Personal experience. Fulbright internship in the USA. Fulbright Scholarships
Down with stereotypes about foreign universities "for the rich" - any state has multimillion-dollar grant programs that annually sponsor the most motivated students to complete their master's or postgraduate studies. The payments cover tuition and living expenses, and students can devote themselves entirely to their studies. All that is required of a candidate is to understand why he needs it, clearly set a goal and carefully collect a package of documents, and then suitcases.
"Bolshaya Derevnya" begins to collect practical advice from children who were able to enter the best universities in the world. How to overcome the circles of bureaucratic hell, what to say at an interview, is there a universal motivation letter and is there any point in returning home? In the first part - one of the best international programs Fulbright.
Where: USA
This includes: English language exams, tuition fees, monthly stipend, limited health insurance, travel expenses (round trip from hometown and extra baggage on the way back), one-time tuition fees and accommodation ...
Training period: from one to 2 years
Requirements: listed by reference, one of the mandatory is knowledge of English at a sufficient level (TOEFL not less than 80 points) and age not older than 30 years.
What is it and how to get through. Fulbright is one of the most generous and awesome scholarship programs in the world, providing grants annually for training, research and internships at US universities. Graduates of universities or students of the last year of study who, by the time of their possible departure, have already received higher education diplomas, can participate in the competition. You need to choose a master's or postgraduate program. Masters study for two academic years, graduate students conduct research for one academic year.
Competitive selection begins in spring and lasts about a year. During this time, the candidate must write motivational essays and collect three letters of recommendation, translate the diploma of higher education into English, pass exams in English proficiency (TOEFL, and masters also GRE, pass an interview in Moscow and - combo! - combine all this with main work or study.
The Fulbright Scholarship covers everything. It was important for me, since I did not have my own funds
Every year, a different number of applicants apply: in 2015 there were about 600. About 10% usually reach the final - the competition for a place is comparable to the challenge for admission to a good domestic university.
It should be understood that Fulbright has a clear goal - cultural exchange: grant finalists, in a sense, become cosmopolitans, educators and carriers of important experiences. This means that it will not work to settle down on the shores of the ocean after graduating from university or completing research work - the scholar is obliged, ideally, to return to his homeland, but in any case he cannot live and work in the USA for two years (the option with an interethnic marriage will not work either ).
Yana Shchetinskaya, student at North Carolina State University
In Samara, I graduated from the history department of SamSU with a degree in International Relations. I applied for Fulbright in May 2014, and in March-April 2015 I learned that I was going to study. The selection process lasts about a year, and it is quite nerve-racking - being in a state of uncertainty for so long.
The Fulbright scholarship covers everything, including housing: for me this was important, since I did not have my own funds to pay for half or, say, a third of the tuition.
By submitting an application, you do not choose a university - you just express your wishes, and the commission takes them into account. You should not count on Harvard and other well-known universities: you can be sent to an excellent university that no one in Russia has ever heard of, and this will be a much better solution.
There is only one motivation: you either need it and you persistently go to the end, or you don't
If, after submitting the papers with the documents, everything is in order, you go to the second round - there you just have to pass the exams and go to Moscow for an interview. It is being held in English with a US-Russian commission of five to six people. At the interview, they check your sense of purpose, and also your communication skills, so it's better not to be very nervous and try to communicate calmly, without undue alertness. If you have an interesting topic, you really know the purpose of the program and believe in what you are saying, this is a big plus. It is important to understand that the American commission will not be satisfied with general phrases.
University of North Carolina You need to clearly understand, and then paint, what practical importance is what you plan to do. It would be nice to throw in a draft of sample interview questions and answers. If possible, it is better to have your essays checked by an experienced person, the same Fulbright or native English speaker, who will help correct stylistic inaccuracies.
I know many who went to Fulbright for the third and fourth time
There is only one motivation: you either need it, and you persistently go to the end, or you don't. If you failed to submit documents this year, you can do it next year. I know many who have been to Fulbright from the third and fourth times. An important point about English: if you feel that language training is not enough, start preparing in advance. Learn the exam format so you don't get confused while testing - and practice without interruption.
"Orientation", or meeting of students of the University of North Carolina before the start of the school year, Yana was held in Boston I am currently studying at North Carolina State University and overall am very satisfied. I am the only foreign student on my program, but I am treated the same way as dozens of American masters are. The teachers are very helpful and always ready to help if you don't understand or know something. This is a big plus for development and adaptation. The university where I study has many resources: constant conferences, seminars, debates, where speakers from the UN, government and non-profit organizations are invited - a very busy life.
Probably the main thing is not to be afraid. If you have any questions - ask and consult, communicate with former fellows. There is a group on VKontakte
The first time I applied for a Fulbright scholarship was in my fifth year at university. At that time, my main goal was to go to study abroad, but where exactly, by and large, I didn't care. In the fifth year, I wrote a diploma on a topic that was terribly interesting to me - "Translation of audiovisual materials in scientific communication using subtitles", so I applied for the direction "Linguistics". However, the first attempt can be shorter - I did not even make it to the second round. Despite the fact that my teachers from the university, in particular, a teacher who herself received a scholarship and went to study in Germany, said that my application was good and strong.
