About Smolny

• A Brief History
• The Smolny Campus
• About Bard College
• About St. Petersburg State University

Smolny College is a joint enterprise of Bard College and St. Petersburg State University and is Russia's first liberal arts college.  Founded in 1997, it is a young college created by two institutions that have long and venerable histories.  Smolny College seeks to contribute to the democratization of Russian higher education and, in doing so, to serve as a model for a new kind of international education.

The student body currently numbers approximately 450. Smolny has a diverse, highly trained faculty.  Most classes are small seminars.  Students enjoy individualized instruction and the opportunity to work closely with professors.

Smolny College is unique in offering young Russians—as well as exchange students from around the world—an opportunity to construct their own curriculum.  Smolny students are encouraged to develop their minds freely, to think critically, and to love the arts.  They choose their courses and majors from among 12 major and eight minor programs encompassing a wide variety of disciplines in the arts and humanities.  Students are expected to develop broad knowledge along with specific skills in research and expression.  All students, including visiting international students, have individual faculty advisors.