What could be better than celebrating the New Year in the heart of Russia? Especially in Akademgorodok which is surrounded by snow-covered forest. To keep ourselves warm, we have a cosy chat about winter festivals traditions in Russian accompanied by a nice cup of tea.

Swimming in the ice hole on the Epiphany day is a very representative Siberian tradition. Every year we take our students to a specially organized bathing zone on the bank of the Ob reservoir near the university, where enthusiasts can have a dip in ice water.

Previously, such trips were part of the Russian Club activities programme. At present, this trip is organized by the NSU Department for Foreign Students Support, while we preceed this outing with an introductory lecture about the history and the rules of Epiphany bathing.

Spring is an ideal time of the year for winter sports in Russia. It becomes warmer and sunnier and the snow reaches its perfect condition, thus widening a range of activities for those keen on physical exercise. These include skiing, snowboarding, playing snowballs and making a snowman.

The all-Russian ski race also takes place in spring. Anyone can take part in this highly popular event, which teaches us all not to be afraid of the cold and to reach our goals.

In the photo presented here we can see a Russian Club meeting, whose participants decided to join the race in 2016, by concluding that winter forest is a brilliant venue for doing sports and socializing.

Games are an ideal activity to break language barriers and to get to know each other.

In the photo presented here our students are playing jenga which is enjoyed all over the world. We also play Mafia, Crocodile, Imaginarium and many other popular table games!

In our meeting sessions, we not only converse in Russian. Sometimes our club members are asked to complete group tasks which might take up to a week to fulfill. For instance, you might be required to go to the cinema with your new friends and watch a Russian film. Another option could be visiting each other and treating your guests to their favorite dish, or making a presentation about the traditions of their country. At the end of the year, we regale our most active participants with NSU and CIEP souvenirs which are the tokens of our recognition of their achievements and constructive attitude to Russian studies.

The photo attached shows how the students meet for the first time in the Russian Club at the beginning of 2019 – 2020 academic year.

Another big advantage of joining the Russian Club is that you will always have company to celebrate all kinds of festivals!
In the photo you can see our Halloween celebration party.