So, as you know from the official website of the program for the first round of the program, you need to submit a certain list of documents, we will dwell only on some of them:
1) Reference Letters - letters of recommendation. Your university professors can write letters of recommendation, and this is often the case. Some teachers, as general practice shows, ask you to write a letter yourself, and then edit it, sign it and send it. It is very good if, before writing the letter of recommendation, you introduce the teacher to what exactly you want to study, what kind of scholarship you are applying for and what plans you have for the future. This will help you write a review that will be tailored specifically to the specific application you are submitting now. Of course, it is best to contact those teachers with whom you have worked a lot together, who know you well, not only as a student, but also as a person. One of my recommendation letters was written by a work colleague. This is also a view of you, but from a different, professional, side. I think it's quite logical to ask to write letters of recommendation in advance, so that you feel calmer and that those who write them have the opportunity to write a good recommendation.
2) Study / Research Objective - in fact, this is the main component of your application. In this essay, you tell what exactly you want to study while studying in the USA, what you want to achieve, and why you need all this.
When I applied for the second time, I applied for two specialties - "Linguistics" and "Education" (we are talking about the program for masters). For each discipline, you must submit a separate package of competitive documents. Honestly, although I was interested in linguistics, I was looking for those research topics that are currently relevant in the USA, I read what they are studying right now, because I think that the first time I had no chance, if only because subtitles are not studied at all in USA.
I would advise you to think and look for information about whether there are even universities in the United States that can offer you to study what you are interested in. After all, if there are no such universities, then your application is also doomed from the outset, which is quite logical, isn't it?
3) Personal Statement - in fact, this is an essay in which they want to hear about how you became interested in this topic and why, what you have achieved in this area. Here is an example of my essay when I not passed, although it still seems to me that this is a pretty decent Personal Statement.
By the way, in Moscow, EducationUSA conducts free seminars on how to write a motivation letter or other essays for admission to US universities, prepare for the TOEFL or GRE, and how to get a good recommendation letter.
Before writing an essay, think about what interests you? What can you talk about for hours? What can you explain well to another person? Read your essays yourself and let others read them. Is it clear what exactly you want to study? Does it feel like the person who wrote these essays is really “sick” of what they are writing about?
Attention! The Call for Applications for the 2019 Small Grants Program for Fulbright alumni is open!
"How Russians and Americans helped each other"
Victoria Zhuravleva, a Fulbright program graduate for scientists and artists in 1995-96, Doctor of Historical Sciences, gave a lecture on the Voice of America radio entitled "How Russians and Americans helped each other."
An article about Elena Gladun on the Tyumen State University website
The study by Elena Gladun, a current Fulbright Arctic Program Fellow, Associate Professor of the Department of Administrative and Financial Law at Tyumen State University (Tyumen State University), is aimed at studying the ways and problems of the development of the indigenous small-numbered peoples of the Arctic in the context of global changes.
FFDP 2018-19: Results and Impressions
In mid-January 2019, teachers from Russian universities, participants in the Fulbright FFDP 2018-2019 program, returned to Russia. For 5 months they have been improving or developing new academic courses for their home universities and are now starting to implement them.
Fulbright projects: ending 2018
While the academic year is slowly but surely moving towards the end, we continue to review the activities of the Fulbrights in 2018, both in the framework of grant projects and in terms of cultural and academic exchange at the local and global levels.
Disappearing Earth
On May 14, 2019, the first book by Julia Philips, a Fulbright alumnus for American Research Students 2011-2012, is released. The book is called "The Vanishing Earth" and is largely inspired by the year Julia spent in Kamchatka under a Fulbright grant.
Interview with D. Nechiporuk
Dmitry Nechiporuk, who has just returned to Russia after completing a Fulbright grant for scientists and artists, gave an interview to the network publication Nevelsky Reporter about his life and internship in the United States.
Article about John Burgess in BelPress
John Burgess, a Pittsburgh professor of theology and current Fulbright Fellow in Belgorod for American Scholars, was interviewed by the Belgorod online newspaper BelPress.
U.S. Education Week
From 9 to 17 February within the U.S. Education Week in five Russian cities - Moscow, St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg, Novosibirsk and Vladivostok - will host specialized exhibitions of US universities and colleges. The events will be attended by directors of admissions offices of American universities, experts in the field of US higher education, invited speakers, and graduates of American universities. Fulbright program staff will also advise everyone on the program's possibilities and details of the competition, in all cities except Vladivostok.
Salons for graduates: summing up the results of 2018
In 2018, alumni of various Fulbright programs gathered together more than once: on, organized, including with the support. All these events were held by Fulbrights throughout Russia. In Moscow, graduates had the opportunity to meet within the framework, as well as at evening salons in the program office. Alumni salons, usually organized around a theme or guest guest, offer a more intimate atmosphere for Fulbrists to chat and share news about their projects and research.
The Moscow office of the Fulbright Program wishes you a Happy Holidays and wishes you good health, joy and endless opportunities for development in the new 2019!
