Link Up

Login
Password
	Remember me on this computer
	Forgot your password?
	Register

Ekaterinburg

Location Yekaterinburg (or Ekaterinburg) is situated in the Ural mountain range which stretches 2000 km from the borders of Kazahkstan to the fringes of the Arctic sea in the North. The boundary between Europe and Asia is situated 40 km west of the city. The River Isset, which runs through the centre of the city         A winter scene in the surrounding countryside Population Yekaterinburg has a population of around 1.5 million. Despite such a large number of people living there, geographically it covers the area of a medium size city in the UK. The River Isset, which runs through the centre of the city Climate Siberia's climate is sharply continental but not as fearsome as you might imagine! Winter, of course, is very cold- average January night temperatures are -15 to -20 c., with cold snaps to -35 c. This is mitigated, however, by the low humidity. July and August can be very hot, with temperatures reaching as high as 35° centigrade. There are mosquitoes , so bring a good repellent. Autumn brings rather unstable weather, first frost usually occurs in October, and the first snowfalls in early November. Spring arrives only in April, when everything is awash due to the big thaw. Getting to Yekaterinburg You will probably be flying from Moscow (Daily flights, 2.5 hours) and will arrive at Koltsovo airport, 15 km from the city. From here you will be met by the Administrative Director of Language Link and taken to your accommodation. Yekaterinburg is 5 hours ahead of GMT. Yekaterinburg is a major stop on the Trans-Siberian Railway, which runs daily. The journey time to Moscow is 29 hours. All tickets, to and from Moscow and Yekaterinburg, will be purchased by Language Link staff, and you will be taken to the relevant station/airport. Arrival in Yekaterinburg As mentioned before you will be picked up from the airport/station. However, a few words of advice-unless you have a lot of luggage it is best not to accept help from airport porters. The Administrator will be holding a sign with your name on, go directly to her and ignore the overkeen local taxi drivers! You will be ripped-off. There should be no problems with customs as you will be flying internally. Accommodation You will stay in a one-room or two-room flat, with kitchen, bathroom and toilet. It is possible that you will share a two-room flat with another teacher. Language Link pays all bills with the exception of the telephone (calls are free within the city). The flats are not luxurious! However, they are livable and furnished with the basics. Bedding, cutlery and crockery are all supplied. They should be situated close to the school and to public transport. Try to get to know your neighbours, they are mostly very friendly and keen to help you with any problems you have. It goes without saying, treat them with respect- no loud music at night, banging doors, etc. Telephones/internet All calls made outside the city/country are charged including mobile phones! Inter-city calls are not very expensive but international are (70p per minute to the UK). Access to the Internet is readily available throughout the city. The British Council has a branch here with Internet facilities (as well as a very good teaching library, well-stocked books and videos to rent). There are also countless Internet cafes in the city. Of course, if you have your own notebook, bring it! Connection is not so expensive as in the UK. Useful numbers Fire 01 Police 02 Ambulance 03 Gas 04 Directory enquiries 09 Administrator 539364 Lang.Link office 712972 British Council 569201 The Old Dublin pub! 537212 Electricity Electricity is 220 volt/50 hz. Plugs are of the two-pin variety (continental type) Bare this in mind if you are bringing notebooks, hairdryers, etc. Service is good with only very infrequent power cuts, but just in case, bring a torch (flasklight) or have a few candles for emergencies. Light bulbs do not last very long, probably due to surges in power, so buy a few at a time. Water Water is not safe to drink from the tap. It should be at least boiled, but even then sometimes the taste leaves a lot to be desired. It would be preferable to buy a water filter (2 - 3 US dollars). Bottled water can be bought everywhere but is not cheap. The water supply is disconnected occasionally, usually around the beginning of Spring and Autumn, this means no hot water so be prepared for the odd cold shower! Laundry/Dry cleaning You should be supplied with a washing machine but, if not, services are available in the city- reasonably priced. Getting around Yekaterinburg centre is orientated around two parallel