Summer 2019 in Russia. 4-week cultural activities packages
Your Summer Russian classes will be supplemented with amazing 4-week cultural activities programs. 4 weeks is a good period of time to explore Russian culture, feel at home and improve language skills significantly. Within 4 weeks you will be totally immersed into a Russian way of life and travel in Russia. There are 2 options to choose: “Petrozavodsk vacation” and “Karelian vacation”. You will master your Russian speaking skills and have a good rest in Russia in summer 2019!
“Petrozavodsk vacation” program is for all those who prefer to explore the city and no to go out of it. Within the program, you will have a possibility to participate in unique activities such as Karelian street game “Kyykkä”, dancing and cooking classes. You will broaden your mind with the history and culture of Petrozavodsk while visiting the Museum and walking with the best guide in the world.
“Karelian vacation” program is for all those who want to have intensive vacation and travel! It will allow both to launch to exploration of the history and culture of Petrozavodsk and visit the most popular sites of Karelia and Russia. You will relax in a Russian banya, travel to amazing Kizhi Island which is the UNESCO World cultural and natural heritage site, enjoy the northern nature on Waterfall Kivach, know how Tsar Peter the Great has relaxed on the 1st Russian SPA “Martial Waters” etc.
“Petrozavodsk vacation” package includes:
Guided tour around Petrozavodsk
You have a chance to discover all the secrets of the amazing city Petrozavodsk!
You will walk around our cozy and green city with the best guide! The guide will show you the most interesting and exciting places of Petrozavodsk and tell you about the history of the city from the foundation to the 21st century.
Duration ~ 1,5 hour
Russian speaking club. Game club. Discussion club
Speak Russian and have fun with a Russian teacher.
The Russian club is a good place where you can practice your Russian, watch Russian films, discuss Russian books and play Russian games. The professional Russian teacher leads the club. The language of the club is Russian (available for all levels). Don’t be afraid of speaking Russian and even making mistakes. The teacher will help you to correct them and if necessary will explain everything in English. You will not only learn many new exciting things about our country, its people and culture, but practice the language, learn how to express your thoughts and feelings in Russian and have a great time in a good company. Duration –1,5 hour
Game club. Relax, but don’t forget about Russian. This is the idea! You can play various table games and practice the Russian language and communicate with other Russians. Such informal meetings with Russian teacher and other locals help you to learn the language easily.
Discussion club. These weird Russians, Russian way of life, relationships between men and women, traditions, food, culture, policy etc. You will choose with your teacher any topic you want to discuss and prepare to our spirited discussions.
Cooking class "How to cook Karelian pies - "Kalitki"
Kalitki are traditional Karelian pies with different fillings that have been knowing as a favourite pastry in Karelia for ages. Today Kalitki are eaten throughout Finland as well as in the neighbouring Estonia.
You will be immersed in the universe of the traditional Karelian hostess and cook Kalitki on your own! The leader of the cooking class Nastya will share with you her grandmother’s secret recipe. After cooking you will drink tea from real samovar and enjoy your selfmade treats!
Duration – 2 hours
Dancing class "Dance like Karelian"
Karelian street game "Kyykkä"
National Museum of the Republic of Karelia
Do you know that Petrozavodsk is of the same age as Saint Petersburg? Do you know that the name of the city refers to Peter the Great? How? Visit our National museum and know everything about Karelian history, archeology and nature! Exciting exhibition and interesting guided tour!
Duration – 1-1,5 hour
“Karelian vacation” package includes “Petrozavodsk vacation” package + activities below:
Kizhi Open Air Museum
Open air museum is located on Kizhi Island in Onega Lake. This unique historical, cultural and natural complex is a particularly valuable object of cultural heritage of the peoples of Russia. The basis of the museum collection – the Kizhi Ensemble – is the UNESCO World cultural and natural heritage site. Restoration of the Kizhi monuments is being carried out “in front of the world”. You will enjoy the magnificent landscape of the island and the world’s famous masterpieces of Russian wooden architecture.
Duration – 6-7 hours
Waterfall "Kivach", Volcano Girvas, 1st Russian SPA "Marcial Waters"
Kivach Waterfall is situated in the Southern part of Karelia on the river Suna. It is the second largest flat waterfall in Europe.
Volcano Girvas is an ancient geological monument of nature, that emerged about 3 billions years ago. You can observe volcanic formations in its breakaways and trails from lava flows.
The 1st Russian resort “Marcial Waters” was founded by Peter the Great and it is located in 54 km from Petrozavodsk! You still can drink water from a local mineral spring.
Duration – 7 hours
Russian banya
You can’t leave Russia without visit to Russian banya. It is the place where you can not only wash yourself, but also improve your health! At the same time banya is another Russian tradition of peaceful relaxing and communicating in special warm atmosphere.
Russian banya’s recipe for success is “steam+heat”. Temperature inside is about 70C and humidity is almost 100%. It allows to warm-up human’s body deeply. To make this process more effective different venik (bunch of tree twigs made from oak, birch, pine etc.) is used for massage.
There are two rooms in Russian banya: dressing room for relaxing and steam room.
So how to visit banya? Step by step
1) Before going to a steam room remove clothes (you can wear a bathing costume), rings, necklace, take off make-up.
2) Take a shower. Don’t wet your hair, put on a special hat or use a towel to hide your hair and not to get a heat stroke.
3) For the first time stay in the steam room no longer than 5-7 minutes and put a venik into warm water to make its leaves softer.
4) There is a stove with special stones on it in the steam room. As soon as the stones get hot you should water them. You can do it each time you need more steam and heat.
5) As soon as it is steamy enough you can srart to flog your friends with venik and then a change. Flogging with venik improves blood circulation and releases toxins.
6) To finish properly, you should take a 20-degree shower, dive in a cold pool or a lake.
Food and drinks. It is better to eat 1-1,5 hour before banya start. Bring some sancks and cool drinks.
Relax!
Duration – 2-3 hours
How does it work? Take a look at our exemplary cultural program timetable