Premiere of the documentary "Unknown 1917"
Galina Yevtushenko, a Fulbright 2017-18 alumnus for scientists and artists, invites everyone to the screening of her new documentary "Unknown 1917" at the House of Cinema on January 10, 2019, at 19.00. Login by (just print it and take it with you).
Fulbright projects
At the end of the first semester of the academic year, Fulbrights, both current fellows and alumni, are actively working on their projects and sharing experiences locally and globally.
Fulbrights on international education and careers in the arts
At the end of September 2018, in Gallery 21 at Winzavod, the alumni held a discussion on the topic “International experience in the career of an art manager and artist”. The speakers shared their personal experience of studying and working in cultural institutions in the United States, and also talked about the impact of international exchange on the development of professional competencies of cultural managers and artists. The event was organized with the support of the Small Grants Program.
FLTA Graduate American Studies Course
Natalia Mukhina, a 2014-15 FLTA graduate, has developed the American Studies course for 2nd year students at Moscow City Pedagogical University. As a result, her elective became incredibly popular and more than 65 people signed up for it.
Fellow Story: From Saranac Lake to Ufa
Dr. Selina LeMay-Clippal, a Fulbright Fellow for American Scientists, has just completed her 3-month internship at the Bashkir State Medical University (BSMU) in Ufa, where she taught nursing and collaborative health care, and has shared with the Program's Moscow office her impressions.
Presentation of Cynthia Madansky's project "4 women / 4 films"
Within the framework of the ESFIR project, the Field Research direction of the Garage Museum of Contemporary Art, on November 6, 2018, there will be a presentation of video works by the artist Cynthia Madansky, a current Fulbright scholarship holder for American scientists in St. Petersburg, which analyzes the specifics of women's writing. difference of languages, possibilities of interpretation and translation. Admission is free with prior registration.
Baikal Fulbright alumni meeting
On September 25-26, 2018, a meeting of alumni "International academic mobility of scientists from the Baikal region" was held in Ulan-Ude. The event was organized with the support of the Small Grants program by Fulbright alumni from Buryat State University.
Life after Fulbright
Even after completing their participation in the Fulbright program and returning home, Fulbrights do not forget about the important mission they fulfill as alumni and ambassadors of the Program in Russia, continuing to develop and facilitate cultural and academic exchange with the United States, as well as raising awareness of the Program in their regions.
Fulbright Alumni Meetings in Novosibirsk
On August 27 and October 8, 2018, in Novosibirsk, with the support of the Moscow office of the Fulbright Program and the US Embassy in the Russian Federation, two meetings of Fulbright alumni were held, dedicated to the 45th anniversary of the program in Russia. The meetings were organized under the Small Grants Program.
"What is an experiment?"
Julia Kleiman, a Fulbright graduate of the 2012-13 Fulbright Program for Scientists and Artists, was the curator of the educational program "What is an Experiment?" within the framework of the IV Summer Festival of Arts "Access Point". The program ran from July 31 to August 2 and included lectures, a director's laboratory, performances and a final seminar.
Fellow Story: The Fulbright Program gave me a powerful boost and invaluable resources
Chudak, an Indian anthropologist and current Graduate and Postgraduate Fellow, begins his second year at the University of Oklahoma with a Masters degree and shares his thoughts and impressions of the opportunities offered by the Fulbright program to young researchers.
Humanitarian Summer School "Creative Writing and New Profiles of Humanitarian Education"
On August 27-29, 2018 at the Museum-Estate of L.N. Tolstoy "Yasnaya Polyana" hosted the XXI Fulbright Humanitarian Summer School on the theme "Creative Writing and New Profiles of Humanitarian Education", organized by a Fulbright program alumnus for scientists and artists T. D. Venediktova.
Program of support for projects of graduates of exchange programs at the American Center in Moscow
The US Embassy and the American Center in Moscow are announcing the opening of applications for the US Exchange Graduate Project Support Program. The program provides financial support for the implementation of public benefit projects of both individual graduates and their associations, allowing them to apply the knowledge and skills gained during participation in exchange programs. Graduates who do not live in Moscow can also take part in the program and carry out proposed projects in their city under the auspices of the American Center.
Meeting of alumni of the Fulbright program "International academic mobility of scientists from the Baikal region" in Ulan-Ude
On September 25-26, 2018 in Ulan-Ude, with the support of the Moscow office of the Fulbright Program and the US Embassy in the Russian Federation, a meeting of Fulbright alumni "International Academic Mobility of Scientists of the Baikal Region" will be held, dedicated to the 45th anniversary of the program in Russia. The meeting will be organized under the Small Grants Program.
Monograph by Tatiana Svistunenko
Fulbright Scholars and Artists Graduate 2007-2008 T.A. Svistunenko published a 300-page monograph "The Evolution of the Early Baroque Fugue in the Clavier Works of JS Bach". The book is addressed to professional musicians, as well as anyone interested in Bach's work.
