The students began arriving on May 27th. The students had a little less than a week to get accustomed to life in the dorms and in Moscow before jumping into the intensive Russian language courses. Here are some of their first impressions of Moscow and of Russia!
Tabitha Vance – Of the many things I expected from Moscow, the only real, accurate stereotype is that the city never sleeps. The streets are always being cleaned, people are always moving, and even the hectic flow of traffic is persistent at all hours of the night. The architecture is otherworldly. From intricate murals in every metro to the well-preserved Soviet skyscrapers, everything in Moscow points to a rich and complicated history. As an outsider, or more specifically, an American, being totally immersed in a city with such a vibrant and tumultuous story is jarring in the best kind of way.
The people here are still blasé, but they aren’t detached. If your shoe is untied, your bookbag open, or your clothing not warm enough, the Russians around you will let you know. The almost nurturing nature of complete strangers is endearing, if frustrating when you are trying to catch the metro.
The most important fact, and often the one most overlooked, is that Russia is just a country. The people here are real. They enjoy crappy television, good food, and time with the people they love. They laugh at stupid jokes, skip cheesey ads, and get frustrated ordering at electronic food kiosks. Despite the politicization of the country as a whole, their culture does not end with the Kremlin–not by a long shot.
Auriel Moore – I’m glad to say that I have been pleasantly surprised by Moscow. I try to travel to new places with as few expectations as possible, so I can be open to having a good time, and these past three weeks have been great. I’ve loved riding around city examining the architecture, navigating the metro stops, and just enjoying the weather as I walk down the street. I thought the people here would be more distant, but most have been very kind to me, especially with the language barrier; and even with the stares I get, I’ve always felt safe to explore our local area and walk to school by myself. Overall, this program has already been more than worth it, and I’m so excited to continue living in Russia.
Courtney Thomas – My first impressions of Moscow were absolutely positive in all aspects. This city is so beautiful, full of history, and very interesting people. The culture shock wasn’t as bad as I predicted, of course there are a few differences, but nothing that I couldn’t quickly adjust to. Within the first two weeks, I feel like I’ve seen so much, but there’s still so much more out there. Essentially, the more time I spend here, the more I could see myself living here for a few years.
Devon Parodi – I expected Moscow to be a large hectic city filled with cold, angry people and a hostile culture, instead Moscow has been extremely welcoming and hospitable to us, the local Russians have been mostly extremely kind and excited that we are learning their language. The city is hectic but manageable, the metro is amazing, although a good vector for catching illnesses, and the drivers in Russia are just as bad as youtube videos make them seem. I love Moscow so far, the atmosphere, the people, and the food is amazing, along with a generous exchange rate everything is so cheap here, it has quickly became one of my favorite locations in the world.
Isabel Klinner – Moscow has been home for almost a month now and it is so different than any other place that I have been to. A big difference from home is that I have to use public transportation, but when you have the amazing works of art in some of the metro stops it makes the commutes to school awesome! Living in a big city has been a big change for me but overall it is easier because everything you could need is either a short walk or metro ride! Moscow has so much to see and do that I feel that two months is too short of a time to accomplish everything on my list!
Frederick Carver – Moscow has lived up to my original expectations. The city has proven to be beautiful, vast, and filled with adventure. I have been intrigued by the visual remains of the communist regime’s legacy as well as moved by the gravity of the historical sights and monuments. I have really relished being able to freely explore the city and interact with its people and I know these initial experiences have already improved my understanding of this nation’s character and language. I consider myself very privileged as an American to have the chance to study this country firsthand.
Josh Maier – So we’ve been in Moscow for about 3 weeks now, and I would say that I have nothing but positive things to say, but that wouldn’t be true. For the first couple of days, I was actually a little disappointed, but that was my own fault. In the months leading up to the trip, I built up a grand mental image of what I thought the city would be, but I forgot that a city is still a city, no matter how grand it is. Once I started seeing the city for what it actually is, I started to appreciate it more. The city was clean, despite the white fluff flying everywhere. The people are actually nice, despite the fact that they will run you over in the metro.
Justice Browning – When I first got to Moscow I was very excited but tired. One of the first things I truly noticed was just how busy Moscow is. Traffic was backed up very bad. I also notice how amazing all the details on the buildings were. It really showed how technologically advanced Russia really is.
