Russian communication courses in Russia
Novosibirsk was founded in 1893 at the time of the construction of the bridge across the Ob River as a part of the Trans-Siberian Railway. From that time since, the city has never stopped growing and represents today the third largest city of Russia with about 1,500,000 inhabitants. Dynamic and modern, but still keeping an imprint from its Soviet past (broad avenues, many constructivism style buildings), Novosibirsk is also a great university city that is home to a total of 32 universities, institutes and academies and a renowned science research center Academgorodok. Regular flights are operated from Moscow and some cities in Europe (more details on flights to Novosibirsk). Unless you prefer travel by Trans-Siberian railway!
Unlike tourist-oriented cities such as Moscow or St Petersburg, hardly anyone in the various shops in the city will address you in English. A good opportunity for you to daily practice your Russian. Moreover people are much more friendly than in Moscow or St Petersburg and are always happy to meet and exchange with a foreigner.
The city is large enough so that you do not get bored (many cafes, restaurants, clubs, museums, cultural activities...) but without the excitement and the stress you can usually feel in large cities. Novosibirsk is a safe city with wide avenues, parks, a good metro and a small city centre where everything is easy to reach: It is the perfect choice if you want to make progress in Russian in a calm environment.
You will find many theatres in the city – the Opera and Ballet Theatre, which is the symbol of the city and one of the largest theatres in Russia, the Philharmonic Hall, where you can hear the symphonic orchestra of Novosibirsk, and many drama theatres. The city is also home to different museums: among others, one can mention the Railway Museum with its collection of locomotives of the Trans-Siberian, the Ethnography Museum which presents an interesting collection of local costumes, including costumes of shamans, and the Picture Gallery with birch bark artefacts.
The city leaves a completely different impression whether you discover it in summer or in winter. Climate in Novosibirsk is indeed harshly continental with hot and dry summers and cold and snowy winters. But this does not mean that life stops there in winter! Everything is designed accordingly (buildings / transport / schools / airport / road, etc.) and it's truly in winter that you will perceive the energy that animates the city and its inhabitants.