Meeting of alumni of the Fulbright program "International Academic Mobility of Scientists of Siberia" in Novosibirsk
On August 27, 2018, in Akademgorodok in Novosibirsk, with the support of the Moscow office of the Fulbright Program and the US Embassy in the Russian Federation, a meeting of Fulbright alumni “International Academic Mobility of Scientists of Siberia” will be held, dedicated to the 45th anniversary of the program in Russia. The meeting will be organized under the Small Grants Program.
"America: A Kaleidoscope of Cultures"
Exhibition "America: Kaleidoscope of Cultures", organized by A.S. Golobokov, a graduate of the FFDP 2018-19 Program, opened at the end of June in Vladivostok at the VSUES Museum and Exhibition Complex. The project was supported by the 2018 Small Grants Program.
Russian Fulbright events supported by OLF
This year, two Russian Fulbrights from St. Petersburg, Tatyana Weinstein and Igor Kozlov, held a number of training events at US universities with the support of the Outreach Lecturing Fund (OLF), a grant fund that allows current Fulbright program participants for scientists and artists who are in USA, travel to other institutions of higher education in the country.
Fulbright Arctic Program Meeting
From May 21 to May 26, 2018, a meeting of the participants of the second Fulbright Arctic Program took place. The meeting was attended by current Arctic Program Fellows 2018-19. from Russia: Elena Gladun and Svetlana Tulaeva.
Salon "Isadora Duncan's Artistic Legacy"
On May 29, 2018, in the Moscow office of the Fulbright program, another evening salon of the program graduates was held, the theme of which was the work of the famous American dancer Isadora Duncan. Elena Vladimirovna Yushkova acted as the main speaker, and dancer Vidal Neyanaya became a special guest of the salon.
Seminars by Christopher Kelly at Syktyvkar State University
In May 2018, Christopher Kelly, a Fulbright alumnus for American Scientists 2005 and 2011, professor of law at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, visited Syktyvkar State University. Pitirim Sorokin.
VIII Fulbright Alumni Conference in Russia
On April 12-13, 2018, the Institute of International Education in Moscow organized and held the conference "Fulbright Program in Russia, VIII Alumni Conference" 45 Years of Successful International Professional Communication ". The conference was held at the National Hotel in Moscow. The conference was attended by over a hundred Fulbright alumni from more than forty Russian cities, as well as delegates from US community colleges.
Visit of a NASA representative to Amur State University
On November 27, 2017, Justin Tilman, an official representative of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration in Russia (NASA), visited Amur State University in Blagoveshchensk.
Isadora Duncan's Saved Dance
Elena Yushkova, 2007-2008 Fulbright-Kennan alumnus. and a 2018 Small Grants Fellow, published an article "Isadora Duncan's Dance in Russia: First Impressions and Discussions. 1904-1909" in the Journal of Russian-American Studies at the University of Kansas, and will soon hold a show about the famous dancer in the Moscow Fulbright office.
Choreography of body, space and intercultural communication
The American student audience is keenly interested in the project of Alexandra Portyannikova "External Body Awareness". Since January of this year, Alexandra has been conducting master classes as part of a Fulbright grant for scientists and artists at The New School in New York, USA.
Seventeen Moments of Russian America: Rediscovering Its Legacy
Alaska has long attracted travelers. One of them was the writer and international journalist Sergei Karlovich Pashkevich, co-author of the film project "Russian World without Borders", author of the book "Letters from the End of the World. A Journey to Russian America." In December 2017. he completed a project under the Fulbright Program for Scientists and Artists "Seventeen Moments of Russian America: Rediscovering Her Legacy". Sergey worked on it for three months at the Anchorage Museum and in different parts of this northernmost American state.
Screening of films by Galina Yevtushenko at American universities
In March of this year, Galina Mikhailovna Yevtushenko, professor at the Department of Post-Soviet Abroad at the IAMR at the Russian State University for the Humanities, screened her documentaries at the University of Rhode Island and at the University of Albany, where she is currently under the Fulbright Visiting Scholar program.
Fulbright Alumni's Oxford Tatar Interactive Dictionary
January 31, 2018 the Oxford Global Languages \u200b\u200bproject launched the Oxford Tatar Interactive Dictionary. The dictionary is based on the "English-Tatar Dictionary for Students" published in 2014 by the Fulbright Program alumnus Gulshat Rafailevna Safiullina.
"Russian with a Hawaiian accent"
Last summer, Associate Professor of the Department of Literature and Methods of Teaching Literature of the South Ural State Humanitarian and Pedagogical University E.S. Sedova returned from a trip to the University of Hawaii at Manoa in Honolulu, where she was carrying out a project under the Scholar-in-Residence (SIR) Program in the 2016-2017 academic year. The professional and cultural ties that she created over the course of the year are developing and reaching new levels.
On March 8, the University Club of the University of Albany will screen the documentary "Leo Tolstoy and Mahatma Gandhi".
The film was made by screenwriter, director and producer of fiction and documentary films, professor of the Russian State University for the Humanities Evtushenko G.M., who won a Fulbright Program grant for scientists and artists for 2017-18 academic year. d .. Now she conducts research on the topic "The author and hero of documentary films" in the interiors of eras ", works with students, conducts master classes at the history department (documentary program) of this university.
