You hear a musician's song and are immediately transported back to a picture you saw in the Hermitage, one of the world's leading museums of art.  You've been to the Tret'iakov Gallery and seen a ballet at the Bolshoi theater -- but nothing prepared you for the wonder of the Hermitage.  Seeing those amazing examples of Russian history and art, you realize that Russians have a passion for beauty.  And as you come to love the Russian soul, you embrace their passion.

Service Project  
Each week, students volunteer with local community projects, church organizations, business enterprises, schools and orphanages in Nizhni Novgorod. Students seeking additional credit for the service project component may arrange up to two additional credits with their home institution through an independent study project, by keeping a journal or doing a separate report based on their service project experience. This must be arranged and graded by the home campus. 

Travel
The RSP curriculum incorporates travel and visits to local sites as well as the cities of Moscow and St. Petersburg.  The extraordinary landmarks, historical resources, churches, museums, art galleries and government institutions of Moscow and surrounding regions are the classroom for ten days of the semester.  Students also visit St. Petersburg which because of its many rivers and canals, is often called the "Venice of the north."  The city's rich historical and cultural resources provide a venue for additional study of Russian society.