Summer Russian Course
"MOSCOW HOLIDAYS"

Do not know how to spend a vacation? Our russian summer course "Moscow Holidays" is for you! Spend summer in Moscow with benefit: combine rest in Russia with intensive language practice. Interesting excursions, immersing in Russian life and an atmosphere of Russian capital!

"Summer course" includes:

• Russian language course: training program.
• Student ID card
• Training Centre Certificate of Attendance
• The opportunity to get the manuals recommended by the teacher and corresponding the chosen rate is given to each student



• Excursions:
  - Historical Center of Moscow: The Red Square, Kremlin, Tverskaya Str.
  - Group of buildings of the Moscow State Lomonosov University.
• Students' Party
• Moscow Metro Map
• A souvenir with MGU symbolics

Options:

    Choose duration and type of the course. See our programes.

This summer course includes two fabulous excursions:

Kolomenskoye - Russian tzars palace State Tretyakov Gallery - Russian National Art Gallery

Kolomenskoye

The first document to mention the village of Kolomenskoye is the will chart of Moscow’s Grand Duke Ivan Kalita from 1339. But its history dates from around 1240 when the inhabitants of Kolomna, seeking refuge from the Tatar-Mongol invaders led by Batu Khan, a grandson of Jenghiz Khan, founded a settlement here.

It was the first known stone church in the Russian kokoshnik, or tent style. Some researchers think that foreigners participated in its construction, in particular the Italian Petrok Maliy (“Little Peter”), who was later to gain fame for, among other things, erecting the Kitaigorod wall.

Ivan IV the Terrible (1530-1584) lived here as a child, and later with his first wife Anastasia.

In 1606, during the so-called Time of Troubles, the troops of Ivan Bolotnikov, leader of the first Russian peasant uprising, pitched camp here when they laid siege to the capital for five weeks.

Unfortunately, the wooden palace of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, a unique masterpiece of Russian architecture built in 1667-1668 by carpenter foreman Semen Petrov and serf carpenter Ivan Mikhailov, has not survived. This beautiful palace, considered by its Russian contemporaries to be the “Eight wonder of the world”, consisted of a large number of buildings interconnected by passageways. The entire ensemble must had been very impressive with all its towers, cupolas, Kokoshniks, ogee-shaped roofs, spires, globes, gilded double headed eagles etc. Today the visitors to the museum can form an idea of what the palace looked like from the model skilfully executed by the woodcarver D. Smirnov in 1867.

The young Peter I the Great was taken to Kolomenskoye during the Streltsy riot of 1682. Later, as tsar, he returned several times. Partly because of changes in taste, and because the capital had been moved from Moscow to Saint Petersburg, the palace was neglected and the old wooden structure became unsafe for living. In 1769 Catherine II ordered it to be taken down.

   Old village of Kolomenskoye situated in the southern part of Moscow is a unique place where the relics of Russian history were created and kept for centuries. Close to Kolomenskoye there is the oldest on the territory of Moscow settlement - known as Dyakovo Gorodishche - that is 2,5 thousand years old.
   Kolomenskoye was first mentioned in chronicles of Prince Ivan Kalita in 1339. Since the 14th century Kolomenskoye had been the summer residence of Great Moscow Princes, and then - Russian tsars. In 1606 Kolomenskoye was the place of dislocation of the rebellious troop headed by I. Bolotnikov. Peter the Great spent his childhood in Kolomenskoye. After capturing Azov in 1696 and Poltava victory in 1709 Peter the Great spent some time in Kolomenskoye, before his solemn entrance to Moscow.
   In the 19th century the constructions of Kolomenskoye became dilapidated. In 1860-1880s, after partial restoration, Kolomenskoye became the place for folk festivals and even bear fights.
   Kolomenskoye became the department of the museum "Pokrovsky Cathedral" in 1925. Since 1928 the estate was turned into the part of the State Historical Museum. In 1930-1959 the museum of architecture under the open air was created in Kolomenskoye. The examples of Russian wooden architecture of the 17th century were brought here from all over the country. Among them was the brewery from Preobrajenskoe village, the gate tower from Nikolo-Karelsky monastery, the tower of Bratsk prison from Siberia, Peter the Great log-cabin from Archangelsk, and so on. These architectural monuments were preserved by the efforts of Kolomenskoye Museum director, P. Baranovsky.
   The architectural ensemble of Kolomenskoye Estate is valuable from both historical and artistic points of view. The complex of Kolomenskoye includes the Ascension Church, John the Baptist Decapitation Church in Diakovskoye, St. George temple with belfry, Our Lady of Kazan Church, the water tower and two stone entrance gates built in times of Tsar Aleksey Mikhailovitch.
   The gem of the architectural ensemble is the Ascension Church that was one of the first hipped stone temples in Russia. The church was put up in 1532 to commemorate the long-awaited birth of Great Prince Vasili III's son. He was the one who inherited Russian throne and became known as Ivan the Terrible. It is possible that the church was constructed by Italian architecture Petrok Maly (Peter Fryazin), the one who put up the walls of Kitai-Gorod. The well-proportioned temple with arrow-shaped windows and high octahedral hipped roof was intended only for the members of tsar's family.
   The wooden palace built in 1667-1671 for Tsar Aleksey Mikhailovitch did not survive until nowadays. The contemporaries' called the palace "the eighth wonder of the world". It consisted of the high picturesque wooden houses connected with each other by means of covered passages and halls. The palace was decorated with carvings and paintings. In 1681 it was rebuilt, but it did not help preserving the palace. In 1768 the ramshackle building was demolished. In summer 1996 the archeologists were lucky to discover the foundation of the palace.
   In 1971 Kolomenskoye was announced the state museum-preserve. Nowadays it is the State Historical, Architectural, Nature and Landscape Museum-Preserve Kolomenskoye. The collections of the museum are unique, since they include the Late Stone Age findings, rare print issues, including the first Russian print book "Moscow Apostle" edited on March 1, 1564 by Ivan Fyodorov and Peter Mstislavets, and so on. The unique collection of white stone carvings includes the parts of decor of the destroyed temples and architectural monuments of Moscow. Kolomenskoye also features one of the best in Russia collections of architectural and oven ceramics of the 10th-beginning of the 20th centuries, including Moscow glazed tiles.
   Nowadays Kolomenskoye Museum-Preserve is one of the most picturesque and popular places in Moscow. In autumn, 2002 the government approved the program of the museum development. On the territory of Kolomenskoye it is planned to create the Ethnographic complex. The city government is responsible for restoration of some Kolomenskoye architectural monuments, including the Ascension Church, Our Lady of Kazan Church, the railing of Gosudarev Yard, Sytni yard, water tower, and St. George temple with belfry.

