SPbCU's International Program Blog

The Group of Students Coming from LeTourneau University

noreply@blogger.com (abelov) — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 11:31:00 +0000

With joy in our hearts we are happy to announce that the group of 20 students from LeTourneau University, TX, is coming to SPbCU on May 7 for two weeks. Within this short-term educational program, they will get acquainted with Russian culture, Russian Christianity, and, of course, the life at SPbCU. We also plan to have a wonderful trip to Moscow and visit local suburbs and sightseeings.

http://www.letu.edu/_Academics/StudyAbroad/St.PetersburgChristianUniversity.html

Novgorod and Moscow

noreply@blogger.com (Amy) — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 07:46:00 +0000

Greetings!
As one of the Briercrest students living and studying abroad at SPbCU, I offered to write some posts now and then for this blog. Unfortunately, I have failed to do so. We now find ourselves in the last week of our time here in Russia, and I thought I would offer some of our highlights from this journey.

Today I would like to talk a little bit about some of the excursions outside of St. Petersburg that we had the opportunity to take.

At the end of October the whole student body piled into a bus and we headed off to Novgorod.This is one of the oldest, most historic cities in all of Russia. In fact Novgorod was made the first capital by Russia's very first ruler, Riurik.
In Novgorod we had the opportunity to visit a monastery and the Novgorod Kremlin where we visited one of the oldest cathedrals in Russia, the St. Sophia Cathedral. We also had the chance to see a wooden village and the monument to the Millennium of Russia.
Here are some pictures (courtesy of Roman Evglevsky):

In addition to visiting Novgorod, we also received the opportunity to visit Moscow, Russia's current capital. While St. Petersburg has a population of about 4.8 million, Moscow has a population of around10 million! Needless to say Moscow was quite different than St. Petersburg, and it was amazing to be able to experience both cities. Although we spent only three days in Moscow, we sought to make the most of it. We visited the Kremlin and Lenin's tomb, and we stopped at many important buildings along the way. We also visited a variety of museums and viewed some of the art at the Tretyakov Gallery.
Once again, here are some pictures:

Pepperdine Group in Russia Pictures

noreply@blogger.com (abelov) — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 12:10:00 +0000

Jordan Kahler (on the left) after a visit to Vladimirsky Cathedral - the last domestic temple of Dostoevsky.

Dr Paul Contino (on the right) before an excursion to Russian Museum in the Mikhailovsky Palace - one of the biggest museums of Russian Fine Arts in the world.

Millenium of Russia Monument in Novgorod - for more, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millennium_of_Russia

Pepperdine Students at SPbCU in May 2011

noreply@blogger.com (abelov) — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 11:38:00 +0000

In May 2011, the group of 10 students from Pepperdine University (Malibu, CA) visited SpbCU within the International Program.

The students studied Russian as a Foreign Language and Dostoevsky's “Brothers Karamazov.” The group also visited Moscow, Novgorod, Staraya Russa, and the suburbs of Petersburg, including Peterhof, and Vyborg.

The course on the Karamazovs was taught by Professor Paul Contino — a Dostoevsky scholar. The students were also accompanied by Professor Sharyl Corrado who is known in Russian Christian community as the author of the book "The Philosophy of Ministry of Col. Vasiliy Pashkov". Sharyl spent much time in Russia, gathering the material on Slavic Evangelical movement in XIX-XX.

For Paul, teaching Dostoevsky’s final, great novel -- with its profound Christian vision -- was a wonderful opportunity. He especially valued travelling with his students to visit Dostoevsky’s homes in St. Petersburg and Staraya Russa, and reading the novel’s final chapter, “The Speech at the Stone,” at Dostoevsky’s grave in Alexander Nevsky Cemetery. For Sharyl, Russia studies is an opportunity to explore how we understand the world and one another, how the Americans see Russia, who Russian believers were and are, and their traditions, practices, and identities.

