#smolny college

[russianreader]

Jeffrey Epstein's Petersburg Connections

Jeffrey Epstein's Petersburg Connections

[spb-photo-album]

Smolny. ph.: Dmitry Pesochinsky

[whereintheworldisbella]

This is a picture of Smolny College, where I study. Smolny College is a department of St. Petersburg State University, and is the first liberal arts college in Russia. Founded in 1997 with the help of Bard College (USA), Smolny's first official academic year was 1999/2000. Today, about 500 students are enrolled in Smolny.

Unlike colleges and universities in the US, Smolny college is just one building, comprised of many classrooms and offices, a cafeteria, a courtyard, and a library in the attic. There is only one entrance from the street and there is no residential campus. The building itself is Bobrinsky Palace, and used to be the residence of Catherine the Great's illegitimate son. Studio arts and music classes usually take place at other locations are the city. For example, I'm enrolled in a Printmaking class, which meets in the Professor's home/studio in Haymarket Square.

Like students in cities, many of the Russian students show up for class, talk to a few students, then go home or go on their own way. Many keep to themselves, and even those who talk to others still only associate with them in school. In all, students are simply more independent than what I was used to.

The average course load is five courses per semester. Classes are usually 3 hours, 20 minutes long with a short break in the middle and congregate once a week. Classes can be lecture-style but are generally small seminars, like liberal arts colleges in the US.

Like other European institutions, sports and clubs are not associated with the school. If you want to play on a sports team, you need to join a club team outside of school.

To learn more about Smolny college, visit their website: http://artesliberales.spbu.ru/about-en