The opportunity to spend part of their course studying abroad has long been an attraction for those studying languages at Nottingham.
Before the department was able to arrange regular trips to the Soviet Union, students of the department were occasionally given the opportunity to travel to the Soviet Union as part delegations of international students, run by organisations such as the National Union of Students (NUS).
The department has organised a trip for first year students since the 1950s, allowing many to experience the Russian way of life for the first time. Initially, students stayed with Russian émigré families in Paris. Other destinations over the years have included Tver’ (known as Kalinin from 1931-1990), Krasnodar, Dyuni, Sochi, Yaroslavl’ and St Petersburg.
In the late 1960s, placements in the USSR became possible at universities such as Moscow and Voronezh, and study abroad eventually became a compulsory part of the department’s courses. This selection of contributions from our alumni reflect a wide range of experiences.
We both left for a full academic year, to Kiev’s Shevchenko University in my case and to Rostov University in David’s. Our enthusiasm was to be tested by events that summer. On 21 August, Soviet-led Warsaw Pact troops invaded Czechoslovakia, one of the most dangerous events of the Cold War. Julian Nundy in Kiev - 1967
We both left for a full academic year, to Kiev’s Shevchenko University in my case and to Rostov University in David’s.
Our enthusiasm was to be tested by events that summer. On 21 August, Soviet-led Warsaw Pact troops invaded Czechoslovakia, one of the most dangerous events of the Cold War.
Julian Nundy in Kiev - 1967