FFDP 2017-18: First Practical Results
In mid-January 2018, young teachers from Russian universities returned to Russia. For 5 months they have been improving or developing new academic courses for their Russian universities and are now starting to implement them.
Past presentations of the Fulbright Program
And other countries.
The largest US government-funded international education exchange program, the Fulbright Program was designed to improve understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries. In pursuit of this goal, the Fulbright Program provided more than 300,000 of its participants, selected for their scientific potential and leadership qualities, the opportunity to get acquainted with the work of political, economic and cultural organizations of other countries, exchange ideas and initiate joint projects for the common good of the peoples of the world. ... The Fulbright Program is administered by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the United States Department of State. Since the inception of the Program, 46,800 foreign scientists have conducted research or taught at US universities, and more than 45,200 American scientists have engaged in similar activities abroad. Each year, the Fulbright Program awards about 800 grants to scientists who come to the United States from other countries. The Fulbright Program currently operates in 155 countries around the world.
The main source of funding for the Fulbright Program is the annual allocation from the US Congress to the Department of State. The governments of the countries participating in the program, the host universities of foreign countries and the United States also contribute financially to the program, either by covering part of the costs, or indirectly, in the form of increases to the lecturer's salary, tuition exemptions or the provision of university housing.
Provides international educational exchanges for students, scientists, teachers, professionals and artists. On a competitive basis, it provides grants to both American and foreign (including Russian) students, scientists and researchers. Encourages cross-education, in particular for American students overseas and overseas students in the United States. The Fulbright Program is one of the most prestigious awards programs in the world among its kind, it operates in more than 155 countries, in 50 of which there are special commissions that guide the program, in the same places where they do not exist, it is overseen by the Information and Culture Department of the US Embassy.
43 Fulbright alumni have received Nobel Prizes (including two in 2010 - Peter Diamond and Eiichi Negishi), 28 - MacArthur Foundation grants, and 78 were Pulitzer Prize winners.
Within the framework of the program, much has been done in terms of bringing Russian and American researchers closer together. However, such cooperation programs often raise fears of a "brain drain" in the United States and are a topic for discussion of Russian-American relations. According to Natalia Smirnova, Deputy Director of the Fulbright Program in the Russian Federation:
The Fulbright Program annually provides about 8,000 grants, as of 2010, the number of participants since its inception has reached 300,000.
J. William Foreign Scholarship Council Fulbright (FSB), which is made up of 12 education and community leaders appointed by the President of the United States, sets policy for the Program, sets selection criteria, and approves candidates for the grant.
Bureau of Education and Culture US Department of State develops measures to ensure compliance of the tasks before the program, and in cooperation with commissions and foundations on education issues, carries out the program in 51 countries of the world where there are existing agreements with the United States on conducting exchange programs. In 90 countries without such an agreement, the US embassies provide assistance in carrying out the program. In the United States, the program is supported by a number of support agencies.
Bilateral interethnic commissions and funds in cooperation with universities and host country organizations, draw up an annual exchange plan. They also pre-select candidates for student and teaching grants for their exchange programs, interview and recommend worthy applicants to the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Council. In countries where such commissions and foundations do not exist, the Cultural Section of the US Embassy determines and oversees the Programme's policy.
Council for International Exchange of Scientists (CIES), under a cooperation agreement with the Department of State, runs the Fulbright Program for university professors and academics. "Council for International Exchange of Scientists" is part of Institute for International Education (IIE) and works closely with the largest educational institutions in the humanities, social and natural sciences. CIES provides support to educators and scientists based in the United States through a Fulbright grant.
Story
Famous alumni
see also
- AFS (eng.)
Write a review on the Fulbright Program
Notes
Links
- on the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, U.S. Department of State (eng.)
- , Institute of International Education website (English)
- , website of the Institute of International Education
Excerpt from the Fulbright Program
- They brought that to die for all ... robbers! - he said again, and left the porch.Alpatych shook his head and went up the stairs. In the reception room there were merchants, women, officials, silently looking at each other. The office door opened, everyone got up and moved forward. An official ran out of the door, talked something with the merchant, called behind him a fat official with a cross around his neck and disappeared through the door again, apparently avoiding all the glances and questions addressed to him. Alpatych moved forward and at the next exit of the official, laying his hand on the buttoned coat, turned to the official, handing him two letters.
“To Mr. Baron Asch from the general in chief, Prince Bolkonsky,” he proclaimed so solemnly and significantly that the official turned to him and took his letter. A few minutes later the governor received Alpatych and hastily said to him:
- Report to the prince and princess that I knew nothing: I acted according to higher orders - here ...
He gave the paper to Alpatych.
- And yet, since the prince is not well, my advice to them to go to Moscow. I'm on my own now. Report ... - But the governor did not finish: a dusty and sweaty officer ran into the door and began to speak something in French. Horror appeared on the governor's face.
