Novamova Georgia 2015

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RUSSIAN COURSES AND CULTURALIMMERSION IN GEORGIA

SUMMER 2015

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About Novamova Batumi 2

Why learn Russian in Batumi 3

Program highlights 4

Courses and Programs 5

Accommodations in Batumi 6

Excursions and Tours 7

Activities 14

Climate of Batumi 15

Special Offer 16

CONTENT

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We are bringing Novamova’s top-notch Russian instructors and proven teaching methodology to this beautiful

Georgian town on the subtropical shores of the Black Sea where each summer Russian tourists from all over the

post-Soviet Union gather to enjoy the sun and surf.

We seek to immerse students in a Russian language environment with the help of our professional instructors,

local host families, peer conversation partners, and exciting weekend excursions around the Caucasus. The

Novamova program is conducted on the campus of our partner institution, the Batumi State Maritime Academy,

conveniently located steps away from the boardwalk and beach.

ABOUT NOVAMOVA BATUMI

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WHY LEARN RUSSIAN IN BATUMI

Russian language environment

You will dramatically improve your Russian by interacting with your host family and going on excursions with native Russian speakers. Batumi is a tourist hub for Russian speakers from all over the post-Soviet Union.

Visa free travel

Citizens of the European Union, the United States, and some other countries do not need a visa to travel to Georgia. This saves you time and money!

Georgian culture and cuisine

Georgia’s rich history is reflected in its unique cultures and food. You will experience Georgian hospitality through the immersion in your host family, excursions around the Caucasus.

Approved by NY Times!

New York Times Travel ranked Georgia #25 out of 52 destinations recommended to visit in 2015.

NovaMova branded immersion

Our teaching methodology is internationally accredited to the highest standards. Our students’ success is testament to the quality of our language instruction.

Seaside location

Georgia is ecologically diverse and boasts some of the most incredible scenery in Europe. In Batumi, the average summer temperature is 25 (77 ). The water is pleasantly warm, yet refreshing.

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

Instructors are native Russian speakers

Conversation program with local Russian speakers

Weekend tours and excursions in Georgia, and to Armenia and Turkey

Georgian language and culture lessons

Culinary lessons

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COURSES AND PROGRAMS

Russian Group Lessons 20

Program Dates: June 29 through Aug 28

Max. Class Size: 1 0

Ave. Class Size: 6

Lessons per week: 2 0 x 45min

Days and Times: M on –Thurs, 9.00 –13.15

Minimum course length: 1 week

Levels: Beginner, A1, A2, B1, B2

Start Dates: Beginner June 29, July 13, July 27, Aug 10

A1 July 06, July 20, Aug 03, Aug 17

A2, B1, B2 every Monday June 29 through Aug 21

Russian Individual Lessons 10/15/20


Lessons per week: 10, 15,20 x 45 min.

Days and Times: Mon-Thurs, afternoons


Levels: Beginner to Advanced

Start Dates: every Monday

Russian Mixed Group + Individual (20+5)


Lessons per week: 20 group and 5 individual

Days and Times: Mon-Thurs, 9.00-13.15 and afternoons


Levels: Beginner, A1, A2, B1, B2

Start Dates: Beginner June 29, July 13, July 27, Aug 10

A1 July 06, July 20, Aug 03, Aug 17

A2, B1, B2 every Monday June 29 through Aug 21

Georgian Individual Lessons


Lessons per week: 5, 10, 15, or 20 x 45 min.

Days and Times: Mon-Thurs.

Minimum course length: 1 week.

Levels: Any level

Start Dates: every Monday

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ACCOMMODATIONS IN BATUMI

We offer several different types of accommodations to fit your needs.

You can select from the following options:

Shared ApartmentIf you are looking for a bit more independence, the shared apartment option is an

ideal solution at an affordable price. Up to three students may share an apartment. Each student will have a private bedroom. No meals are included with this option.

HomestayFor your ultimate cultural immersion experience, we recommend the homestay

option. You will have a private bedroom in the home of a local, Russian-speaking family. Both Bed and Breakfast (BB) and Half Board (HB) options are available.

Private ApartmentIf its privacy that you’re looking for, we can arrange for a private apartment.

No meals are included with this option.

HotelsBatumi has many hotel options to fit your needs and budget.

As a housing option, we can arrange for a stay in one of our hotel partners.

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EXCURSIONS AND TOURS

SVANETI MOUNTAINS

Your journey will take you north along the subtropical Black Sea coast. Soon the road will stray from the shore and climb deep into the heart of the mountains. Your destination is an ancient village in Upper Svaneti, surrounded by breathtaking snow-capped peaks.

Mountain Hiking TourThe excursion includes a guided hike to a picturesque alpine meadow. From here, you will see stunning views of some of the highest peaks in the Caucasus. You can also stroll among the pastures and fields below.

