I'd like to invite you spend three weeks in the south of Russia to get some practical experience teaching English to foreign students and to learn something about Russia and Russian culture. Many people know something about Moscow or St. Petersburg from television or movies or travel brochures they have seen but few know anything about where I live, in the south of Russia. My home is Stavropol, the capital of the Stavropol region and one of the most beautiful and interesting places I have ever lived.

Come and experience Russian hospitality. Enjoy the nature, the food and the good feelings you'll get just being here. Come and teach some terrific students who are very interested in learning English and take back an experience you won't forget.

A bit about me

I took the International TESOL course in March 1998 and by June I was on my way to Rostov- on-Don, in the south of Russia to teach English. My children had grown up and moved out on their own, so this was just a bit of an adventure for me for one year. It didn't turn out like that. The Russian culture so intrigued me I stayed for a second and then a third year. Aside from the wonderful experience teaching Russian students, I was doing things I hadn't done in many years and some things I had never done at all. Russian saunas, lasting for three or four hours, are a social event unlike anything I had ever experienced. Russian billiards is not like what we play in Canada and after first thinking the game was not interesting, I came to love it. With a group of friends, we often head to the countryside to make shashlik, which is something like BBQ but many betters. Add to this, frequent short trips to the Caucasus Mountains and to the resort city of Sochi on the Black Sea, where I saw palm trees, banana trees and dolphins and it's not hard to understand why I love living here.

While in Rostov-on-Don, I took more and more responsibility and an interest in the school. Last year we decided to open a branch in Stavropol and I came here to get it started. We've been quite successful and are becoming well known in the city. I'm quite comfortable traveling on my own now so I have a chance to visit surrounding cities and smaller communities to develop business there.

I'm now starting my fifth year in the south of Russia and I don't have plans to live anywhere else. With so many changes happening in Russia right now, this an exciting time to be here.

Welcome to Stavropol, Russia. We sit in the south of Russia, north of the Caucasus Mountains and between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea. Stavropol is the capital of the Stavropol Region, an important agricultural area and just a few hours train ride from the natural mineral springs where people from all over Russia and Europe go to rest and improve their health by bathing in the waters. The Caucasus Mountains are spectacular and boast the highest mountain in Europe, Albrus, higher than any in the Alps.

Our summers are hot and the winters are mild, occasionally dipping below zero Celsius. An overnight train trip to the west will put you in Sochi where palm trees line the streets. The area is a favorite rest and relaxation area for people from all over Russia and Europe. Russian presidents have vacationed there for decades.

Before I left for Russia, my friends told me Russian food was terrible but I've found it to be just the opposite. Here in the south, food is plentiful and there is a mixture of traditional Russian cooking and Caucasian dishes. An invitation for a home cooked meal is nothing to turn down. Russians like to enjoy the beautiful nature that surrounds them and groups often travel to the forest or the countryside to make shashlik (Russian BBQ).

I particularly enjoy walking around the center of Stavropol with its many parks and wide tree lined sidewalks. There are modern shops with products from all over the world and older Russian style shops, which I find most interesting. Sidewalk artists offer to do your portrait and musicians playing accordions or violins reinforce the feeling that you are in Russia.

There are many places to play billiards, go bowling or take in a movie but for those looking to experience older Russian culture, a night at the theater to take in a play or watch an opera would be high on the list of things to do. Russia's long history gives rise to wonderful exhibits in the museums in and around Stavropol.

Stavropol, like other Russian cities, has one main cathedral in the center of the city and many smaller ones spaced throughout. You'll find the architecture of major buildings a mixture of modern styles and old traditional designs. You can shop in modern supermarkets or at the open-air markets but wherever you shop, you'll find plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables.

There's something for everyone in Stavropol. See the modern Russia or experience the Russia of years past. It's all here for you to enjoy.

Whom will we be teaching?

We will be teaching the Children of Russia here in Stavropol. We will teach at several schools, one of poor income levels and the other of medium income levels. The children will be between 6 and 16 years old., have had little formal English education but certainly have watched TV and seen movies in English with Russian subtitles.

You will be accompanying local teachers to their school and teaching with them and their colleagues during the normal school hours. You will find your students to be some of the most appreciative and happy children in the world.

We will be teaching 2 - 3 hours per day and will require a minimum of 1 hour for preparation each day.

We will most likely be teaching only Mon. to Fri.

