Trip Itinerary

Sunday, June 13.

Fly to Moscow. Depart mid-morning from Raleigh-Durham airport. Departures from Charlotte or Greensboro at a slight extra charge.

Monday, June 14.

Arrive Moscow in early evening (note the eight-hour time difference from EST).

Tuesday, June 15.

Visit a high school and an elementary school. A local principal will explain the Russian educational system and conduct tours of both schools. Moscow city tour of historic landmarks. Later optional stroll down Arbat Street, a principal shopping thoroughfare.

Wednesday, June 16.

Visit a boarding school for handicapped students and/or a vocational school. Visit the Kremlin, former Moscow residence of the tsars and current heart of Russian government. Also visit museum that displays Faberge eggs. Evening performance at the Bolshoi Theater or the Sadko Russian Folk Theater.

Thursday, June 17.

Session at the Ministry of Education with matchups of tour members with their Russian counterparts. Visit to art gallery, then a subway ride (the Moscow subways are said to be the best in the world) to a private home for a fabulous Armenian dinner.

Friday-Saturday, June 18 and 19.

All-day bus trip to two ancient towns. Meet host families and begin the weekend home stay, with a variety of possible activities.

Sunday, June 20.

Supper at the world’s largest McDonald’s. Attend Russian circus. Begin overnight Moscow-St. Petersburg train journey, with late snacks-and-sandwiches party.

Monday, June 21.

Arrive in St. Petersburg early. After breakfast, a tour of this beautiful and historic city, home to the tsars, which was virtually destroyed during World War II. Later, an optional tour to a famous cathedral and the flea market, plus an optional special Russian dinner.

Tuesday, June 22.

Visit to St. Petersburg State University for a presentation on its teacher-training program. Afternoon visit to the palace of the eighteenth-century Empress Catherine the Great. This architectural gem contains an outstanding art collection and includes a room lined with amber, which the Nazis stole during World War II.

Wednesday, June 23.

Visit the palace of Peter the Great (1672-1725). Early in his reign this very bright, very tall (nearly 7 feet) tsar, determined to bring Western knowledge to Russia, made a journey to Western Europe in disguise. He worked as a simple laborer in a shipyard and studied science in France and England, acquiring a vast amount of practical information and expertise. The engineering skills he learned show up in (among other places) the waterways and gardens of his palace. Later, a visit to an outstanding collection of Russian art and in the evening (if tickets are available) to the Kirov Theater.

Thursday, June 24.

Visit the Hermitage, the fabulous residence of the tsars until the 1917 Russian Revolution. Today it contains an extraordinary, world-class art collection. Free evening to enjoy the “White Nights” of this northern latitude at the beginning of summer.

Friday, June 25.

Early, travel by train through the Nordic countryside to Helsinki, the capital of Finland. Meet the Minister of Education and attend a presentation of Finland’s educational system, one of the world’s best. In the evening, attend a summer solstice celebration on an island in Helsinki harbor.

Saturday, June 26.

A tour of Helsinki. Farwell dinner and sharing of experiences.

Sunday, June 27.

Mid-day flight home. Arrive in North Carolina in late afternoon.



Post Trip Seminar

Central and Eastern Europe:  Ten Years After the Fall of the Berlin Wall
October 14-15, 1999.

Reunion of travel group to share experiences and school action plans based on Russia and Finland.

E-mail: worldview@unc.edu
World View
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UNC-Chapel Hill
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© 1999