I learned about the FLAS fellowship program from my Russian professors in the fall of 2021. It sounded like a great opportunity to study Russian intensively. I applied to Middlebury College’s 8-week Russian language program, and FLAS covered the entire cost. I attended the program with a friend and classmate from Penn State, and we had a good time. The program was challenging but very rewarding, and our Russian skills improved immensely as a result. One particular part of the program that I really liked was the fact that our teachers were native Russian speakers. My friend and I were in the same classes which were taught by two teachers from Russia and one from Kazakhstan. They were all young, too, which meant they had a lot to teach us about the modern culture of Russia and Kazakhstan. There were a lot of opportunities to participate in extracurricular and cultural enrichment activities, and I personally really enjoyed hearing new music and watching a very funny Soviet comedy called Операция Ы (“Operation Y”). I talked with the Kazakh teacher a lot and learned a lot about Kazakhstan and her thoughts and experiences.
Vermont itself was also very nice in the summer. Anyone who is a nature lover will love Vermont and its vast forests. The city of Burlington, Vermont is less than an hour away, and it is absolutely lovely. I would compare it to a small city-sized version of downtown State College. As for Middlebury, I would describe it as a small cozy town in the woods. There are some nice local restaurants, a farmers’ market, and a grocery store with lots of healthy and organic food. The Middlebury campus is also very nice with a top-quality gym, a cafeteria that rivals those at Penn State, and lots of greenery and historic architecture. I would say that the Middlebury Program is an excellent middle ground for students who, for various reasons, may not want to or be able to study abroad. A student will still receive a quality education provided by native speakers who are passionate about teaching and sharing their culture and experiences.
I applied for and received another FLAS fellowship to study Russian overseas, and I ended up choosing a 10-week SRAS (School of Russian and Asian Studies) program in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. I would genuinely say that my summer in Kyrgyzstan was one of the best summers in my life. While in Kyrgyzstan, I also visited Kazakhstan where I made new friends and had the chance to meet some longtime Russian and Kazakh friends. For this program, I chose to live with a host family, and it was a very nice experience. My host family was very nice and accommodating, and they took me on a few trips to areas right outside of Bishkek including a popular picnic area in the mountains and a famous historical site. I have absolutely no regrets about choosing a host family over living in dorms with other students. Living with local people allowed me to meet even more people, and it also helped that I have a Russian friend here at Penn State who got me in touch with acquaintances of his in Bishkek named Zinat and Ayperi who also acquainted me with some of their friends. In an interesting coincidence, it turned out that Zinat was a friend of my host family! These connections allowed me to practice Russian as much as possible in practical situations. I made it a point to go out, be social, and explore Bishkek as much as possible and try as much food as possible. Kyrgyz food tastes great, and while it took a few weeks for my stomach to adjust to the food, I still miss the freshness, healthiness, and good quality of the food there.
The city of Bishkek is designed with a mix of Soviet and modern architecture and a lot of greenery including various parks. There are a few malls and shopping centers across the city, as well as some great cafes and restaurants such as “Navat” and “Red Cow”. The climate is very hot and dry in the summer with minimal rain, but I acclimated over time. Another nice feature of the city is the huge, snowy mountains in the distance that can be seen from the city. I had never personally seen such big mountains until I visited the region. My host family and some Kyrgyz friends took me to that area a few different times, and the SRAS program arranged a weekend trip to Lake Issyk-Kul, which is a huge lake out in the Kyrgyz countryside. The countryside is absolutely gorgeous with various kinds of terrain including lush, green valleys, forests, arid, rocky areas like the Skazka Canyon, and snowcapped mountains. The clear streams of water flowing from these mountains are even safe to drink from directly.
The SRAS program was designed to only have class Monday through Thursday, which meant that every weekend was a three-day weekend in which I was free to do my own thing. We were also free to travel to other countries in the region, and I took the opportunity to visit Kazakhstan twice. First, I visited Almaty, which is only a 40-minute plane ride away, where I met a Kazakh friend of mine, Salamat, who I have known for 4-5 years. We visited various places including malls, museums, restaurants, the Soviet-style metro, and a memorial for Kazakh Soviet soldiers. We also visited an area high in the mountains outside of Almaty. For my second visit to Kazakhstan, I visited Astana, the capital, where I met with a friend from Moscow named Diana. She is the first Russian friend I ever made, and we finally got to meet after 8 years! We had a great time exploring the city together, visiting malls, restaurants, and some very nicely designed mosques and government buildings. Finally, my second oldest Russian friend also came to visit me in Bishkek, and I got to show her around. We also visited the mountains together. Her name is Elya, and we had been friends since 2015 and only met for the first time in Bishkek. While in Bishkek, I also helped out with an English language group conversation program at a local library. A few times a week, some other Americans and I met with local people who wanted to improve their English, and we had group conversations about whatever the topic of the day was. I made some friends from there, and it was through one of these friends, an immigrant/refugee from Russia named Roman, that I also met with a local group of Russian expats, immigrants, and refugees to converse and help them with their English as well.
My descriptions of my time in Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan sound extensive but only touch the surface in reality. Such a rewarding experience would not have been possible without assistance from the FLAS program, and I am extremely grateful for it. I highly recommend applying for the FLAS and exploring some potential summer programs. When learning a language, nothing beats an immersive, practical experience, and FLAS can pave the way for that!