Goals and Expectations:

This is a very exciting opportunity for all individuals holding an International TESOL Certificate to become familiar with the resources and schools in Russia. We will be working in a local school teaching children English ranging from kindergarten to grade 12. You will be given the chance to teach elementary aged children to young adults in high school. This is very important since it will give you experience working with both age groups. Lesson plans are expected to be put together daily upon reflecting upon your day previous days teaching. . You will be assisted to prepare and present great lessons to these wonderful people. Throughout and near the end you will be observed during your lessons and informal and formal comments on your success will be made with hints on how to become even a better teacher.

Where will we be staying?

Great North American style accommodations in double occupancy await you near the town center close to major parks, cultural centers and shopping.. 2 meals per day will be provided either in the house or at alternative locations.

What we will be doing?

We will be teaching some of the world's most inquisitive children. Your reward will come from the shown by these children. We will also be visiting some of the world's most beautiful scenes, mountains, rivers , and cultural sites.

What will it cost?

The cost of the "Experience of a Lifetime" is $3250. Cdn. plus international airfare and personal expenses in transit and while in Russia.

All local accommodations, food, cultural activities and local tours for 20 nights and 21 days are included in this price.

Cultural activities include: Russian language lessons 3 times per week, exposure to Russian culture, music and food as well as an opportunity to walk in the Caucasus Mountains.

What can I do to help these children?

Come and share your knowledge of the English language so these children may participate in the opportunities that will follow. If you have a few extra English reading books in good repair, please bring them and donate to the school library.

Most important, just bring yourself. You have what it takes to contribute to the future of these children.

When do we start?

We will start the "Experience of a Lifetime" in Stavropol on   July 4 to July 25 and August 1 to August 22.

All participants are responsible to arrive at the international airport in Stavropol on either July 3 or July 31. You will be met at the airport and taken to your "home" for the next 3 weeks.

How do I sign up?

Give us a call at 1-866-837-6522

More information on Russia

• The Country
• When to go
• Events
• Attractions
  • Moscow
  • St Petersburg
  • Novgorod
  • Trans-Siberian Railroad
  • The Volga
  • Sochi
• Culture

Russia

Russia's political icons and ideologies may have tumbled but Churchill's 'riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma' remains an apt descriptive chestnut. Outsiders still have only a hazy grasp of daily life in Russia, and the unfolding effects of a deregulated market economy are surrounded by rumors of rampant crime and prostitution, relentless drug-trafficking, mile-long queues for nonexistent food and a general end-of-the-world aura. But with countless cultural treasures having withstood the tribulations of history and economics, and an artistic legacy running the gamut from Karenina to Zhivago, Russia remains a must-see destination. So grab your balalaika, turn off the samovar and meet up with Boris and Natasha at Lenin's tomb in Moscow, in the queue outside the Hermitage in St Petersburg, in any one of the Golden Ring's gorgeous historic towns and in the wildflower-filled meadows of the Caucasus.

When to Go

July and August are the warmest months and the main holiday season. They're also the dampest - it might rain one day in three. So if you want to avoid the crowds and the rain, try May-June or September-December. In early autumn the leaves are turning and you can pick mushrooms and berries. Although winter is bitter, theatres open, the vodka comes out, buildings are warm and the snow is beautiful. Dress warm and you will LOVE it.

Events

Easter and Christmas are celebrated with midnight services, candlelight processions and flourishings of folk art. In April St Petersburg celebrates Music Spring, an international classical music festival, and the last 10 days of June feature the White Nights, a time for general merrymaking and staying up late. A film festival is held in Moscow in autumn in odd-numbered years. The Russian Winter Festival is celebrated in St Petersburg, Moscow and Novgorod from late December to early January, and includes folklore shows and vodka. The other main winter celebration is New Year, celebrated with presents, champagne and yet more vodka.

Attractions

Moscow

It may be the capital of the earth's biggest country, but it's not its biggest city. At times it looks like an administrative megalopolis from Alphaville, with monumental slabs of buildings and wide, grey roads. However, it's off these grey thoroughfares that the pre-Stalinised Moscow survives, with golden onion domes peeping through the narrow, winding inner-city streets and the glowing windows that hint at the secret interiors of a million apartment blocks. The most famous attractions include the Kremlin and Red Square.

St Petersburg

Russia's most European city has been dubbed the Venice of the North for its palace-lined waterways. Peter the Great's beautiful creation managed to escape the architectural incursions of Stalinism and its grandiose relics of tsarist days are virtually intact. Lying on the Gulf of Finland, and sculpted by islands and the sinuous Neva River, the city is a geometric vista of orderly elegance, with nary an onion dome in sight. Attractions include the State Hermitage Museum, Peter & Paul Fortress and the Nevsky prospekt.

