Our students

“Samara is like home to me. It is a comfortable size with the big city resources. SSU is a friendly place to learn.”

Jennifer Folkerson, New Mexico, USA

“I found the professors at Samara State University to be most accommodating, tailoring the Russian lessons to my needs, and helping me find other opportunities to engage in conversation and also learn the culture. The international department director was very helpful. I count everyone in the department to be true friends.”

Michael Fair, Minnesota, USA

“I fell in love with Samara at first sight. It was autumn when I arrived. There were enormous piles of watermelons sold by the roadside. From the window of my room I could see how horses ran on the race track. The better I got to know to this city, the more I got fascinated by its multiplicity. The interesting thing was to get to be a part of its life step by step, learning different sides of it, meeting more and more its inhabitants.
What made me really love the city was people living in it. It was because of their hospitality, warmth and friendship that I spent the most wonderful year in Samara.”

Mirka Ryynanen, Finland

“I enjoyed coming to Samara because I felt like I was in a Russian city, more so than I felt in Moscow or some of the larger cities. I felt like I was submerged more in Russian culture and Samara forced me to learn the language faster than I would have in a bigger city.
My trip last year to Samara helped one mature a lot as I was forced to live independently for a year, I see differences in our cultures now and have come to appreciate things both the Russian and American cultures that I wouldn’t have if I wouldn’t live there.”

Joseph Leman, Alaska, USA

“Travelling in and out of Russia is overwhelming and intimidating in Moscow. Samara has frequent international flights direct to Germany. This makes travelling easier and less expensive.”

Cheryl Boyd, Texas, USA

“Studying in Samara allowed me to truly experience Russia. I originally wanted to study in Moscow, but later I learned that Moscow has become very Westernized. Samara, on the other hand, possesses the real spirit of Russia, and our teachers at Samara State University ensured that we embraced that spirit.”

Karl Sheuerman, Washington, USA

“My family was a bit concerned about my decision to study in Russia, because they worried for my safety, but from my experience in Samara, their fears have been put to rest. Samara is, in my opinion, a safer place to live than Russia’s larger cities.”

Angela Schuler, Oklahoma, USA