streets, Prospect Lenina and Ulitsa Malisheva and their intersection with Ulitsa Yakova Sverdlova. You can get around easily on foot, but for longer journeys, there are plenty of inexpensive trolleybuses and trams. Registered taxis are rather expensive, far better to hail any passing car and request your stop. Prices vary but, as a guide, 15 minutes for 30 or 40 Roubles is ok. It will be more expensive at night. The city has a metro which runs North to South but, at present, has only 6 stations. Food and drink Yekaterinburg has a wide range of places to eat and drink. You can find traditional Russian restaurants and cafes, Georgian, Chinese and numerous other cuisines. There are also a few fast-food places- burgers, chips (French fries) etc. Most restaurants are reasonably priced (a good meal with drinks can be as little as 8 pounds). Bars are everywhere! Particularly noteworthy are 'Dinamo' on Lenina, The Old Dublin on sakko and ventseti ulitsa (Guiness is expensive, 2.5 Pounds), but there are many others, try a typical Russian bar and take in the atmosphere!! In Summer, what seems like hundreds of 'Summer bars' appear overnight. A good place to sample their delights is around the central platinka, many have live music, too. Shopping Yekaterinburg shops are well stocked with many Western items. Clothes and audio goods are, however, priced as in the West. There are a few big supermarkets which stock many different products from the West ('Kypetsa' on 8th March Ulitsa). Many cd's, dvd's and videos are extremely cheap compared to the West. Gifts can be bought from the central market. Some nice ideas are-local stone boxes, amber jewellery and painted trays. Dress At school you are required to wear smart clothes, this means no ripped jeans, scuffed trainers etc. If you work in-company, teaching business English, then a shirt and tie for men is necessary. In winter you need a warm coat, scarf, hat and gloves. Bring a few warm sweaters, thick socks and sturdy boots too. From May onwards, it's warm, so t-shirts, shorts and sandals are most comfortable. Russians tend to 'dress up' for a night out, so some formal clothes would be handy. Health For the most part, Yekaterinburg is a healthy place to visit. Use your common sense when eating fresh fruit- wash it! Do not drink the tap water. There are chemists (pharmacies) everywhere, and these stock all (and more) that you see in the West. If you require specialist medicines, it's best to stock up and bring them with you. You have medical services provided by Language Link. From May to September tick-borne encephalitis is a local hazard. They appear mostly in forest areas, and if you plan to spend a few weeks or more there, you should consider immunisation at a local clinic. Hospitality Russian people are very hospitable, and you will almost certainly be invited to someone's home during your stay. It is customary to bring your hosts some flowers or chocolates. The hospitality can sometimes be a little overwhelming-five or six course meals are quite usual (including many toasts to friendship with vodka!). Do not be put off by this though, it is an opportunity to glimpse real Russian life and sample first-hand their unique blend of food and drink! Language Link in Yekaterinburg Aims The aim of Language Link in Yekaterinburg is to promote and expand English language learning and commit ourselves to the furthering of English as a common language of Europe. We make our teaching programme responsive to individual educational needs and strive to give a professional, dedicated service. Location We are situated only a minute's walk from the central square in Yekaterinburg. The office and classrooms are spacious and comfortable with all amenities available. All public transport has stops nearby (including the metero). There are a wealth of cafes and supermarkets where you can buy lunch nearby. We also have two other sites in the city, one just a 10 minute walk from the central office, the other in the South of the city. The address is: Central office, 8A Antona Valeka St., Yekaterinburg Tel: 712972 Email: langlink@mail.ur.ru Local Website: www.langlink.ur.ru The office is staffed from 12.00pm to 7.00pm, Mon-Fri Staff Language Link has a staff of seven people, these include both local and UK/USA nationals. For a complete list, see 'who's who'. Facilities Language Link has office, teaching and library services. Each classroom is equipped with a cassette player, blackboard/whiteboard and, in the main building, a television and video. We have a small library of teaching books, supplementary materials, etc in the office. English language courses and examinations We offer courses to the general public. These run for 