A three-week tour of two East Slavic countries, Ukraine and Russia, will be offered this spring by East Central University.
Dr. Mara Sukholutskaya, ECU associate professor of English and languages, will lead the tour to Kiev, Ukraine, and Moscow and St. Petersburg, Russia, from May 14 to June 4. Participants will experience Russian and Ukrainian culture and history and also can earn six hours of academic credit through the newly established Russian studies minor at ECU.
The deadline to register for the tour is Feb. 15.
The first stop will be in Kiev, the 1,500-year-old capital of Ukraine which is known as the "mother of all Russian cities." Russia's and Ukraine's historic past will be seen through visits to churches, the catacombs of Lavra, the oldest and holiest Russian monastery, and the elaborate splendor of St. Sophia's Cathedral ornate with 11th century frescoes and mosaics.
The tour also will include museums, art galleries, concerts, a river cruise and ballet performances.
An overnight train ride to and from Moscow will add to the excitement. Sites in Moscow, the capital of Russia, include its Kremlin treasures, churches and parks, as well as Red Square and St. Basil's Cathedral.
Three days in Russia's northern capital of St. Petersburg will conclude the tour.
The cost of the trip is about $2,900 which includes airfare, train fare, lodging, all meals, a river cruise and cultural activities. For more information, contact Sukholutskaya at 580-559-5293 or at msukholu@ecok.edu.
# # #