Russia is home to a myriad of language schools and programs located across the country. The majority of options for language study in Russia lie in the nation’s two most well-known cities.
Moscow, the 860 year-old capital of the Russian Federation, offers a majestic combination of ancient relics and modern tones. This iconic city is the country’s business, architectural, historical, scientific, and political center. The largest city in Europe, Moscow is home to one-tenth of all Russia’s citizens. The city is renowned for its distinctive architecture, the most remarkable of which are the nine domes of St. Basil's Cathedral, the Red Square, and the Kremlin. Moscow is also remarkable for its park life, characterized by summer cafes, outdoor dance parties and theaters, ping pong clubs, and bike paths. One of the greenest capitals in the world, forty percent of the city’s territory is covered by greenery. However, remnants of the defunct Soviet state are still very much visible in the Russian capital city.
St. Petersburg, formerly the imperial capital of Russia, continues to project a powerful presence and majestic splendor, with structures like the Winter Palace, Church on the Spilled Blood, and the Peter and Paul Fortress visibly standing mighty and proud along its horizon. St Petersburg’s vast historic center, with over 400 bridges and innumerable canals, has been dubbed the “Venice of the North” and was named a UNESCO World Heritage site. As Russia’s second largest city, St. Petersburg is also the nation’s cultural heart, home to the best collection of Russian art, classical concerts at the Shostakovich Philharmonia, world-class opera and ballet at the Mariinsky Theatre, and renowned music festivals.
Kazan. The third capital of Russia, Kazan ranks among Russia’s cities with the highest standards of living, following only Moscow and St. Petersburg. One hundred and fifty years older than Moscow, Kazan boasts a cityscape that is as whimsical as it is severe. Located between Europe and Asia, Kazan is the Istanbul of the Volga. It is the capital city of the Tatarstan Republic, the land of the Turkic people called Volga Tatars. Kazan has Russian and Tatar populations, and boasts a peaceful coexistence between Christian and Muslim cultures. A dynamic city with over 1000 years of history, Kazan proves to be a highly worthwhile travel destination and has been gaining a rapidly increasing number of visitors each year.