24 weeks, 6 academic hours a week. We also provide customised training for corporate clients, teacher training for Russian English teachers, courses in business English and courses in examination preparation (such as Cambridge First Certificate, Advanced and Profficiency levels and IELTS). The school is open from August to July with short holidays at Christmas and in May. Things to do in Yekaterinburg Sightseeing The historical centre of Yekaterinburg is based around the "Platinka,"where the River Isset crosses Prospect Lenina. Here there are several museums worth visiting- the nature department, city architecture, fine art, history and geology museums. Many fine buildings, and Lenin's statue, can be seen on and around the central square (ploschad 1905 Goda). In the winter months, it sites the "ice town" -Ice statues, slides, etc. There are several large open parks with adjoining arboretums, the best of these being located near the University at the North end of Prospect Lenina. Many old wooden houses, with picturesque, carved window frames, remain along streets like Ulitsa Belinskovo. Probably the main tourist attraction though is the spot where the Romanov dynasty met its final gruesome end! This is beside Voznasensky prospect, 500 metres North of Prospect Lenina. At present a church is being constructed to mark the site. Entertainment There is a good selection of theatres and concert venues, the opera house on Prospect Lenina being a first class night out for culture lovers. Tickets cost as little as 10 US dollars! There are several cinemas, showing dubbed U.S. and European movies nightly. Yekaterinburg has a number of good nightclubs, "Malachite" being noteworthy (Luna charskova Ul). Bars are too numerous to mention, just take your pick, the best, however, are located in the city centre. Food and drink There are many cheap and reasonably priced restaurants in Yekaterinburg, many with live music. In Summer, "summer bars" appear on most street corners. They're great and cheap, sit back and watch the world go by on a Summer evening. Some noteworthy reataurants and bars; Ivans restaurant, Ulitsa Malasheva- Traditional Russian food, US$ 20 and up Pilot restaurant, Ulitsa Luna Charskova, US$ 10 Oasis, Shartashki rinok, US$ 10, the best Georgian restaurant in town! Macpik, fast food reastaurant (and take away), Ulitsa Malasheva, US$ 5 Dinamo bar, Prospekt Lenina, sport theme, US$ 2 a beer Old Dublin bar, Sakko and Vantseti Ulitsa, Irish bar, US$ 4 a beer Sport There are several good swimming pools located in the city; one of these is in "Dvorets Molodyozhe"at the end of Prospekt Lenina. You can find many fitness clubs and gyms; try the one at the Atrium Palace hotel. There is a good sized football ground which plays host to the local team, 2nd division only! but worth a visit (Centralni stadion). Of course, the greatest fun can be had skiing or snowboarding in the surrounding mountains. The best of these is Yezhovaya mountain, about an hours drive from the city. Cross-country skiing can be found at many of the city's parks. Things to do outside the city There are a number of fascinating places to visit within a few hours of Yekaterinburg. The area is covered with lush forest and dotted with beautiful lakes. As early as Spring, you can venture out and have a traditional 'shashlik' (Russian barbeque) in a secluded spot and, if you're brave, take a dip in a lake! Visit the official border between Europe and Asia, a 30-minute drive away. There are lots of holiday bases where you can relax in the countryside, swim in lakes, have a traditional Russian banya (sauna) and generally chill-out. A must-see is the beautiful Northern town of Verchoture (4 hours by car). Here, you will find an unspoilt traditional town full of wonderful churches, old wooden houses and a monastary. Also, in the Winter, visit the many mountains that surround the city, ski or simply walk in the fantastic, unspoilt countryside. Useful contact information Academic Director (home) 539364 Office Manager (home) 672069 British Council 569201 British Consulate 592901 The central "Platinka" Map of the city centre English/Russian survival dictionary English Russian Yes Da No Nyet Thank you Spaseeba Please Pazhalsta Hello Zdrastvuitye Goodbye Da svidanya Excuse me Izvaneetye How much is it? Skolka stoeet Sorry Prasteetye I don't understand Ya ni panimayu Sorry,I don't speak Russian Izvaneetye,Ya ni gavaroo pa rooskee How can I get to……? Kak dobratsa daw….? What's the time, please? Ne patskazhitye vremya Finally, enjoy your stay with Language Link, Ekaterinburg Apply Online N.B. Please be sure to place 'Ekaterinburg' in the space allotted for 'Preferred Posting (first choice)'.