Upper Svaneti UNESCO World Heritage SitesNo trip to the area would be complete without checking out the 9th-12th century watchtowers located in the village. These incredible works of medieval architecture will take you back to a time when local clans feuded amongst themselves. In 1996, this mountainous region of Georgia was added to the list of UNESCO World Heritage sites.

Georgian Mountain CultureAll of our excursions have a focus on cultural exchange and this will be no exception. In Upper Svaneti, you will experience the ancient culture and traditions of the Svan people through food and hospitality. You may be surprised that the Svan have their own language, developed over centuries of living in remote mountain valleys. On top of that, the Georgian National Museum in Mestia will provide historical context.

This excursion includes: • Transportation

• Lodging for 2 nights

• 2 meals a day

• NovaMova guide

• Mountain guide services

• Museum guide and entry fees

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TBILISI AND KAKHETI

On this journey, you will find yourself travelling by train from Batumi to Tbilisi, the capital city of Georgia and cultural center of the South Caucasus. You will be amazed by the beautiful architecture and stunning views that characterize the city.

UNESCO World Heritage Sites in MtskhetaYour adventure will take you to Mtskheta, the Holy City of the Georgian Orthodox Church. The monuments and buildings of Mtskheta have been declared UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The incredible architecture of sites like Svetitskhoveli Cathedral and Jvari Monastery are truly unforgettable.

Kakheti wine tourAfter departing the capital, you will travel to the famous wine producing region of Kakheti. Think you know wine? Think again. Georgia is the birthplace of wine, which was first produced more than 8,000 years ago. Georgian wine is famous throughout the post-Soviet Union for its unique flavors, found nowhere else in the world. In Kakheti, you will tour a 16th century wine cellar, sample delicious local wine varieties, and feast on the locally grown plums and peaches.

Art-Geni Music FestivalIn addition to a city tour of the capital, this trip will include tickets to the Art-Geni Music Festival, a fantastic display of regional music, art, and culture. This annual festival features the best musicians from all over Georgia. This is your opportunity to experience traditional Georgian music.

This excursion includes: • Transportation


• 2 meals a day

• NovaMova guide

• Mtskheta guide services

• Museum guide and entry fees

• Visit to a wine facility with wine tasting

• Entrance fees to the music festival

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MTIRALA NATIONAL PARK

Mtirala, which means “Crying Mountain” in Georgian, is a fitting name for this subtropical rainforest. The area that contains the national park was famous for having the highest level of precipitation in the entire Soviet Union.

Mountain waterfalls and delicious homemade specialties

During the two day excursion to Mtirala National Park, you will find yourself swimming under a beautiful mountain waterfall, eating delicious homemade Adjarian food, checking out a Georgian weekend cabin, and even sleeping under the stars (if the weather permits). While in Mtirala, don’t forget to try the local honey.

This excursion includes:

• Transportation

• one-day tour

• Lunch

• NovaMova guide

• Guide services

• Entrance fees

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KUTAISI (AND VARDZIA)

This excursion will take you to Kutaisi, the legislative capital of Georgia and the Vardzia monastery. You will have a home cooked lunch in a nearby village on the way.

UNESCO World Heritage Site in Gelati

While in the Kutaisi area, you will visit the 12th Century Gelati Monastery, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The frescos and architecture are simply amazing.

Prometheus Cave

Not far from Kutaisi, you will venture deep into the surface of the earth through Prometheus Cave. Over eons, geological processes have forged these stalactite-filled underground caverns. The cave is a masterpiece of natural evolution.

Vardzia Monastery

After departing the Kutaisi region, you will travel through the town of Borjomi, a name well-known throughout the post-Soviet Union for its unmatched mineral water. The village of Vardzia is your destination. A hiking tour will take you to the Vardzia cave monastery, an enormous labyrinth of rooms and passageways carved into a cliff face. This is truly a masterpiece of human engineering. You will stay overnight in the village for a home-cooked Georgian meal. On the way back to Batumi, brace yourselves for the breathtaking views of Goderdzi Pass. With so many things on the agenda, this excursion is not one to miss!


• Transportation

• Lodging for 2 nights (if combined with Vardzia)

• 2 meals a day

• NovaMova guide

• Guide services

• Entrance fees

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ARMENIA

As long as you have travelled all the way to the South Caucasus, it would be a shame not to make the short hop down to Armenia. Armenia is an incredible country with a fascinating history, unique culture, and incredible beauty.

Yerevan, the capital city of Armenia

Yerevan will be your first stop. Prepare to take a step back into the 20th century, as Yerevan’s architecture is reflective of its Soviet past. In Yerevan, you will have an opportunity to visit the famous Ararat Brandy Factory for a tour and tasting. The company’s signature brandy is reserved for special occasions all over the post-Soviet Union. The trip to Yerevan will include a trip just outside of town to a restaurant, famous among the locals for music, dancing, and of course, great food. Don’t forget to try the trout, an Armenian specialty.

