Courses in Russian

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It is our pleasure to offer you a selection of Russian language courses featuring Russian culture, science, and literature, and Russian and world history.

These courses are taught by the specialist, experienced Russian language teachers of our school. These teachers work with different types of students and specialize in different types of courses. This way, you can study Russian by studying different subjects, and learn about your chosen subject through your Russian language studies.

During lessons, teachers make active use of visual materials and authentic sources so that the lexico-grammatical constructions take shape in a context. Most courses are conducted in accordance with the CLIL foreign language teaching method. You can register for both private and group lessons.

List of our courses

Here is the list of our Russian courses. Click on the title for details.

You can also offer any type of course or a combination of courses you wish.

  • Ancient Russia

    The course includes the period of Russian history from the formation of the state to the Tatar-Mongol invasion.
    The students will learn the exciting story of the foundation of the Russian state by the Normans and the legend of the baptism of Rus by Prince Vladimir.

    It is delivered in all languages offered on the site, and like the others, it is not a lecture course. It involves the active participation of students, who will answer questions, complete assignments, create mental maps and timelines. Documentaries are also included in the course.

  • The Russian church, inside and out

    Throughout this course, you will discover what Orthodox churches looked like inside and out in different periods, explore the different parts of the church, learn about the Orthodox service and how it differs from the Catholic service, and examine Russian icons. During lessons, we will use images from famous churches in different cities and regions of Russia and go on virtual excursions.

  • Life in the USSR

    The history of the USSR will be presented in terms of everyday life - communal apartments, holidays, men's and women's fashion, food, shops, etc. in different periods of its existence. The course is accompanied by extensive illustrative material.

  • Silver age of Russian poetry

    This course is dedicated to the beginning of the 20th century, which is known as the Silver Age of Russian Poetry. Students will learn how acmeism differs from futurism and symbolism, read fragments of many works of poets and prose writers in translation (B. Pasternak, O. Mandelstam, A. Blok, M. Tsvetaeva, A. Akhmatova, S.Yesenin and others), and learn interesting facts from their biographies.

  • Perestroika

    The course includes lessons on the period of perestroika in the USSR, namely 1985-1991. Information will be provided about the Gorbachevs, food shortages, freedom and publicity. In addition, the life of common people will be described.

  • The Romanovs

    This course includes the period from the early 17th century to the early 20th century, which is associated with the reign of the Romanovs. Students will learn the secrets of the Romanov family, where it originated from, by whom and when St. Petersburg was founded, who was called the tsar-reformer, how the Russian tsars lived, etc. They will visit the chambers of the Romanov boyars and the palaces of the Russian tsars in St. Petersburg.

  • Revolutionary Russia

    The course is dedicate to the revolutionary period in the history of Russia, namely, the beginning of the 20th century. Students will become familiar with the main causes, events and characters of the two revolutions.

    The early twentieth century is a turbulent period in Russian history that is difficult to master, so teachers will use infographics, mind maps, timelines and visual materials in their lessons.

  • History of the USSR

    This course is extensive, it includes the history of the USSR from the revolution until 1991, the year of its collapse. For example, students will learn about the Great Terror, XX Party Congress, stagnation and perestroika. The course includes interesting facts about Soviet life, for instance, Soviet fashion in different periods, communal apartments, the Soviet way of life in general, etc. The course is accompanied by visual materials and documentaries.

  • Golden age of Russian literature

    This course is dedicated to Russian literature of the 19th century, both poetry and prose. Fragments of the works of famous Russian writers of this period including, A.S. Pushkin, M.Yu. Lermontov, N.V. Gogol, L.N. Tolstoy, F.M. Dostoevsky, F.I. Tyutchev, I.S. Turgenev will be read and analysed.

    Students will also become acquainted with the biographies of these authors, and will discover who was killed in a duel, who was fond of gambling, and who tragically loved one woman for many years.

    The course is accompanied by visual and musical material.

  • Soviet literature

    This course includes an extensive historical period. Its goal is to show students how literary genres and themes of works developed from one period to another, and how they were connected with historical events. Students will, of course, learn much about the biographies of the authors of this period.

  • Modern Russian literature

    Students will learn about authors who are currently popular in Russia, and the genres and themes of their writing. They will become acquainted with fragments of some of their works in translation. There will also be an opportunity for students to compare the literary trends in Russian with those of their own countries.

  • Russian painting of 19th and 20th centuries

    As part of this course, you will get acquainted with the painting of the 19th and 20th century in Russia, learn the famous names of Russian artists, I. Levitan, V. Surikov, I. Shishkin, V. Vasnetsov, N. Ge, V. Malevich, V.Kandinsky, M. Chagall and others. Together with their teacher, students will describe these beautiful paintings, and visit the Tretyakov Gallery and the Russian Museum.

  • Russian architecture

    Students will be introduced to the history of Russian architecture, visit Vladimir, Moscow, St. Petersburg, Nizhny Novgorod and other cities, and see which architectural styles were preferred by the Russian tsars. Many interesting facts will be discussed, such as when the Kremlin was built, and how many times it was rebuilt.

  • Russian films and animation

    Students will learn about the most famous films of Soviet and Russian cinema as well as cartoons. Fragments will be watched, discussed and compared with the cinema of the same period in other countries. Interesting details of the biographies of famous directors and actors will be discovered.

