A tour of Saint Petersburg. Elena Safronova in the center.
The New Year holidays gave foreign students of the SPbGASU Preparatory Department many vivid impressions.
On 27 December, Anastasia Gubaidullina, Associate Professor at the Department of Intercultural Communication (IC), held a class for them at the A.L. Stieglitz St Petersburg State Academy of Art and Design. The international participants toured the academy building, learned about its history, architectural styles, design, and the preservation of cultural heritage. One of the academy students spoke about his studies at the university, its workshops, and the materials students work with. Participants also saw a unique collection of dolls in traditional costumes from various regions of Russia, allowing them to gain a deeper understanding of our country's culture.
That same day, another group of students from the Preparatory Department, led by Irina Chechik, Associate Professor at the Department of Intercultural Communication, and Natalia Savelyeva, Senior Lecturer at the Department, visited one of Russia's oldest museums, the Zoological Museum. The students were greatly impressed by the size of the exhibit, which showcases the diversity of our planet's animal kingdom. The ancient animals, especially mammoths, sparked genuine interest among the students.
With the arrival of a truly snowy and frosty winter, students of the Preparatory Department, together with Natalia Tishchenko, Associate Professor at the Department of Intercultural Communication, decided to master winter sports. On 29 December, the Chinese students took to the ice at Flagstok, St Petersburg's largest skating rink. The group's plans include a ski trip and alpine skiing.
That same day, as part of their cultural studies topic "New Year's Celebrations in Russia," students from another group in the Preparatory Department attended a tour led by Elena Safronova, Professor at the Department of Intercultural Communication, entitled "Walking along Nevsky Prospect: from the Duma tower to the Hermitage." The walking tour allowed the students to immerse themselves in the festive atmosphere.
On 7 January, a group of Chinese students, accompanied by Elena Selezneva, Head of the Department of Intercultural Communication, visited the Marble Palace. The students assessed the complexity of the completed and upcoming restoration work, explored the permanent exhibition "Art of the second half of the 20th century" and the temporary exhibition "Adults allowed," dedicated to childhood as an important stage in personal development. In the exhibition hall, they had the opportunity to sit at a young artist's table and put their impressions to paper. This experience will be long remembered!
