Maria Sotova

Studying here gave me a significant advantage, including over other students at St. Petersburg University, because the program I chose provides students with the cherished freedom to select subjects. The system of selecting courses is common for students from the USA or Western Europe, but it is still a revolutionary innovation in Russia. Traditional educational programs at other faculties, as a rule, do not provide for a wide variety of academic disciplines, with the rare exception of electives. The free atmosphere prevailing here allowed me to successfully combine my scientific interest in culture and politics, which made it possible to have an internship in the USA. The educational and cultural experience I received cannot be overestimated, as it helped me to establish an understanding about methodology and theory within the framework of western and domestic traditions of art history. Becoming acquainted with complex relevant approaches to modern architecture and aesthetics of modernism allowed me to successfully conduct research at the bachelor's level, and then continue my research with the aim of obtaining a master's degree.