SPbCU Joins UNITWIN Networks and Enters into Cooperation with Handong Global University, South Korea

noreply@blogger.com (abelov) — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 14:57:00 +0000

For more, see http://www.spbcu.ru/en/pr/conferences/posts/761

New Group of Students From Briercrest College

noreply@blogger.com (abelov) — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 11:13:00 +0000

On Aug 24, a new group of students arrived to St Petersburg Christian University for the Fall Semester 2011.
We are happy to see the desire of Brian, Amy, Courtney, and David to explore Russia through our school.
Amy is the sister of John and Joanna that studied at SPbCU within the Fall Semester 2009.

Participation in a new project - "Bible Commentary: The Modern Slavic perspective"

noreply@blogger.com (A Negrov) — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 08:47:00 +0000

During January 25-28, 2011, the Center of the Christian life in Ukraine in Irpin (near Kiev) hosted a colloquium on the development and definition of the basic principles of writing a commentary on the canonical books of the Bible with a modern Slavic perspective.

The editorial board of the "Bible Commentary" includes the faculty, alumni, and the former head of SPbCU. SPbCU representatives (teachers and graduates) will be actively involved in the project as authors and editors and provide necessary information and prayer support.

The colloquium brought together nine members:

    * Dr. Sergey Sannikov: Chief Editor (Executive Director EAAA, http://e-aaa.info, http://sannikov.info)
    * Master of Theology and Religious Studies Taras Dyatlik: Project Manager (Head of Resources and Research Centre EAAA, http://e-aaa.info, http://dyatlik.net)
    * Bachelor of Theology Alexander Geychenko: Executive Secretary (Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs of Odessa Theological Seminary, http://www.odessasem.com
    * Dr. Peter Penner: executive editor of the section "New Testament" (vice-president of the European branch of "Training Christians for Ministry", in Vienna, http://tcmi.org), former rector of SPbCU 1992-1999)
    * Dr. Alexander Negrov: Executive editor of the section of the New Testament (Academic Dean of SPbCU 2001-2005, Rector of St. Petersburg Christian University in 2005, http://spbcu.ru, http://negrov.com )
    * Dr. Gennady Pshenichniy: executive editor of the section of the "Old Testament" (Rector of the Kuban Evangelical Christian University, Krasnodar, http://kecu.ru), a graduate of the SPCU Program Bachelor of Divinity in 2003)
    * Dr. Valery Alikin: executive editor of the section of the "Old Testament" (Head of the Department of Biblical Studies of the St. Petersburg Christian University, http://spbcu.ru),
    * Ph.D. Roman Soloviy: executive editor of the section of analytical articles (rector of the Lviv Theological Seminary, http://lts.lviv.ua, http://soloviy.org.ua)
    * Master of Divinity Fedor Raychinets: executive editor of the section of analytical articles (the head of the Master's program for transforming leadership Ukrainian Evangelical Theological Seminary, Kiev, http://uets.net)

Alexander Negrov, the rector SPbCU said: "I enjoyed working in such a creative group. Perhaps to fully appreciate how serious and important this meeting was we will be able to only in a few years. "
Peter Penner, a former rector of SPbCU adds: "At last we have begun the practical work, and I'm looking forward to the time when I'm holding the first biblical commentary, not translated or reprinted, and written by national authors."

The meeting participants identified several outcomes with reference to the Christian theological research community with a proposal to become partners, sponsors and active participants in this project. The Editorial Board is aware that a new Bible Commentary, which is obviously the biggest and most ambitious project in the past 20 years, needs a collective prayer, research and critical financial support, and invites all interested individuals and organizations to contact them for more information or with suggestions on cooperation through the project manager Taras Dyatliku (tdyatlik@e-aaa.info, +38-067-2232023).

