Crossroads Eurasia: Internships in Russia

I interned in Ryazan, Russia through Crossroads Eurasia in Summer 2012. There are really no words that can describe the experience, except that it was absolutely life-changing, and one that I know I will never forget. I taught English and Spanish at a small private language school, and one of the most valuable experiences was the fact that practically all of my students became my friends. I even had a summer romance. :) Three years later, I am still in touch with a few of the students and teachers at the language school. Ryazan was a wonderful city and the fact that my host was a girl my age really gave me an authentic, fun experience. It was very easy to join her and her friends in going out to bars, plays, to the circus, etc. I would definitely recommend the program to anyone. It's about as authentic as you can get if you really want to experience the Russian culture.

In the summer of 2011 I worked as an English teacher in Ryazan’. I was on my second trip to Russia and was curious of my trip would be in comparison to my first time. My experience in Ryazan’ was honestly one of the best experiences of my whole life, although it was only for one month. My host family was very hospitable. I had a wonderful hostess who became like a sister to me in the time that I lived with her and her family. Her parents only spoke Russian, so I was able to get very good practice with speaking and enjoyed having conversations with them. They made me feel like a son to them.
I was the instructor of the adult class, and luckily my students had prior knowledge of English. I felt a little bit foolish at first when I went to my first class expecting everybody to be at a low level of English knowledge (I started with the ABCs) and then found that many of them could hold a conversation in English. I worked with them to expand their vocabulary on a variety of topics and to help with to increase their fluency and comfort in speaking English. Some of the topics we discussed were travel, entertainment, food, family, and politics. I was very proud of the progress that my students made in the month that I worked with them, and I am delighted that I still keep in contact with some of them. Overall, my experience as an English teacher was wonderful and completely worthwhile. I truly enjoyed working with my students.
Outside of class, there was plenty of time to explore Ryazan’, meet new people, and just plain have fun! One of my favorite things to do while there was to meet up with the other volunteers and hang out with them and a group of Russians who we had befriended. The Russians we met are some of the nicest and most genuine friends I’ve made and I’m glad that I can call them friends. Aside from meeting people, Crossroads set up some nice excursions, including a trip to the city of Kasimov and a camping trip to Brykin Bor. Brykin Bor was a very peaceful place and the people who we stayed with, the Klimakov family, were very hospitable and lovely people. I was also fortunate to go on an evening trip to Konstantinovo, the birthplace of poet Sergei Yesenin, and on a camping trip with some of my friends to a lake where we swam at midnight. Needless to say, if I were to visit Ryazan’ again, my to-do list of visits would be huge!
If I could, I would go back to Russia and teach English and do it all over again. It was a truly worthwhile and amazing experience.

I had a wonderful time in Voronezh. It really is a chance to get to know the real Russia. I'm still friends with most of the Russians I met there. It's a great way to learn Russian and learn about the Russian culture. One of the best parts of the program was that you do have a lot of freedom to make your trip how you want it, and there are lots of opportunities to converse with Russians. Living in Voronezh gave me more of an open mind, a different perspective on life, and I learned a lot about another culture as well as my own. I learned a lot, and I had so much fun along the way. Also, the weather in the summer is great! I 100% do not regret my choice in going to Voronezh.

Vlad is a great resource and understands American and Russian culture both very well. He is also easy to get along with! Another important thing is that Vlad did a good job of choosing the fellow Americans that go on the trip with you. The Americans were adaptable, charismatic, and had a sense of humor. This proved to be a humongous help when things didn't go smoothly, and the other Americans acted as a support group for me.

What you get out of the program depends on what you are willing to put into it. My best advice, SPEAK RUSSIAN! You are there to teach English, but after class, get out and explore, meet locals, go to movies, or just the supermarket. CrossRoads helps get you to Russia, it's up to you to take advantage of the opportunity.

I traveled to Nerekhta in the summer of 2011 to teach English at the International Youth Center. As an English and Communication major with hopes of becoming a secondary English teacher, my main motives for seeking a program like this was to gain teaching experience and to travel.

My host family was amazing: hospitable, kind, understanding and always asking questions. I felt living with a host family was a valuable component of my experience because it was an authentic glimpse into the lives of people from a completely different part of the world than what I'm used to. I'm also a vegetarian and was pretty anxious about how this would play out, but again, my host family made sure I had everything I needed. I always felt included, whether that be with going to pick berries, going swimming in the river, or making dinner, they always invited me to do family activities.