Novgorod

Settled in the 9th century and for 600 years Russia's pioneering artistic and political center, Novgorod lies at the heart of Russia's history. Lying just 190km south of St Petersburg, the city was annexed by Ivan III, razed by Ivan the Terrible and methodically trashed by the Nazis, but there's still a lot left to see. Its Kremlin includes the Byzantine Cathedral of St Sophia, the Millennium of Russia Monument, the icon-filled Chamber of Facets and the research-based Museum of History & Art. Across from the Kremlin, Yaroslav's Court includes medieval markets, churches, arcades and palace remains. The Church of Our Saviour-at-Ilino is arguably one of Russia's most charming, with playful ornamentation and gables, and an interior boasting Byzantine frescoes.

Trans-Siberian Railway

A jaunt on the Trans-Siberian Railway is the way to see this massive country. The six-day, 9446km journey takes you from Moscow to Vladivostok on the Pacific coast, passing through endless forests of birch and pine, log-cabin settlements and vast steppes. Life on the rails can be boring or fascinating, depending on the nature of your traveling companions, your choice of paperback novels and the friendliness of your carriage attendant (a vital factor). The route takes you past Siberia's Lake Baikal, a waterway as big as Belgium and home to the world's only freshwater seal, and multicultural Irkutsk, the most appealing city you'll pass along the line. Ulan Ude is home to the country's seat of Buddhism, the Ivolginsk Datsan. Those who get into the rhythm of the stops and starts, and the passing parade of trees and far-flung towns, will find it an experience never to be forgotten.

The Volga

The main artery of the Russian heartland has always been the 3700km-long River Volga (Europe's longest), which slowly meanders from Yaroslavl, north of Moscow, all the way down to Volgograd, from where a tributary runs off to the Caspian Sea. The Volga-Don Ship Canal links it with the River Don, bound for the Azov Sea. Cruisers and steamships ply the Volga's waters, the most interesting section is between Volgograd and Rostov-on-Don. Town's en-route includes Kazan, one of the oldest Tatar cities in Russia, which features a limestone kremlin and several mosques; and Lenin's birthplace, Ulyanovsk, replete with attendant memorabilia. Volgograd, previously known as Stalingrad, is best known for the decisive and protracted battle fought here during WWII. The city has since been built from scratch, and appropriately grim museums and monuments proliferate.

Sochi

With the Caucasus Mountains as its backdrop, the Black Sea resort of Sochi is Russia's Odessa and Yalta. With its subtropical climate, warm seas and adjoining trendy resort complex of Dagomys, the resort has long attracted heads of state, foreign tourists and Russians alike. Gardens are a feature of the town, as are therapeutic establishments and the dachas (country houses) of the powerful and famous. Heading inland, there are waterfalls, hilltop views, spa towns and alpine vistas to enjoy.

Culture

Russia's 19th-century cultural legacy is overwhelming, with outstanding achievements in the fields of literature, architecture, ballet, musical composition and performance. The St Petersburg Imperial Ballet school produced dancers Anna Pavlova and Vaslav Nijinsky and choreographers Marius Petipa and Mikhail Fokine. The Ballets Ruse took Paris by storm in 1909, and later glories belonged to the Kirov and Moscow's Bolshoy companies, though a string of defections thinned their ranks. Concertos, symphonies and orchestral works have issued from household names such as Rimsky-Korsakov, Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninov, Stravinsky and Shostakovich. Russia's most characteristic architectural feature is its onion-domed churches, which evolved when the wooden churches of the north were translated into brick and colorful tile work. In the world of art, religious icons, futurism and revolutionary graphic art are instantly recognizable Russian forms. Cinema has always been an important art form and leisure pursuit, the revolutionary period best represented by Sergey Eisenstein's iconic Battleship Potyomkin and Ivan the Terrible; the recent past in the overtly symbolic work of Andrei Tarkovsky. Folk culture is remembered in the heroic stamping dances of the Georgian State Dance Company, regional embroidery and woodcarving, Russian dolls and the carved wooden houses of the east. Russian is the language of state business and the native tongue of over half the population. Central Asian populations speak Turkic and are Muslim. Although communism and religion were not the best of bedfellows, the Russian Orthodox Church survived and is a growing entity in today's Russia.

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©2003 International TESOL