What is the New Bible Commentary?
This project was initiated by the Euro-Asian Accrediting Association of Evangelical schools (http://e-aaa.info), which includes about 50 theological seminaries, Bible colleges and institutes, Christian universities. In writing the commentary, more than 30 authors are expected to participate. It is expected to be released from the press in the fall 2015. The main task of "Bible Commentary: The Modern Slav perspective" is to contribute to the preacher in the acquisition of a more holistic view of the biblical text and help in the search for the application of biblical truth in the modern Slavic context.
The Biblical commentary will be a one volume commentary (about 2 million words), including all the canonical books of the Bible. It is help evangelical ministers in Eastern Europe with relevant education and experience in church ministry. The commentary's focus is primarily for the pastors and preachers, as well as informal church leaders and all students of the Bible. The commentary will include about 100 analytical articles dealing not only with interpretations of the Bible, the Jewish people and the early Church, but also answer important questions of contemporary reality: the power of the church, tradition and innovation in the church, a virtual dependency, labor migration, human trafficking, bribery, social responsibility and justice, incomplete family, divorce, remarriage, family violence, suicide, etc.
The reader from Eastern Europe now has available to him translated biblical commentaries (Catholic and Protestant), or written by Orthodox authors. The "Bible Commentary: The Modern Slav perspective" is the first commentary, which will be written in the Slavic evangelical Christians in Eastern Europe. The new commentary intends to help ministers and members of evangelical churches to find the solution of modern problems through the prism of the biblical text.

Fall Semester 2010 Pics: Trips to Moscow, Volgograd, Vyborg

noreply@blogger.com (abelov) — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 09:24:00 +0000

Graduation of the International Program Students

noreply@blogger.com (abelov) — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 11:40:00 +0000

For more, click here.

Russian Adventures

noreply@blogger.com (kbm) — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 12:24:00 +0000

One full month on Russian soil and I feel like I'll never have enough time to see the whole city! St. Petersburg is fantastic, and the university has given us the tools to explore it as much as we want. We've seen churches, a mosque, the Peter and Paul Fortress, parks, museums, theaters, Novgorod, Peterhof, and Russian Disneyland, to name just a few. We're planning more excursions to theaters, concerts, sports games, museums, Volgograd, Vyborg, Moscow, and maybe Kiev or Finland!

Ivan and Tyler in Disneyland

The classes are opening up a whole new world of Russian history, language, literature, and art. We have the rare opportunity of learning Russian history from its very beginning. Our language teacher, Lyuba, wrote her own curriculum, and I wish I'd had it when I was studying on my own in the States. She's designed it for natural immersion, with games, writing, reading, and speech in every class. The literature class is excellent--ancient Russian literature, especially translated into English, is not always interesting...but Mr. Schmidt, being an Old Testament scholar, can delve into any text (including Harry Potter) and make it exciting or meaningful. Art history is overwhelming, but fantastic. Elena Savinova is an endless fountain of knowledge about visual and performing arts, and she's always happy to let us pick her brain.

Alexei, Grisha, Leonid, Brian, and Tyler at the Novgorod Kremlin

The dorms are cozy, and the students are all ages, from all places (though mostly Siberia, from what I've gathered), and no one is boring. They all have fascinating stories--we have an older gentleman who's sailed the world as a fishboat captain and a girl from Turkministan who spent 10 hours in jail for going to a Christian conference. Most speak more English than I do Russian, and we all help each other learn what we can. Svetlana and I are learning German together, I'm teaching English to a family from Uzbek once a week, and doing English/Russian homework together in the kitchen with tea, chocolate, and fried chicken at midnight is a bonding experience I'll never get in the States.
~Kira

Visit to California Baptist University

noreply@blogger.com (abelov) — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 12:27:00 +0000

For more, see http://spbcu.ru/en/pr/posts/638

Fall Semester 2010

noreply@blogger.com (abelov) — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 11:24:00 +0000

With joy in our hearts we would like to inform you that we expect a group of 5 students from Briercrest College for the next Fall Semester. Amy, Caleb, Greg (back row), Tyler and Brian (front row) have made the decision to come to SPbCU to become our International Students to study Russian Language, History, Arts, and Literature. Kira Mayo, an individual student from the University of Missouri-Kanzas City, will also join our Fall Semester 2010. They will spend here 4 months of intensive studies to learn more about Russian culture dwelling in a Christian environment.