I also loved that on weekends we would take little day trips to neighboring cities. We had a lot of freedom when it came to exploring and I was grateful that I was able to see more than just my host-town while I was there.

One to three months can seem daunting especially if you haven't traveled alone before, but Crossroads helped so much in the whole process and made it incredibly stress-free. They gave me a timeline (and as someone who loves making lists and charts, I found this especially great), and also helped with the visa process, and coordinated my living situation, having someone meet us at the airport and help us travel to our destination. If this hadn't happened, then I would have been so scared and confused. My Russian skills aren't the best, and working out how to get around a new city is difficult enough! Communication between myself and the coordinators was always really easy and they were always helpful. It's rare that in an international teaching program the correspondence is personal and friendly. I'm so glad I went through Crossroads to have my international teaching experience and would definitely do it again!

I traveled to Voronezh, Russia with Crossroads Eurasia in the summer of 2011. This was one of the best traveling experiences I have had, and will color my traveling choices for the rest of my life. This program organized living and working arrangements, as well as coordinating traveling details that would have been incredibly difficult for me to work out on my own -- we were supported with everything from getting a visa to securing plane tickets, navigating the Russian airports, and finding transportation to our town.

I lived with a Russian family who were kind, supportive, thoughtful, and immersed me completely in the culture and language. I got to experience cooking, driving, public transportation, markets, malls, birthday parties, beaches, dachas, rivers, caves, and endless other events and experiences that one doesn't normally find when spending time in a foreign country. I truly felt welcomed and supported by the community that Crossroads connected me with. Due to this unique immersion experience, my Russian language skills improved exponentially. I worked tutoring English students in small classes through a language school in the city, as well as spending time at a children's camp for Russian kids learning English. These experiences were challenging and rewarding, and I made several new friends through the process.

While I got a brief but fantastic tour of Moscow during my traveling/transition period, one aspect of this program that I truly appreciated was the opportunity to travel to, around, and really live life in a city that I would never have otherwise experienced. Living and working in Voronezh for a month taught me amazing things about life and independence. The difference between visiting a place as a tourist and really experiencing another culture was sharply highlighted, and in my future traveling experiences I will strive for a deeper understanding of the places I go, because I know how rewarding that is. Professionally, I now have a much greater understanding of the international community, as well as having a sincere connection with other Crossroads alumni.

I'm incredibly happy I decided to participate in a Crossroads Eurasia program the summer after my freshman year. Spending a month in Nerekhta allowed me to improve my Russian language skills and to see a different side of Russia.

In Nerekhta I volunteered as an english teacher at the International Youth Center. Even though I had only studied Russian for one year and had never taught English, I felt right at home in my new environment. My fellow American volunteers were amazing. Lessons were always fun and it was a joy working with determined students.

I also had a wonderful homestay experience. My host parents went out of there way to help me learn as much as possible about Russian culture. We went to the banya, Orthodox church services, and community events. On the weekends I would travel around the region with them. I visited Rostov, Kostroma, Yaroslavl, and Moscow. They always made sure I was comfortable and truly made me feel like part of the family.

Making new friends, experiencing Russian culture, teaching great students, improving your Russian, seeing a different side of Russia – that’s what this program is all about. More ever, Crossroads Eurasia is a family. I still keep in contact with fellow volunteers as well as the coordinators. Nothing but good things to say.

Crossroads Eurasia provided me with the greatest summer of my life with a one-month internship in Voronezh, Russia. I lived with a Russian family in their apartment, but had my own bedroom, access to internet, and plenty of delicious home-cooked meals every day! Because of my teaching experience in Voronezh, I have increased my professional and social networks, added measurable experience to my résumé, and become not only friends, but family, with many Russians.

A true highlight of my time in Voronezh was the time outside of work that I spent with Russians. We engaged in a true cultural exchange, and I still talk to my Russian friends on a weekly basis. My knowledge of the Russian language improved exponentially, and allowed me to grow even further academically when I studied abroad in Saint Petersburg a few months later.

While there are a few practical difficulties when living and working in a new country (like learning the public transportation and cultural norms), Crossroads Eurasia provided the expert advice and support needed to feel truly comfortable. I knew that no matter what happened, this program would be able to help me feel at home.

If you are looking for a fun, exciting, challenging, professional, and off-the-beaten-trail experience in Russia for the best deal, you don't have to look any further than Crossroads Eurasia!