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Moscow

Life in Moscow

Arrival

You must arrive in Moscow on the arrival date indicated in the program calendar. An onsite orientation meeting and the first few days of academic instruction will be held at the Moscow Program Center. During orientation, you will meet local faculty and staff and get a thorough introduction to the program.

The Moscow Program staff will make arrangements to pick students up from the airport and take them to their host family homes. It is important to provide details of arrival information to program staff as soon as travel arrangements are made and to keep staff informed of any foreseen schedule changes.

NOTE: If you choose to arrive early or stay on after the end of the program, you are responsible for arranging your own temporary housing. You will be provided with suggestions for affordable accommodations during orientation on the Stanford campus.

Accommodations and Meals

Housing is provided for the duration of the program, from the arrival date through the last day of residence as indicated in the program calendar. Students are placed in homestays located throughout the city. During orientation, you will complete a homestay preference form so that you can be appropriately matched.

All program participants will be on a 19 meals per week plan. Vegetarian and special dietary needs can be accommodated.

Meeting People

By getting involved in activities such as volunteering to assist in English-language classes, students increase their ability to explore Moscow life as the locals do.

Language Partner Program

The program's language partner program brings together Russian students wanting to improve their English with Stanford students developing their Russian. The language-partner interaction can lead to lasting friendships, as does spending time on university grounds or having lunch at local cafeterias. Language exchange can be an excellent way for students to get to know young locals and to feel more comfortable with the language.

City Life

Moscow is a repository of tradition from both its Soviet and Czarist heritage. Providing museums and theaters galore, palaces and onion-domed churches throughout, and an occasional sculpture of Marx or Lenin sentimentally preserved, the city is a treasure trove of history.

The city reflects a blend of east and west, Muslim and Russian Orthodox, modern and traditional. Art exhibits, concerts, experimental theater, ballet, cinema, and rock groups are just a few of the things that occupy the spare time of Muscovites. For the athletically inclined, there are opportunities to see Russia's preferred sport of hockey played at its finest. As well, it not unreasonable to state that the city's club and café scene rivals that of Europe's best.