- Go, - he said, nodding his head to Alpatych, and began to ask the officer something. Greedy, frightened, helpless glances turned to Alpatych when he left the governor's office. Now involuntarily listening to the close ones and the ever-increasing shots, Alpatych hurried to the inn. The paper given by the governor to Alpatych was as follows:
“I assure you that the city of Smolensk does not yet face the slightest danger, and it is unbelievable that it would threaten it. I am on the one hand, and Prince Bagration, on the other hand, is marching on the formation in front of Smolensk, which will take place on the 22nd, and both armies will jointly defend their compatriots in the province entrusted to you, until their efforts remove the enemies of the fatherland from them or until they are exterminated in their brave ranks to the last warrior. You see from this that you have the perfect right to calm the inhabitants of Smolensk, for whoever is protected by two such brave troops can be sure of their victory. " (Instruction of Barclay de Tolly to the civil governor of Smolensk, Baron Asch, 1812.)
The people scurried restlessly through the streets.
Carts loaded on horseback with household utensils, chairs, and lockers now and then drove out of the gates of houses and rode through the streets. In the neighboring house of Ferapontov there were carts and, saying goodbye, the women howled and sentenced. The mongrel dog, barking, spun in front of the pledged horses.
Alpatych, with a more hasty step than he usually walked, entered the courtyard and went straight under the shed to his horses and cart. The coachman was asleep; he woke him up, ordered him to lay it, and went into the passage. In the master's room, children could be heard crying, the woman's tearing sobs, and the angry, hoarse cry of Ferapontov. The cook, like a frightened hen, shook herself in the hallway as soon as Alpatych entered.
- He killed to death - beat the mistress! .. So he beat, so dragged! ..
- For what? - asked Alpatych.
- I asked to go. It's a woman's business! Take me away, he says, do not ruin me with small children; the people, he says, all left, what, he says, are we then? How he conceived to beat. So he beat, so dragged!
Alpatych, as it were, nodded his head approvingly at these words and, not wanting to know anything more, went to the opposite door - the master's room, in which his purchases remained.
“You villain, destroyer,” shouted at this time a thin, pale woman with a child in her arms and a handkerchief torn from her head, bursting out of the door and running down the stairs to the courtyard. Ferapontov went out after her and, seeing Alpatych, straightened his waistcoat, hair, yawned, and went into the upper room behind Alpatych.
- Do you want to go? - he asked.
Without answering the question and without looking back at the owner, going over his purchases, Alpatych asked how much the owner followed for a stay.
- Let's count! Well, have you been with the governor? - asked Ferapontov. - What solution came out?
Alpatych replied that the governor had definitely not said anything to him.
- In our case, will we take away? - said Ferapontov. - Give it to Dorogobuzh at seven rubles per cart. And I say: there is no cross on them! - he said.
- Selivanov, he hit it on Thursday, sold flour to the army at nine rubles a sack. Well, will you drink tea? He added. While the horses were being laid, Alpatych and Ferapontov drank tea and talked about the price of bread, about the harvest and favorable weather for harvesting.
- However, it began to subside, - said Ferapontov, having drunk three cups of tea and getting up, - we must have taken it. Said, they won't be allowed. That means strength ... And the mixture, they said, Matvey Ivanovich Platov drove them into the river Marina, eighteen thousand, or something, in one day he sank.
Alpatych collected his purchases, handed them over to the coachman who came in, settled with the owner. At the gate sounded the sound of wheels, hooves and bells of a wagon leaving.
It was already well past noon; half of the street was in the shade, the other was brightly lit by the sun. Alpatych looked out the window and went to the door. Suddenly there was a strange sound of a distant whistle and blow, and then there was a merging rumble of cannon fire, from which the windows trembled.
Alpatych went out into the street; two people ran down the street to the bridge. Whistles, cannonballs and the bursting of grenades falling in the city were heard from different directions. But these sounds were almost inaudible and did not pay attention to the inhabitants in comparison with the sounds of firing heard outside the city. It was a bombardment, which Napoleon ordered to open in the city at five o'clock, from one hundred and thirty guns. At first, the people did not understand the significance of this bombing.
The sounds of falling grenades and cannonballs aroused only curiosity at first. Ferapontov's wife, who had not stopped howling under the shed before, fell silent and with a child in her arms went out to the gate, silently looking at the people and listening to the sounds.
The cook and the shopkeeper came out to the gate. Everyone tried with cheerful curiosity to see the shells flying over their heads. Several people came out of the corner, talking animatedly.
- That's the power! - said one. - Both the lid and the ceiling were smashed to pieces.
“It blew up the earth like a pig,” said another. - That's so important, that's so encouraged! He said laughing. - Thank you, bounced, otherwise she would have smeared you.
The people turned to these people. They paused and told how they got into the house near their very core. Meanwhile, other shells, now with a fast, gloomy whistle - cannonballs, now with a pleasant whistle - grenades, did not stop flying over the heads of the people; but not a single shell fell close, everything endured. Alpatych sat down in the wagon. The owner stood at the gate.
- What I have not seen! He shouted at the cook, who, with her sleeves rolled up, in a red skirt, swinging her bare elbows, walked up to the corner to listen to what was being told.