Lindsay Hodge – My first impression of Russia is that it is very similar to the United States. While we are adversarial countries, we share many of the same capitalistic and democratic principles, at least in theory. The unique architecture and superior cleanliness are the biggest differences I have noticed between Moscow and large American cities. Personally, the only problem I have faced is the language barrier. Russia has a diversely opinionated population that I hope to continue to connect with during my time here.
Marylyn Gafford – I’m happy to say that all of my first impressions of Moscow have been extremely positive. Before coming here, it was difficult to move past the stereotypes that had been impressed upon me for so long about Russia and its people. However, Moscow has surpassed all of my expectations. It’s clean, safe, and easy to navigate. While people might not smile and wave to each other in the streets, Moscovites are by no means the cold and distant people that we have been led to believe they are. Most of the Russians that I have had the chance to sit down and talk with have been friendly and warm. However, the best thing about the city by far is how affordable it is for Americans. Our money goes much further here, which means that you can enjoy everything the city has to offer without breaking the bank. Overall, Moscow has been incredible, and I can’t wait to get to know the city even more over the next few weeks.
Matt Lombard – My first impressions of Moscow give testament to the stereotypes that I would usually hear back in the United States. Russian people are incredibly nice and hospitable, contrary to what we as Americans would think about the population. On many occasions, people have been overjoyed to help me when I am unable to convey my ideas or wants in stores and restaurants. the driving stereotype seems to be true from what I have seen, the road lines apparently are only there for show, for I have seen many drivers driving on two lanes for a good distance. Moscow has been a blessing for me, and the people are almost more hospitable to foreigners than the American population itself.
Michael Tanner – My first impression of Moscow is full of love and excitement. It was much less of a culture shock than I expected. I thought I was going to be overwhelmed and distraught by Russia but Moscow has proved me wrong. Everyone is very kind and accepting. Even the teachers have been patient with us. I love it here and I am very thankful for this opportunity.
Molly Saul – My initial impression was just absolute awe. I literally couldn’t believe I was actually here, and in all honesty, it didn’t feel real. I had only dreamed of visiting Russia one day and being able to finally witness sights like St. Basil’s Cathedral in Red Square in person, I just couldn’t even breathe. I have been absolutely blown away by the beauty of it all. I have experienced some culture shock of course (the metros were a bit daunting at first) , and that has had its ups and downs, but all in all, Moscow has been such an adventure!
Nikki Johnston – My first impression of Russia was how pretty all the buildings were. Fashion is a huge part of the culture in Moscow, everyone’s style is unique. Personal space isn’t a thing here, that took me a few weeks to get used too. Overall it’s very beautiful, very nice, hopefully culture shock doesn’t last too long!
Shelby Merritt – Out of all of the big cities I’ve been to in my life, Moscow is definitely the most surreal of them all. I’ve never had a city feel more spread out and spacious, yet closed-in all at the same time. The metro system makes it amazingly easy to get around such a huge city, and I feel like I’ve never seen the same strangers twice on there, yet I somehow randomly run into my classmates all the time while I am out and about far from the dorms. The people here have also gone above and beyond in terms of friendliness and kindness; whether pointing out an untied shoe on an escalator to prevent a lost shoe or injury to handing back dropped money or items to even showing extreme patience when you try to use your basic Russian skills, the people in Moscow definitely aren’t as cold as we Americans were led to believe. Moscow also never seems to sleep, which is understandable when it barely gets 5 hours of darkness at night, although this can make it hard to balance school and fun as you want to stay up until the fun stops (hint: it never does).
Zoe Kontak – When I think about being in Moscow these past few weeks, the first thought that comes to mind is the intricate and tightly-packed metro system. I can successfully navigate my way to maybe two different places in the city without having to stop and look up at the signs to see where I am, or attempt to ask the metro workers how to get to a specific stop that I am probably running late to. In general, I don’t think I got as much culture shock as I (and the study abroad workers at South) thought I would. There are obvious differences when comparing Moscow to the US, (the main one being Cyrillic on the signs everywhere), but all in all, I feel like I could be somewhere back home in the United States.
USA in Russia 2019 