University of Florence, Pitti palace and gardens of Boboli.

Ilmira Shafigullina
GRADUATE STUDENT OF THE INSTITUTE OF PHILOLOGY AND ARTS,
KAZAN FEDERAL UNIVERSITY.

According to the programme of the seminar a visit to the University of Florence was scheduled for the participants of the seminar  on Tuesday, April 17.

At 9.15 local time we, students and leaders gathered at the door of one of the oldest universities in Europe – Università degli Studi di Firenze – where we were met by Professor Irina Dvizova, who delivered a lecture on Russian artists, who visited Florence in different periods of their lives. For example, F.M. Dostoevsky completed his novel "The Idiot" at the Pitti Square (PiazzaPitti). P.I. Tchaikovsky on arrival in Florence in May 1917 said that the city had not made any impression on him and added, "There is only one city in the world – Moscow, and, perhaps, Paris ...". Despite this, he came back there three times ...

The lecture was attended by Italian students, who study Russian. The Russian students had a real opportunity to talk with them and learn about teaching methods and examinations in the Russian language. It is noteworthy that the students have no examination paper with the questions – an exam is usually a conversation of a lecturer and a student, which, of course, leads to lower stress and help to build a much more productive dialogue.

After the lecture, and a delicious Italian dinner, we went to the Pitti Palace (Pitti Palace). Today it is one of the largest museum complexes in Florence. Here are the Palatine Gallery, Gallery of Modern Art, Museum of Silver, Porcelain Museum, the Museum of Carriages and Costume Gallery – the largest collection in Italy dedicated to the history of fashion. We were particularly struck by a luxurious interior that immediately catches the eye at the entrance of Appartamenti Monumentali (these royal apartments, located on the second floor of the right wing of the Palazzo Pitti, are richly decorated and furnished rooms) – white and gold stucco, valuable tapestries and silk wallpaper, amazing murals and unusual real furniture. Having admired all this beauty, we went to the Boboli Gardens (Boboli's Gardens). Walking along the alleys of the garden you forget about the time because everything has retained its original beauty and splendor. Pitti Palace and Boboli's Garden bring tranquility and peace into the soul, and you start thinking: if there is paradise on earth, it is there.

Then in the evening after all the tours and walks, we gathered in the hotel lobby together with other University students to discuss joint presentations, which we had to prepare for the final day of the seminar. The participants also had to present their vision of Multimedia Encyclopedic Dictionary. Thus, at the end of each day we watched photos, pictures and video, discussed what we saw, shared our impressions.