“That’s a miracle,” she said, but, hearing the voice of the owner, she came back, tugging at her tucked skirt.
Again, but very close this time, something whistled, like a bird flying from top to bottom, fire flashed in the middle of the street, something fired and covered the street with smoke.
- Villain, why are you doing this? - shouted the owner, running up to the cook.
At the same instant, women howled plaintively from different directions, a child cried in fright, and silently crowded people with pale faces around the cook. From this crowd, the groans and sentences of the cook were heard most audibly:
- Oh oh oh, my darlings! My darlings are white! Don't let die! My darlings are white! ..
Five minutes later, no one was left on the street. The cook, with her thigh shattered by a pomegranate shard, was carried into the kitchen. Alpatych, his coachman, Ferapontova's wife with children, the janitor sat in the basement, listening. The rumble of guns, the whistle of shells and the pitying groan of the cook, which prevailed over all sounds, did not cease for an instant. The hostess then rocked and persuaded the child, then in a pitiful whisper asked everyone who entered the basement where was her owner, who remained on the street. The shopkeeper who entered the basement told her that the owner went with the people to the cathedral, where the Smolensk miraculous icon was being raised.
By dusk the cannonade began to subside. Alpatych left the basement and stopped at the door. Before the clear evening of her, the sky was covered with smoke. And through this smoke a young, high-standing sickle of the moon shone strangely. After the silence of the former terrible roar of guns, silence seemed over the city, interrupted only by the rustle of footsteps, groans, distant screams and the crackle of fires, which seemed to be widespread throughout the city. The groans of the cook have now died away. Black clouds of smoke from the fires rose and spread from both sides. On the street, not in rows, but like ants from a ruined bump, in different uniforms and in different directions, soldiers passed and ran. In the eyes of Alpatych, several of them ran into Ferapontov's yard. Alpatych went to the gate. Some kind of regiment, crowding and hurrying, blocked the street, going back.
`` They are renting out the city, leave, leave, '' the officer who noticed his figure said to him and immediately turned to the soldiers with a shout:
- I'll let you run around the yards! He shouted.
Alpatych returned to the hut and, having called the coachman, ordered him to leave. Following Alpatych and the coachman, all of Ferapontov's household went out. Seeing the smoke and even the fires that were now visible in the beginning of dusk, the women, who had been silent until then, suddenly began to shout, looking at the fires. As if echoing them, the same cries were heard at other ends of the street. Alpatych, with the coachman shaking his hands, was straightening the tangled reins and the harness of the horses under the shed.
When Alpatych was driving out of the gate, he saw how ten soldiers, loudly talking, poured sacks and knapsacks with wheat flour and sunflowers in the open shop of Ferapontov. At the same time, returning from the street to the shop, Ferapontov entered. Seeing the soldier, he wanted to shout something, but suddenly stopped and, clutching his hair, burst out laughing with sobbing laughter.
- Bring everything, guys! Do not get the devils! He shouted, grabbing the bags himself and throwing them out into the street. Some soldiers, frightened, ran out, some continued to pour. Seeing Alpatych, Ferapontov turned to him.
- I made up my mind! Race! He shouted. - Alpatych! made up my mind! I'll burn it myself. I made up my mind ... - Ferapontov ran into the yard.
On the street, blocking it all, soldiers were continuously walking, so that Alpatych could not pass and had to wait. The owner Ferapontova with the children was also sitting on the cart, waiting to be able to leave.
It was already quite night. There were stars in the sky and a young moon, occasionally obscured by smoke, shone. On the descent to the Dnieper, the carts of Alpatych and the hostess, slowly moving in the ranks of soldiers and other carriages, had to stop. Not far from the crossroads at which the carts stopped, in an alley, a house and shops were on fire. The fire was already burning out. The flame either died away and was lost in the black smoke, then suddenly flared up brightly, strangely clearly illuminating the faces of the crowd of people who stood at the intersection. Before the fire, black figures of people flashed, and from behind the incessant crackle of the fire, talk and shouts were heard. Alpatych, dismounted from the cart, seeing that the cart would not be allowed to pass him soon, turned into the alley to watch the fire. The soldiers were constantly darting back and forth past the fire, and Alpatych saw how two soldiers and with them some man in a frieze overcoat dragged from the fire across the street to the neighboring courtyard burning logs; others carried armfuls of hay.
Alpatych approached a large crowd of people standing opposite a high barn that was burning with full fire. The walls were all on fire, the back one had collapsed, the plank roof had collapsed, the beams were on fire. Obviously, the crowd was waiting for the moment when the roof collapsed. Alpatych expected the same.
- Alpatych! A familiar voice suddenly called out to the old man.
- Father, your Excellency, - answered Alpatych, instantly recognizing the voice of his young prince.
Prince Andrey, in a cloak, riding a black horse, stood behind the crowd and looked at Alpatych.
- How are you here? - he asked.
- Your ... your Excellency, - said Alpatych and sobbed ... - Yours, yours ... or have we already disappeared? Father…
- How are you here? - repeated Prince Andrey.
The flame flared up brightly at that moment and illuminated Alpatych's pale and emaciated face of his young master. Alpatych told how he was sent and how he could leave by force.