SPbCU Students Traveled to Germany

noreply@blogger.com (abelov) — Wed, 12 May 2010 12:13:00 +0000

This spring (2010), we were invited to the Student Conference in Lebenszentrum Adelshofen. The conference was held by ESYA - European Student Youth Association. This movement goes back to the 1950s, when students of European theological schools came together in prayer for missionary service. The visit to the conference turned out to be very fruitful for us. We've got new acquaintances, new experiences, and new horizons in serving God. We are encouraged by the fact that students from different European countries share the same idea: to proclaim the gospel all over the world. We wish to express our gratitude to SPbCU administration for letting us attend the conference and to all those who made this conference possible. "

Guests from Norway

noreply@blogger.com (abelov) — Tue, 11 May 2010 06:37:00 +0000

On April 26th, guests from Norway visited SPbCU. This was the first "trial" visit of the Norwegian students of Music School.

Read more here: http://www.spbcu.ru/en/posts/593

Forum of Christian Education in Atlanta, USA

noreply@blogger.com (abelov) — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 12:34:00 +0000

The International Forum on Christian Education was held in Atlanta, USA, on February 23-26. The discussion included 1123 representatives of 123 institutions from 25 countries.

Amongst the speakers of the Forum was Richard Stearns, President of World Vision Inc., Dr. Francis Collins, Director of the National Institute of Public Health, which is known for its innovative work in the project of human genome, Dr. Wendy Kopp, founder of the national teaching corps "Teach for America", and Dr. John M. Perkins, American civil rights activist.

The conference included many sessions on the questions of administering educational institutions, new approaches in education, and international partnerships in Christian education.

Dr. Alexander Negrov, Rector of SPbCU, held several meetings with current and future partners of SPbCU like Wes Olmsted, Dean of Briercrest College, and Steven R. Cramer, President of Bethel College. Both of these schools are partners of SPbCU. Dr. Negrov also held other meetings with leaders of schools located in the North America and Asia.

On the Forum, Negrov made the presentation of SPbCU for leaders of other educational institutions.

A Visit to the Horrors of Petersburg Attraction

noreply@blogger.com (abelov) — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 13:47:00 +0000

Right before the departure, within the Raskolnikov tour our students dared to visit the Horrors of Petersburg Attraction - the most frightful place in the city, where famous urban legends are represented with the use of modern technologies and contradictory literary heroes still dwell, played by actors.

Moscow Trip, Nov.13-14, 2009

noreply@blogger.com (abelov) — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 13:35:00 +0000

On November 13-14, 2009, the International Program Students traveled to Moscow, having visited the Red Square - the heart of Russia - and the Kremlin. Justin (on the picture) who admires Carl Marx' economical ideas, was glad to see Lenin - the person who tried to bring those ideas into practice in Russia and whose body is being still kept in the Mausoleum behind.

International student writes about her experience at SPbCU

noreply@blogger.com (A Negrov) — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 20:04:00 +0000

Please read a report titled "Of cathedrals, canals, and constructivism" authored by Johannah Bird, a Briercrest College and Seminary student. See - http://www.briercrest.ca/alumni/news-article.asp?id=855

In her report Johannah writes - "Living in a land with a different Christian heritage has presented a unique opportunity to learn more about the Russian church and the issues it faces.

We live in dorm with the Russian students at the university, and most of us have Russian roommates. We're expected to immerse ourselves in student life, so we attend chapels, eat in the cafeteria, clean the dorm, and participate in events and activities (even when they demand a Canadian rendition of Russian traditional dance). I am continually amazed by the hospitality we receive from staff, faculty, and students alike. Our friends have shown us generosity from the first days of our arrival. This generosity extends to graciousness as we all learn to understand one another and find ways to communicate. Having said this, we have all had to make some adjustments to life in a new city and country. Communication has been a big learning curve, but we have been reveling in the opportunities to learn new words and help other students learn English."

