Ok ok ok ok ok do not panic… and again, what time is it? 9.45? Where are you all??? Lets check again, how much of time left? We suppose to leave in 15 minutes…!
That is how started an adventure called trip to St. Petersburg. Ten more minutes and people started to gather.. I (member of ESN KTU section) was organizing this trip and a mentor - Audrė from KK was helping me a lot. It took a few weeks to plan everything... So imagine how happy I felt afterwards… Nobody was late, everybody came, a great relief came to me.
People studying in KTU, KK and VMU universities who came to Lithuania from Turkey, Germany, Sweden, France, Poland, Spain, Austria, Portugal, Italy, Kazakhstan were ready to visit St. Petersburg and enjoy its beauty and oneness.
This is the day, the time and place. Now, hold on Russia, our gang is coming! We are going to be sooo wild and so furious! (10 min. later - everybody sleeps in the bus).
Well, I thought to myself, maybe we are not going to be so wild. But that is completely ok, we will take it leisurely, there is nothing wrong with that, maybe these guys just want to have some rest and peace but not parties and rave...
I have to admit, that it was a first and totally wrong impression of our crew, because just after a noon everybody started waking up, to eat, drink and talk. In brief, it was a habitual waking up time and activity for Erasmus students. Very fast, talks and chatters in the bus, going Kaunas – St. Petersburg, developed in to a massive and unstoppable feast with delicious drinks, foods and even dazzling camera lights, which as appeared later, was dazzling bus drivers so much ,that they even couldn’t see the road.
After a short bus stop for a brief moral education, we could move on towards the town called Narva where we had to spend a night and then, fresh as daisies, cross Russia border. And everything went this way, we didn’t even noticed as we were already going down the road towards the great and remarkable town – St. Petersburg. And indeed, St. Petersburg is amazing. Undoubtedly - one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Architecture, museums, people, everything is so different, exclusive and beautiful at the same time. St. Petersburg was founded by Tsar Peter the Great, that is why the most famous objects that we have visited was somehow related with this remarkable person or his relatives.
At first we went to see Peters and Pauls cathedral in which all the emperors and empresses of tsarist Russia are buried down. It is the first and oldest landmark in St. Petersburg which amazes you by its grandeur and abundance of affluance. Second, a very special place that we went to see was a Catherines summer palace, that personally for me, was the most amazing thing that I have seen in Russia so far. Its splendour, beauty and luxury made me rethink about those who had it and those who had to die because of it.
The last day in St. Petersburg started quite early by going to one of the world-wide known museums – Hermitage. Just imagine, what an extraordinary feeling you get when you go down those beautifull coridors, staircases and halls that used to be a homes for ones of the most famous historic personalities. Moreover, step after step you discover sculptures, paintings and other masterpieces of the artists such as Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Matisse, van Gogh and others... It is quite impossible to describe everything in words. I think the only way you can get visualize Hermitage is to go there and to see everything with your own eyes ...
After these adventures and spectacular views, tired but very happy, we headed towards Lithuania . I must say that because of a remarkable drivers skils, our way back to home did‘nt take a long time and was very decent.
And that my friends is the story about a trip to a land of great Russia whrere a city called St. Petersburg amazes everyones eyes who is lucky enought to see the beauty of its wealth.
Simona Puskunigytė
According to Sandra, it was an amazing experience worth trying over and over again. Well organized various activities in the boat, active participants and of course amazing parties – that’s all you may want when going to the cruise like this. Despite of that, people got even more. It was Tallinn and Stockholm which were charming because of their historical surroundings and unique stories which were revealed by professional guides.
Second NP in Kaunas during the history of ESN Lithuania brought together more than 50 active members including and the first Chair of NP in ESN Lithuania’s history. It was Orinta Movsesjan who bravely stood in front of everyone and kept the right order. Therefore at the end of the NP all the sections approved that CT should be elected for every single NP. One more step forward a better work quality was made continuing with the fact that even 6 different workshops were organized by 6 different members of the NB covering the topics from visual identity and marketing finishing with the basics of HTML code. 
While trying to improve skills of ESN members international students mustn’t be forgotten as well, that’s why the idea brought back from CEP Graz 2012 to participate in ESN Olympics were presented for the NP and approved by 8 from 9 sections, who were present on 2-nd day of NP. International students should start practicing their running, swimming, soccer skills, because already this spring they will be invited to Poland to show the best they can and ESN Lithuania will be there for them with all the help to win the gold!
Later we have continued with presentation by Ilona Kazlauskaitė, who presented activities of Education Exchanges Support Foundation, possible mobility programs and all the possibilities connected to this institution. Then stage was given for ESN Lithuania, represented by the Board members. Our NR Ieva Vezbergaitė presented international level of organization, working methods, structure and opportunities of working inside the Network. National Public Relations Officer Sandra Baltkojytė talked about national level of our organization, our inside structure, ways of communication, mean of NP and other things, conserning ESN Lithuania itself. President Gintarė Vaiginytė has finnished the presentation describing various projects, organized all around Lithuania by ESN.
During the recent weekend 50 ESNers of Lithuania have gathered together for Spring National Platform 2012. Event was hosted by ESN ŠU in Šiauliai University. More than 10 hours were spent for discussions, new decisions making and of course improving communication between sections and national Board, which this time was represented by Gintarė Vaiginytė, Julija Garšvaitė, Roman Šarpanov and Sandra Baltkojytė.
Follow us