- Well, your Excellency, or are we lost? He asked again.
Prince Andrew, without answering, took out a notebook and, raising his knee, began to write in pencil on a torn sheet. He wrote to his sister:
“Smolensk is being surrendered,” he wrote. “Bald Mountains will be occupied by the enemy in a week. Leave now to Moscow. Answer me as soon as you leave by sending a courier to Usvyazh. "
Having written and passed the sheet to Alpatych, he verbally conveyed to him how to arrange the departure of the prince, princess and son with a teacher, and how and where to answer him immediately. Before he had time to finish these orders, the mounted staff chief, accompanied by his retinue, galloped up to him.
- Are you a colonel? - shouted the chief of staff, with a German accent, familiar to Prince Andrey's voice. - In your presence, houses are lit up, and you are standing? What does this mean? You will answer, ”shouted Berg, who was now assistant chief of staff of the left flank of the infantry forces of the First Army,“ the place is very pleasant and in sight, as Berg said.
Prince Andrey looked at him and, without answering, continued, turning to Alpatych:
“So tell me that I’m waiting for an answer until the tenth, and if on the tenth I don’t receive news that everyone has left, I myself will have to drop everything and go to Bald Hills.
On June 1 of last year, late in the evening, I received an email in a standard form stating that I had passed the competition and that I was going to the USA at the end of August ...
It all began with the fact that once, during a couple of English grammar classes, our teacher announced that in the conference room, campaigning for everyone who wants to apply for the Fulbright program would begin right now, and they would also tell about the program itself, so whoever wants, can no longer stay on a couple and take a course directly to the abode of a probable freebie, which everyone immediately took advantage of.
And they promised a freebie really noble: two years of study in a magistracy in the chosen specialty is completely free, i.e. for nothing. A little about the program: one of the most prestigious in the world, this program is named after the former US Senator William Fulbright and is designed for university graduates and young scientists, and it is funded by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the US Department of State, but countries also make their financial contributions with whom she collaborates.
What is interesting: at the exit of the conference hall our beloved dean was waiting for us, having the following to say: a) that we are being reprimanded about the missed couple; b) so that we roll our lips back, because being elected by a grant program of this class is something from the realm of fantasy. With our heads bowed, we returned to the realities of our everyday university reality. However, 5-6 of us, gritting their teeth, firmly decided to fight and not give up so easily.
Slowly, without ringing about it at every corner so as not to attract unhealthy attention of competitors, we began to scribble the required essays, such as: Personal Statement and Study Objectives. And they were quite sincerely surprised when they bumped head to head in the door of Fulbright's Kiev office for submission of documents. Having smiled sweetly at each other and asked what specialties they were applying for, they dispersed in a civilized way, so that the physical destruction of rivals did not come, and it would not help (for reference: in 2006/07 the competition for a place was about 1:30).
Then the most interesting thing began, it would be more correct to say tense, namely, the expectation. Waiting for the results of the first round of the competition, competition of documents. If you have passed it, you can breathe a sigh of relief for a second (but only for a second) and immediately start preparing for the interview. For me personally, this was the toughest test, it was cleaner than any job interview. Well, firstly, due to the rather large number of pairs of eyes that assess you, not to mention the number of mouths that open to embarrass you with immodest questions about what, in fact, you are going to do upon arrival in the "promised land ".
Moreover, an interesting observation: their own, Ukrainians, as they say, “brought down”, and the Americans were interested in common things with a smile, for example, what will I tell my American colleagues about my country, whether I have a musical education (my topic was related to folk songs). “Friends” had questions of a more conceptual nature, and if we take into account the fact that I was just going to go to research my topic, their questions turned out to be completely on the verge of reality. Such questions are asked at a press conference about a successful study, not at its inception. Hence my advice to you: if you have already passed the stage of "papers", then thoroughly prepare for the interview, think over all possible questions.
The next step was the TOEFL test. Nothing particularly complicated, but preparation is again required, and not just language, but specifically for passing this test - how to calculate the time, how to better understand what kind of answer they want from you in this or that task. Specific TOEFL test guidelines can be found at any British Council office.
And now, when all three stages are courageously overcome, it remains only to pack things and wave a white handkerchief to the family goodbye. And advice on adaptation on arrival is a completely different story. Finally, I will say: do not let anyone convince you that nothing will work out or that the grant is won only by big pull, this is not so. Of course, you need a certain amount of luck, so maybe you will be lucky!
For reference, the Fulbright Program is the oldest and best-known US academic exchange program worldwide. It was founded in 1946 and currently covers 140 countries.
Here are the areas of expertise Fulbright works with:
Important news: in addition to the humanities, this year the direction of natural sciences opens.
More information about the program can be found on the sites:
www.fulbright.org.ua
www.mynews-in.net/news/education/2006/10/23/1084232.html
osvita.org.ua/news/26463_ru.html
(Fulbright in Ukraine)
www.fulbright.ru
projects.karelia.ru/index.php?a\u003d4&idk\u003d359
(Fulbright in the Russian Federation)