Tretyakov gallery

   The National Museum of Russian Fine Art, the State Tretyakov Gallery, is one of the largest museums in the world. Its collections embrace the period from the 10th to 20th century and all schools of Russian painting - from ancient icons to avant-guard.

       Pavel Mikhailovich Tretyakov, a rich Moscow merchant and textile mill owner, started collecting Russian paintings in the 1850s. It was then he bought several works by Russian artists and it was then the Tretyakovs moved to their new estate in the Lavrushinsky Lane - the mansion that would become a world famous museum.
   Tretyakov who conceived the creation of the public gallery comprehensively representing the history of Russian fine art bought pictures relying only on his taste. He was one of the first who highly appreciated old Russian icons, systematically bought the works of the old masters and was greatly interested in contemporary art. Quite often Tretyakov who became a prominent figure in the cultural life of Russia acquired paintings strongly criticized or banned by censorship. He was considered such an authority that if any work of an artist got in his collection, for the latter it was equal to public acknowledgement.
   Since the early 1870s Tretyakov became a friend of the so-called Itinerant Artists. The founder of the picture gallery not only shared their principles and ideas but also supported the movement. He eagerly bought their works and gathered an unmatched collection that features paintings by Perov, Maksimov, Makovsky, Pryanishnikov, Kramskoy, Shishkin, Polenov, Repin, and Surikov.
   In the late 1860s Tretyakov inspired by the popular at the time enlightenment idea of the prominent role of the personality in the history conceived the creation of the portrait gallery of the outstanding Russian culture and art figures. The collector bought ready portraits of Russian writers, composers and artists and also ordered portraits from contemporary artists. It is interesting that Tretyakov himself couldn't stand posing for a portrait and throughout his lifetime made exceptions only twice - for artists Kramskoy and Repin.
   From year to year Tretyakov's collection grew. The house in Lavrushinsky Lane became too small to host it and was then rebuilt. New constructions were attached and the picture gallery was enlarged. And although officially the Gallery was privately owned it acquired the status of the museum. Anyone despite his rank and social status could visit it on any day if the week.
   In August, 1892 Tretyakov presented the collection and the Gallery to the city of Moscow. Until his death Tretyakov supported the gallery and bought a number of masterpieces of Russian art. The number of paintings and graphics acquired during that period was 220. The last big purchase he made for the Gallery was The Bogatyrs by Vasnetsov. In 1898 Tretyakov died. After his death a new facade designed by Vasnetsov was attached to the old estate. This Russian styled facade became the symbol of the Gallery.
   Already in the early 20th century the Tretyakov Gallery became the most popular and visited museum of that day. Soon after the revolution of 1917 the Gallery was nationalized and its collection was enriched with paintings from the expropriated private collections and abolished museums.
   ?By the end of the 20th century the State Tretyakov Gallery became one of the world richest treasuries of Russian fine art. The Gallery treasures priceless collection of old Russian icons, paintings, sculptures and graphics of the 18th-20th centuries.
   Besides the main Russian styled building in Lavrushinsky Lane the State Tretyakov Gallery got a new museum complex in Krymsky Val. The exposition of the branch museum is totally dedicated to the Russian art of the 20th century. There regularly temporary thematic exhibitions and the exhibitions of contemporary art are hold.