Ancient Monasteries, Temples, and Cathedrals

While in Armenia, you will visit the breathtaking Geghard Monastery, founded in the 4th century by Gregory the Illuminator amongst the cliffs and canyons of the Azat River Gorge. The current structures were built in 1215, following the destruction of the original site by Arabs in the 9th Century. This same excursion will include a visit to the nearby Temple of Garni, a classical Hellenistic structure. You will also visit the gorgeous Echmiadzin Cathedral, the mother site of the Armenian Apostolic Church


• Transportation


• 2 meals a day

• NovaMova guide

• Guide services

• Entrance fees

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TRABZON, TURKEY

With the border crossing at Sarpi only 20 minutes from Batumi, it would be a shame not to check out Turkey. They may be neighbors, but Georgia and Turkey are entirely different in terms of culture, language, architecture, religion, and food.

Trabzon Tour

Your main destination on this excursion is Trabzon, the historical port city founded as a Greek colony in 756 BC. In centuries past, Trabzon was the regional hub of a booming slave trade. This excursion will take you to the site of the former Trabzon slave market. While in Trabzon, you will have time for free exploration of the city. Don’t forget to try the local cuisine which is no less delicious that its Georgian counterpart.

Sumela Monastery

Only a short drive from Trabzon is the Sumela Monastery, carved into a sheer cliff face. One can’t help but feel they are in an Indiana Jones film as they approach the entrance to the Monastery.


• NovaMova Guide

• Transportation from Batumi

• Lodging for 1 night

• All tickets and guiding

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RIVER KEBAB PARTY GONIO FORTRESS

This day trip to the local Adjarian mountains is a fun filled day of swimming, sun, and Georgian BBQ (“shashlik” for you Russian speakers). The scenery, food, and company make this one of the best excursions of the summer!


• NovaMova guide

• Transportation

• Food and drink

This excursion begins with a 10-minute drive along the coast to the ancient Roman fortress at Gonio. The fortress was built in the first century AD and occupied by numerous empires since.


• NovaMova Guide

• Transportation

• Fortress entry fee and guided tour

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Russian Conversational Practice (Peer-coaching)

We offer all of our students personal conversational partners to become their guides, coaches and friends. Your partners will fine tune your spoken Russian, helping you to make it natural, idiomatic, and free-flowing. Local university students or people of similar interests with you will introduce you to their circle of friends and invite you to the local social life. This is where you will inevitably interact with your peers, speaking genuinely and freely with them. Your new friends who will be there for you in the best traditions of companionship and hospitality.

All levels

Russian Singing Club

To live the language as a more personal and culturally fulfilling experience is to be able to use it in all of its manifestations. We all like music and have probably noticed that the songs we learn for some reason stick with us for a very long time. Singing offers a way to fast-track fluency: You learn vocabulary, pronunciation, and cultural contexts through song. Many of our teachers are also great musicians, so they can explain the cultural background behind the song, piquing your curiosity about peculiar aspects of local traditions and practices. Really, learning songs is a highly-effective and engaging exercise with lasting results! And we welcome students to bring their own instruments to make it even more fun and productive.

All levels

Guest Speaker Presentations

To bring your language challenge to a higher level of the intellectual discourse we set up venues for the lecturers and experts from various occupational and academic backgrounds to unveil their take on the regional history, culture, religion, politics and arts. It’s a good time to satiate your curiosity, make new discoveries, ask questions and find the missing puzzle bits to complete your picture of local life in all of its most essential colors and perspectives. You will be able to draw your conclusions and well grounded opinions about the make of life in the given geographical region based on the thorough analysis of our weekly guest speaker presentations on one hand and your personal experiences on the other.

Levels: A2-B1

Russian-speaking Club

This complimentary weekly event will focus on helping the student access a wider turf exploring the intrinsic value of perhaps once seemed rather trivial expressions and vocabulary. Using them in conversations among the peer-coaches or their friends or in situations where you have to speak Russian will help you be more sociable and likable among the local people boosting your confidence, fluency and rapport. Importantly it motivates the student have his or her own language-conditioned emotional attachments.

Levels: A2-B1

ACTIVITIES

Batumi holds a semi-subtropical climate with a humid atmosphere. Humid temperatures mixed with a relaxing

sea breeze stem from it’s proximity to the Black Sea. Nearby hills and mountains help contribute to the relaxing

evening temperatures. The city experiences significant rainfall during the majority of the year and is regarded as

one of the wettest cities in Georgia and the Caucasus region.

Students should bring comfortable shoes for walking and an umbrella.

CLIMATE OF BATUMI

Novamova Georgia 2015

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