a place. Here are the cheapest places where you can have some great meal at the price of 150-200 rubles for lunch and dinner each: canteen at “Enjoy Russian” language school, café “Hermes” (Krasnaya st., 31), canteen “Petropit” (Lenina av., 19), canteen Pitservice 13 (Gulling st., 13), and café “Petrozavodsk” (Pravda st., 6). But if you prefer eating something special like sushi or pizza, and love good service you’ll be welcome in “la Parisienne” (lots od addresses around the city), café “Smile” (Pervomajskij av., 4b), “Belissimo” (Antikajnena st., 20), “Akvarel” (Karl Marks av., 12). However be ready to pay significantly more from about 300 rubles to 500 rubles and more.

 

 

Talking about transport expenses you should keep in mind that there are three types of transport. The first one is trolleybus which costs 17 rubles. The second one is “marshrutka” or a bus which costs 20 rubles. And in case of emergency you can call a taxi or grab a cab on the street which will cost you from 130 to 150 rubles depending on where you want to go. To get a taxi you can call the following numbers 777777, 222222, 560606, or 075.

 

 

And you surely want to relax and have some good time. You can go to the cinema or a club, bar, billiard or bowling and many more. One visit to a cinema costs from 200 to 300 rubles. To enter a club you have to pay from 250 to 300 rubles and God knows how much you will spend inside. Playing billiard usually costs from 200 to 300 rubles an hour so the bigger the company the cheaper the game!

 

 

We hope this article will help you organize your finances! Enjoy your stay in Petrozavodsk! 

“The Russian language course was well structured and I enjoyed the combination of Russian language studies with cultural and historical texts, as this kept the course clear. I really felt challenged through the few weeks, but never lost out of my depth. The Russian teachers were dynamic and passionate about their subjects and this really encouraged the students to achieve. I found it especially useful that all handouts were in the Russian language, so I found myself forming links in Russian between different words and ideas rather than simply relying on direct dictionary translations. My host family was friendly and relaxed. The Russian student-volunteers were willing to help. So I made good friends in Petrozavodsk whom I could ask for help or advice. The volunteers were truly the heart and soul of the program. The entire course was well-organized and fluid.”
Katherine Spann, UK

 

OUR NEWS!

23/05/2013

How was your last week? Ours was great! Two new students – Stuart and Abbigale – from Britain have arrived and started their course. We hope they are going to enjoy it as much as we enjoy learning something new every day!

For example, today we got to know that it’s World Turtle Day! And as you probably know, turtle is a symbol of wisdom, wealth and longevity. So we encourage you to celebrate by learning something new and remember to avoid eating turtle soup today!

15/05/2013

It seems like summer is finally on the doorstep and it means that city fountains are running again and our school season is starting. In a couple of weeks it’s going to be really busy out here! We can’t wait to welcome our new students. They will definitely have the opportunity to learn and to grow, inside and outside of the classroom.

By the way, today is the International Day of Families and a great occasion to celebrate the importance of families, people, societies and cultures around the world!

Here at Enjoy Russian we all feel like a big united family and every student who joins us immediately becomes a part of it.

Welcome to the family!

Victory Day

The 9th of May is a special day for all Russian people. This is Victory Day. This is the day when the Great Patriotic War finished (this is how they call in Russia the World War II). Many Russians celebrate Victory Day on May 9. On this day, TV networks broadcast World War II-inspired films, younger generations honor veterans, and the festivities culminate in a military parade at Moscow’s Red Square.

For the Soviet Union, the war started on 22nd of June 1941. A day before, on 21st of June, in all schools of the country there was a party - the last school ball. Girls and boys had just finished school. They were dancing, dreaming of the future and did not know that the following day, they would go to war and never come home again.

For the Soviet Union the war lasted for 4 years. It was a very hard time for everyone. In many cities and villages there was starvation. Millions of Soviet soldiers died in this war. But they won and became heroes to every Russian person.

Since then more than 65 years have passed. But Russian people do not forget their heroes. In every city concerts are held in honor of the Great Patriotic War. In Moscow in the Red Square you can see a big parade.

Many people attend a local military parade and watch the fireworks at night on Victory Day. The biggest parade is in Moscow’s Red Square, showcasing Russia’s military forces. Most veterans wear their medals as they head to the parade or an event organized by a local veteran organization.

Another tradition is to give flowers, usually red carnations, to veterans in the street and to lay wreaths at the war memorial sites. Neighborhood schools may host a program prepared by the students, featuring wartime songs and poetry.

At home, families gather around a festive table to honor surviving witnesses of World War II and remember those who passed away. They may also watch a favorite Soviet film based on the events of World War II, which is also known as the Great Patriotic War. These films are repeated each year but the audience seems to never grow tired of them.

Victory Day is a national holiday in Russia. Public offices, schools and most businesses are closed for the celebrations. There may be changes in public transport routes due to parades and street performances.

Victory Day marks Germany’s surrender to the Soviet Union in 1945. It became the end of the Great Patriotic War for the USSR, which lost about 25 million citizens in the four years of fighting. Interestingly, until its 20th anniversary (May 9, 1965), Victory Day was not a major holiday, unlike, for instance, May 1, and was considered a work day. Apart from the anniversaries in 1965 and 1985, Victory Day celebrations in the Soviet Union did not feature a military parade. This tradition started in 1995.

In October 2012, Prime Minister, Dmitry Medvedev signed a decree that would extend the Victory Day Celebrations from Thursday, May 9, 2013 to Sunday, May 12, 2013.

Common symbols of Victory Day in Russia are:

St. George ribbon – people wear this black-and-yellow ribbon on their clothes or tie it to car antennas as a sign of respect and remembrance.

Red carnations – blood red is the color of the Soviet flag under which the veterans had fought. Laying an even number of red carnations at war memorial sites signifies mourning and remembrance.

Red Star medal – a military distinction for bravery.