See - http://www.briercrest.ca/alumni/news-article.asp?id=855

Photo Album made by our students

noreply@blogger.com (Justin Wollf) — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 14:02:00 +0000

The Graduation Ceremony and Celebration of the International Program students

noreply@blogger.com (A Negrov) — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 18:24:00 +0000

Please read a report with photo here - http://spbcu.ru/en/students/activities/posts/533

International students travel to Vyborg

noreply@blogger.com (A Negrov) — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 17:50:00 +0000

Posted by Kevin Schur at http://briercrestrussia.blogspot.com/2009/12/trip-to-vyborg.html

I was going to write about an incident that happened a little less than a week ago when a police officer stopped me in the metro and accused me of using marijuana, but since the end of our trip is so near, I thought I'd leave it to tell people in person. It was strange though.

A few days ago we had the chance to visit the city of Vyborg that lies close to the Finnish-Russian border. The city was actually Finnish until it was ceded to the Soviet Union after World War II. The city, although home to over 80,000 residents, felt like a small town. During our visit we got to see a medieval castle, the ruins of catholic monasteries, and the view of the city from a tower in the castle. Here are a few pictures to show what the trip was like:

A Russian Orthodox Church. We got to go inside and hear some of the service.

A Statue of Lenin. There are random statues and faces of him almost everywhere.

I thought this was some funny graffiti, it reads "Give me Power Crash my weakness," an almost poetic quote that also features a perplexed cat looking on. I think graffiti here is generally of better quality than it is back home. (That cat is just so surprised)

A crane working at the dock. The waters and lands as far away as you can see might be Finnish territory.

Here is the old watch tower that's stood in the city from its beginnings.

The castle that was used by Swedish forces in the 18th century to defend against Russian forces. Tsar Peter the Great finally captured the fortress after a long war between Russia and Sweden.

Ruins of a Catholic monastery in the city.

A funny car sitting beside an abandoned wall. I think this is a really Russian photo.

Ping-Pong Tournament held by SPbCU Students

noreply@blogger.com (A Negrov) — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 18:26:00 +0000

See photos http://spbcu.ru/en/students/activities/posts/525

Last Saturday, on December 5th, 2009, SPbCU students held a Ping-Pong tournament in the gym. The tournament was organized by student community. Its initiation and inspiration came from Kevin, from Briercrest College, Canada, the president of the International Programs students. Seven people participated and competed. There were students from the bachelors, masters, and international programs. With an intense and interesting game, the winner was a freshman student of the Bachelors of Theology program, Lena, who, in the final game, beat the organizer himself, Kevin, twice.

Tea with SPbCU president

noreply@blogger.com (A Negrov) — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 11:54:00 +0000

Bethel College partners with SPbCU

noreply@blogger.com (A Negrov) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 16:41:00 +0000

From: http://www.bethelcollege.edu/academics/overseas/abroad/Russia.php

Move beyond tourism and discover for yourself the mystery, the challenge, and the uniqueness of Russia. You’re not just a visitor, but a student in a local university. You’ll visit Moscow, Red Square, and Lenin’s tomb the way our previous students did.

Core Courses

Russian Language (6 hours)
Russian History (3 hours)
Russian Literature (3 hours)
Russian Art (3 hours)

Optional Courses

Private Tutorials (up to 3 hours)

Cost

Full Time Tuition
On Campus Room Board
An additional Semester Abroad Fee covering airfare and insurance
You retain 100% of Bethel's Financial Aid!

Exchange Program with Briercrest College

noreply@blogger.com (A Negrov) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 16:37:00 +0000

This Exchange Program features one semester of organized study in St. Petersburg, Russia, for students who are currently enrolled in a degree program at Briercrest College. SPbCU provides local professors, dormitory, classrooms and cultural programs. Our students and staff look forward to meeting young Christians from Canada!

About Briercrest College
Briercrest College (Canada) is chartered by the Government of Saskatchewan since 1939 to award degrees at the post-secondary level and is fully accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of the Association for Biblical Higher Education. It offers Bachelor of Arts degrees since 1988.
Briercrest College is affiliated with the University of Saskatchewan, associated with the University of Regina, and is an affiliate member of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities.
Briercrest offers a unique blend of courses in Bible and theology, Christian ministry, and arts and sciences which helps the students develop the spiritual and intellectual competence needed to serve effectively in the church and in society.

The facilities at this college provide students with a comfortable learning environment, including a 25,000-square foot library.