Yaroslavl

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Volunteer Work in Yaroslavl

Volunteers in Yaroslavl work with children of all ages, people with disabilities, women with mental illness, and retired adults in community-led organizations that provide social services and education. Volunteers work on recreational activities, including creative arts & crafts projects and indoor games. CCS in-country staff in Russia — all highly skilled translators who specialize in cultural exchange — play an important role by supporting volunteers in planning daily projects and accompanying volunteers at their placements.

The organizations where we work always benefit from arts & crafts activities because they stimulate creativity, improve motor skills, and promote communication through shared experience. CCS volunteers work in Russia year-round, ensuring continuous support in the areas of:

• Caregiving : Volunteers play sports, lead arts & crafts projects, and provide much-needed love and attention to children and adults of various ages. There are simply not enough caregivers in many of the areas where we work, so volunteers provide the one-on-one attention and care that people would not otherwise receive in daycares and community centers.
• Healthcare : Volunteers serve as companions to women with mental illness, and do recreational activities with children and adults with disabilities. Many social stigmas still surround disabilities in Russia, and volunteers help to provide the companionship and individual attention that people living with disabilities go without.
• Teaching : Volunteers teach English at a vocational school, exchanging ideas and providing new world perspectives. Classes may include children and adults of all ages.

Volunteer Abroad (2-11 weeks), Intern Abroad, and Insight Abroad (one week) programs are available in Yaroslavl. Placements are always designed to match the skills and interests of our participants to the needs identified by the community.

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Cultural & Learning Activities in Yaroslavl

Building on your volunteer work in Yaroslavl, Cultural & Learning Activities include Russian language classes, excursions to local villages where you will get to know the local people, and guest speakers on Russian history, politics, traditions, and culture. You may also receive a visit from members of the community who are happy to share insight into Russian politics, culture, and history and enjoy trips to museums, concerts, and Russian bathhouses.

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Free Time in Yaroslavl

During afternoon or evening free time, it's easy to take in a production at a local puppet theater, ballet, or symphony. You can also learn about the importance of religion in Russia's culture by exploring its ancient churches and monasteries, museums, or visiting the Metropolitan Palace. Many volunteers enjoy walks along the Volga River or down tree-lined streets to admire the beautiful historic architecture of this picturesque town.

Russia offers four distinct seasons and Yarsolavl is a city with plenty to see and do year-round. However, winter is a very special time for volunteers in Russia to experience other local activities as well. Volunteers in Russia between the months of September and March may try local winter sports such as skiing or sledding, ice-skating or ice-fishing on frozen lakes and rivers, and countless indoor activities like concerts and sporting events.

For volunteers wanting to travel outside of Yaroslavl, Moscow and St. Petersburg are both easily accessible by train.

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Home-Base in Yaroslavl

Volunteers in Russia stay at a comfortable hotel in the heart of the city and eat their meals at the hotel's restaurant at a special table reserved for CCS volunteers. The central location of the Home-Base allows you easy access to the local culture, popular sights, and to the organizations where volunteers work in Yaroslavl. The hotel also houses the CCS Russia office, so staff members are accessible.

Transportation to and from your volunteer placement and any Cultural & Learning Activities in Yaroslavl is provided by CCS licensed drivers.

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In-Country Staff in Russia

Local CCS staff in Yaroslavl will welcome you to the community, make you feel at home, and help you better understand Russian culture. They will help facilitate your volunteer experience and are always available to answer any questions that may arise. CCS staff is always from the region where we operate—they provide a local perspective, help you learn the local language, and guide you in what to do in your free time.

All of our in-country staff members are warm, loving people who will make sure you are well cared for. Each CCS program site has a Country Director or Program Director and a full staff to take care of all programming, administrative, and logistical needs, as well as housekeepers, drivers, house guards, and cooks. Because the staff office is typically located at the CCS Home-Base, a helping hand is never far. Learn more about our Russia staff below.

Country Director: Nataliya Gubina
A native of Yaroslavl, Russia, Nataliya proudly joined the CCS staff in 2008. She earned a doctorate in the field of Applied English and has over 25 years of experience in education and management in cross-cultural settings. Promoting cultural exchange and understanding through teaching and management has been the hallmark of her career.

Nataliya graduated from the Yaroslavl State Teacher's Training Institute and became a nurse of public defense before becoming a teacher of both English and German. She taught various courses at high schools and vocational schools across Yaroslavl including marketing, methodological research, Business English, and Cross-Cultural Management in International Business. An expert on Russian culture, she later lectured at Demidov Yaroslavl State University where she taught in the departments of economics, history, and law.

Before joining CCS as the Country Director for Russia, Nataliya served as the manager of Exeter House, a hotel and business center in Yaroslavl designed to promote the exchange of Russian and English culture, for seven years. At the Exeter House, she hosted many international guests, arranged English lessons for children and adults, planned cultural events, and managed a staff while also establishing and maintaining working relationships with the Exeter City Council and the Yaroslavl Friendship Society.

During her career, Nataliya also taught on the Ethics and Psychology of Men/Women Relations and Married Life and became a correspondent after attending the Public University of Worker and Peasant Correspondents.

Senior Translator: Olga Tichonova
Olga translates for volunteers at work placements, orders food for the volunteers at the hotel, teaches Russian, meets the volunteers at the airport, and prepares orientation packets for the volunteers.

Translators: Katya Toropova and Asya Voronina
Katya and Asya translate for the volunteers at the work placements and travel to Moscow to see the volunteers off. Katya is an English teacher and works with us full-time as a translator. 

Accountant: Olga Karulina
Olga keeps and maintains all the accounting books and legal papers for the staff. She also loves going to her dacha (country house).

Transportation: Nicholai Krooglikov and Vladimir Egorov
Nicholai and Vladimir are in charge of safely transporting volunteer to and from your volunteer placement and the airport. Nicholai is a wonderful father figure for the volunteers and loves apples. Vladimir has a great sense of humor and loves working with the volunteers.