First, I would like to apologize if this is not the correct subreddit for this question. It seems to be somewhere that this question would be answered from a wide range of circumstances.
I am wondering if anyone has pursued or completed a MA or PhD in History(or a closely related subject) in the country their study focused on? I am considering moving to St. Petersburg to pursue a MA in History and potentially a PhD.
I am looking for details related to your experience. Was there something to be gained from studying from a local perspective? Do you think you have a better perspective of that history, having learned it locally? Did you write your thesis in the local language or your native language?
Thank you all and I look forward to your responses
I'm currently a student of medieval history, and I can only speak anecdotally, i.e. regarding people whom I personally know, but who may or may not be representative of larger trends.
Getting an MA in another country can be an excellent option if you intend to do a PhD afterwards. It can help you develop language skills (generally all work is done in the language of the host country) and professional contacts, and it can give you access to programs that aren't readily available in the US. For example, a fair number of medievalists get European MAs in archaeology, which gives them an experience of excavating a medieval site that they wouldn't otherwise have access to.
That said, some schools charge exorbitant rates for international students and will reputedly accept anyone that's willing to pay. (Some US institutions have the same reputation.) So if there's not a good reason for doing an MA in another country, it can be a bit of a waste. The life experience of living elsewhere might be worth it, but grad students generally don't get much time to enjoy the countryside.
Getting a European PhD is not necessarily advisable if you want an academic job in the US. The systems don't always jive. For example, US institutions often employ their PhD students as TAs, so they get the teaching experience that is a necessity for getting a job as a professor in the US. Not all European universities offer the same opportunities. Of course, if there's something else you'd like to do with your PhD (e.g. curate a museum, work in an archive, work as a professional researcher), then that's less of a consideration.
Good luck as you consider your options!
Got my MA in Medieval Icelandic in Reykjavík. Considering the field, its one of the best places to have done it as I had easy access to archaeological and manuscript resources.