Resources to Learn Russian

Memorizing Vocabulary in Russian

MosaLingua Premium (Web & Mobile)

Our all-in-one multiplatform solution for learning the most useful words and phrases, immersing yourself in a language, and practising with numerous Russian resources (e.g., videos, audiobooks, books, articles). It provides access via web and iOS/Android app.

Online dictionaries

1. RussianDict: RussianDict is an extremely accessible online Russian-English dictionary with a clean, sleek interface. It is a leading resource for people who want to learn Russian. RussianDict also has a conjugation tool, grammar lessons, and more.
2. Lingvo Live: An online tool you can use to consult several Russian dictionaries. Translations, definitions, pronunciation, and encyclopedic information are all at your fingertips.

Listening Comprehension in Russian

Our favourite Russian podcasts, TV, and movies

Podcasts

1. Russian Podcasts: A weekly Russian podcast. Its target audience is students who already understand Russian well and want to keep improving their listening comprehension.
2. A Taste of Russian: This podcast is suited for anybody with an intermediate to advanced level of Russian. Episodes feature Russian conversations for learners.

Movies

1. The best movies to watch if you’re learning Russian
2. MosFilm Studio: MosFilm, one of the oldest Russian film studios, has produced over 2000 full-length movies. You can watch quite a few of their classic films for free on their website.

YouTube channels

1. The MosaLingua YouTube Channel: Our YouTube channel offers tons of smart tips, hacks, and resources for learning Russian—and other languages, too! We publish new videos every Tuesday. Don’t forget to turn on your notifications (click the little bell when you subscribe), because you won’t want to miss a single second!
2. Real Russian Club: Daria is a friendly and interesting Russian teacher from Moscow. She posts new videos twice a week, including grammar lessons, vlogs, and videos in both fast and slow Russian for learners at any stage in the process.
3. Antonia Romaker – English and Russian: Antonia teaches both English and Russian, but her videos are neatly organized into playlists so you can learn the language you’re interested in. She even gives small assignments at the end of some of her videos so you can practice Russian on your own.

TV channels

1. Perviy Kanal: The most popular TV station in the country. Formerly known as Russian Public Television, Channel One has become a somewhat private sector force with the means to produce TV programs and movies.
2. Russia TV – Live: The online site of the Russian television group VGTRK streams 7 channels: Russia 1, 2, 24, Karousel, RTR, Moscow 24 and Vesti FM.
3. NTV: The NTV, National Television, website doesn’t stream live, but it offers many reruns. You can also stream its programs live from MoskvaTV.

Music

1. ThankYou.Ru: A place to discover Russian music. The artists post their creations on the site and give you a chance to thank and pay them by clicking “spasibo” (thank you). Most songs come with lyrics; just click on the little paper icon for each song. Writers and bloggers also publish their work on the site. This site’s amount of spoken and written content makes it one of the best online resources to learn Russian.
2. Karaoke.ru: A website that offers karaoke for hundreds of popular Russian songs.

Speaking and Pronunciation

MosaChat-AI

💬 MosaChat-AI gives you access to a language tutor 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Speak or chat with e-Tutor Aida anytime, anywhere! Practice having a conversation in Russian, ask your burning questions about the language, and even get your mistakes corrected.

Log in or create a Premium account today to try out 💬 MosaChat-AI for yourself.

How and Where to Find a Conversation Partner

Chatting with a language partner online might be the most entertaining and overall best way to learn Russian. You can work on various skills, from speaking and pronunciation to vocabulary and listening and even culture and confidence. We tested the most popular language exchange websites and created a guide to help you decide which is best.

1. Tandem: Find many Russian speakers interested in forming language tandems—partner up and chat with someone who wants to learn your native language in exchange for teaching you Russian.
2. iTalki: Book affordable paid lessons with a tutor. Over 15,000 teachers are registered on the app and website, and you can even book a trial session to make sure you click with the tutor before you commit to a full Russian lesson.

Guides and tools for conversation and pronunciation

1. Forvo Russian: With Forvo, learn how to pronounce nearly any Russian word you can think of! Native speakers volunteer to record themselves so that all you have to do is search for and click on a word to hear it pronounced. Sometimes, there are even several recordings of the same word, so you can listen to the accent you want to learn.
2. Russian Phonetic Transcription Converter: This tool lets you convert Russian text (Cyrillic letters) into a phonetic transcription using the IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet), or vice versa.

Reading and Writing

Newspapers and other media

1. Komsomolskaïa Pravda: The most read newspaper in Russia. Originally created in 1925 as a mode of communication for the Young Communists, it has recently become one of the most popular papers for general news.
2. Izvestia: Another communication tool for the early Soviet State, this journal has adapted to the fall of communism and remains a source of current events.
3. Moskovskij Komsomolets: This journal has recently evolved into a daily tabloid paper. A bit on the sensational side, it always has the latest on celebrity shockers and scandals in Russia.
4. Kommersant: A daily publication focused on politics and the economy. This newspaper is known for its somewhat liberal stances.
5. Argumenty i Fakty: What began as a specialized publication about statistical analysis became the most widely circulated newspaper in 1990, with over 33 million copies printed worldwide. Today, it’s owned by the Moscow city cabinet and is known for being a serious publication that takes a deep look into current events

Grammar

Dr. Beard’s Interactive Grammar Portal

This site is great for when you are having issues using or understanding an aspect of Russian grammar. On his portal, Dr. Beard, a former Russian professor, lays out a neat overview of various grammar points. There are also interactive exercises to test your knowledge.

Other Useful Guides and Resources to Learn Russian

1. Russky.info: This multilingual online platform has lots of resources for learning Russian, plus advice for people who might want to move to Russia for work or school.
2. MosaTraining: How to Learn Any Language: This course was designed to give you the tools, techniques, and best resources for learning Russian (or any other language!). Learn the secret techniques used by polyglots, practice the most effective learning methods, and stock your proverbial toolbox with every resource you could possibly need to learn Russian quickly and have fun doing it.
3. Learn Russian Step by Step: This site is great for learning Russian from the ground up. Its creators regularly update and add to their 160+ free lessons.
4. Eralash: An exercise in listening comprehension by Cornell University. Eight extracts from famous Russian stories: listen to the story and understand them using the on-screen glossary. Afterward, practice using the vocabulary exercises.

We hope these free online resources for learning Russian will be of a big help to you.

We’re constantly searching for the best resources to help you improve your Russian skills and updating this page, so be sure to come back from time to time.

And finally, if there are any great Russian tools or resources we didn’t mention but that deserve to be on the list, click here to let us know about them.