My Experiences with ISA: Russia December 2008 - July 2009

During the winter and spring terms of the 2008-09 academic year, I was in Rostov-na-Donu in Southern Russia on an ISA study abroad program. Just to get this out of the way, the time I spent in the Russia, was the best experience of my life. My proficiency in Russian increased ten-fold, and I can safely say that I am somewhat conversational. While in Russia, I attended the Don State Technical University (or DGTU) where I took classes in the department of the Russian language. Outside the classroom, I performed a very rigorous study of the Don Cossacks, which is an ethnic group of Cossacks that live in the Rostov region. I also met a lot of amazing people, and I have many wonderful stories about the place that has, by many respects, become a second home for me.

Before discussing my ISA, or Independent Study Abroad, experience specifically, let me just take a moment to explain what the ISA is. As it is defined by the Union College website, the ISA is:

The Independent Study Abroad (ISA) program is designed primarily for students in their junior year who develop a passion for going where Union does not have an international program and/or who want an autonomous experience in a foreign culture…Placing the emphasis on independent study and the responsibility for program design on the student will likely foster much greater cultural immersion during the time abroad.

I feel this definition of the ISA, albeit a little broad, is fairly accurate. Regarding the application process, whereby students submit their proposal idea along with a request for funding, the following should be considered:

A.) If the country, for which you are applying, requires a lengthy visa process time, I recommend that you start this process early. I made the mistake of waiting until the last second, which, as I learned, should be avoided at all costs.

B.) Do research on the cost of living of the region you will be residing in. This will be important when you submit your budget to the ISA committee for review.

C.) You must find a professor who sees eye to eye with you on your project to serve as your project advisor.

Although these points do not encompass all the things that you must remember, they are perhaps the most pertinent. However, enough of that boring stuff, I want to discuss with you some of my experiences in Russia.

Perhaps the most interesting part of my trip to Rostov-na-Donu were my interviews with the Don Cossacks. Without going into too much detail of the history of the Don Cossacks, let me just say this: they were the first Cossack group to form in Russia (as a direct response to Tsarist Serfdom), were perhaps amongst the most ferocious warriors ever, and played key roles throughout Russian history. The modern Don Cossack is considerably different than what he was approximately 500 years ago; however, the Don Cossacks remain a very fascinating bunch. Typically, upon arriving at the home of a Don Cossack, who was willing to be interviewed, I would be ushered away into a central sitting area (or their kitchen) where upon I was offered tea (or vodka) prior (or sometimes following) the interview. In short, the interviews were typically quite lively and full of stories, anecdotes, phrases, and vocabulary exclusive to the Don Cossacks. I have included a photo of myself with a Don Cossack (and his friend) following one such interview.

Apart from the interviews, I also attended Russian classes at DGTU. These classes were also an excellent learning experience as well, since I was the only American in the class. In my class there were: North Korean students, Chinese students, Vietnamese students, Afghani students, as well as Lebanese students. These students, who typically didn’t speak English well, provided me with a very interesting opportunity to meet and speak with people who, (since I am American), I might not have otherwise been able to get to know. In addition, the classes were taught completely in Russian. This made for a plethora of interesting situations; however, I feel that this played a role in my greatly improved vocabulary in Russian, since it facilitated complete immersion. Overall, English was spoken rarely, causing an even greater cultural experience, which was further fueled by my various travels throughout Russia.

I would also like to speak briefly about my lengthy and in-depth excursions, both in the Rostov Oblast (Rostov Region) and throughout Russia. I took a number of trips of a semi-local nature, in that they were all within the Rostov Oblast. Some of these destinations included: Zenograd, Starocherkassk, Novocherkassk, as well as Azov. All these cities are hotspots of Don Cossack culture and I visited a number of festivals, Don Cossacks, museums, cathedrals, as well as other attractions at each of them. An event that sticks out in my mind was the Labor Day (May 1^st) celebrations in the city of Zenograd, which included a number of dance performances by old and young Don Cossacks alike. Following those dance performances, fireworks were launched into the air, which illuminated a statue of long gone “Comrade Lenin” with every burst of light. That day was certainly a day that I won’t be forgetting for a long time to come. Outside of the Rostov Oblast, I took two major excursions: one to St. Petersburg, and one to Moscow. In both cities I visited museums, including the famed Hermitage, along with a great deal of other sites, enhancing my knowledge of Russia along the way. All in all, my travels in Russia were perhaps some of the most rewarding experiences of my life.

Before I conclude I want to again clarify that what I did isn’t for the faint of heart. I planned, administrated, and executed every aspect of my term abroad. I managed my expenses, located Don Cossacks for interviews, dealt with the university, bought tickets, and lived in almost complete independence from Union College for two academic terms. In short, the structure that existed was the structure that I composed myself. However, if you are good at managing yourself, and pushing yourself to new educational extremes, I highly recommend the ISA program offered here at Union. It certainly is a once in a lifetime opportunity.

Richard J. Paikoff ‘10