  • Traditional Russian art

    Students will learn about the history, origin, place and method of manufacture of traditional Russian crafts, including Gzhel, Khokhloma, Orenburg downy shawl, Semyonov nesting dolls and Palekh caskets. The course will be accompanied by extensive illustrative and video material.

  • Russian music

    From Russian folk music, you will move on to acquaintance with Russian classical music of the 19th and 20th centuries, and then to the music of the Soviet period and rock music, as well as to modern trends in Russian music. This is a unique course, accompanied by music videos of famous artists and lyrics in the students' native languages.

  • Russian theatre and circus

    Students will learn about the diversity of theatrical culture in Russia. They will visit the main Moscow and St. Petersburg theatres, learn the names of actors and directors, watch fragments of plays and get information about current trends in theatre. Several chapters will be devoted to the circus.

  • Russian mentality

    Students will understand some of the concepts and images which are important for Russians, for example, how different animals are perceived in Russia, how the Russian traditional wooden house was arranged, the construction of a Russian stove and the nature and purpose of fairy tales. The course makes use of extensive illustrative material.

  • Famous Russians

    Students will learn the biography of Russian inventors and scientists, pioneers and writers, actors and astronauts. The course includes a variety of information about famous people and interesting facts from their biographies.

  • Russian holidays

    As part of the course, you will receive basic information about Russian holidays. You will learn what куранты are, who Дед Мороз is and why he is always accompanied by his granddaughter, what song is sung during the celebration of our birthday, why the bride and groom should bite off a bread and so on.

  • Russian everyday life

    This course focuses on everyday life in modern Russia. You will learn what products can be bought in shops, how transport works, how Russian apartments are arranged, what we eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner and do during the day, how our education system works, how we invite and receive guests, how and where we spend holidays and much more.

  • Virtual tour over Russia

    This course is a virtual tour that includes many cities and regions of Russia, including Moscow, St. Petersburg, Nizhny Novgorod, Vladimir, Suzdal, Kazan, Sochi, Yekaterinburg and Vladivostok. Google maps and photos, as well as mobile applications and other sources are actively used. Students will learn about the features of the different regions such as their coat of arms, nature and climate, and the traditions and culture of the peoples who inhabit them.

  • Russia for tourists

    This course has been specially created for tourists coming to Russia. It is dedicated to modern Russia. For instance, the students will learn about the types of transport and the purchase of tickets, how to get to different cities, what shops and cafes there are and what you can buy there, what Russian food is like, how to book a hotel and call a taxi, what documentation you will need in Russia and where to receive it, how to behave at a doctor, etc. The course is accompanied by visual support material.

  • Russian cuisine

    The cuisine of any given people could be seen as their global calling card. When people from different countries are asked about their impressions of “Russian cuisine,” their answers clearly show the multi-ethnic origins of the many different dishes associated with Russia. This is an entirely logical response given that Russia is a country of many nations, and its cuisine is a mix of the “top” dishes from each of the peoples living within the country’s territory. These lessons combine theoretical material and practical sessions during which course participants can experiment in the role of master chef!

  • Russian traditional culture and folklore

    Cultural components play an extremely important role in the study of the Russian language. But why is it so important to learn about authentic Russian traditional culture and how is this connected to our modern day experience? What are traditional Russian songs all about and what do they sound like? If you’d like to know the answers to these questions, you are invited to sign up for our “Russian traditional culture and folklore” course.

  • Slavic mythology

    Who are the domovye and leshiye? Can Baba Yaga be good? Who thought up Koschei the Deathless, and why? Why in Pushkin´s Lukomorye is a mermaid sitting in the branches? We will examine these and other themes as part of this “Slavic mythology” course. The course consists of ten lessons, during all of which we will read poetry and stories about characters from Slavic mythology, discover their origins, and search for analogous figures in other cultures. Slavic mythology is not merely tales for children, but an important part of our culture and history.

  • Drawing like an artist

    A unique drawing course through which you will not only learn to draw, but also learn about masterpieces in the Russian and international artistic oeuvres, discover artistic techniques, meet important artists, and explore the history of art in various countries. Students will create their drawings based on and inspired by famous paintings, under the instruction of our expert teacher.

  • Storytelling workshop

    The Storytelling workshop is an excellent opportunity to tell numerous tales and stories in different genres and following different story lines. Your teacher will provide a character or story line, students add on to it or create new heroes and story lines, and they begin telling the story together! During the lessons, Propp’s pictures, visual materials (thematic pictures, wimmelbooks, and illustrations) short videoclips, playful learning methods (story cubes, cards, etc.) are used. There is a strong linguistic-cultural component to the lessons, as part of the stories will focus on Russia, Russian culture, and Russians figures.

  • Singing lessons

    These lessons include warm ups to help expand the vocal range, exercises, and games to develop rhythm and learn songs. Together with the student, we will choose Russian songs suitable for his/her level from a repertoire featuring contemporary groups and/or Soviet composers. Furthermore, students will get acquainted with Russian singing culture, lullabies, and traditional songs.

    Certain elements of theatrical speech, such as tongue-twisters and artistic poetry reading, will also be introduced to help improve diction, breathing, and to learn correct intonation.

  • Discussion club

    Through this course, you will have the opportunity to discuss with classmates about interesting contemporary topics and issues. It is important that students feel confident, that they can freely express their ideas in Russian, and can justify and argue their point of view. The teacher acts as a moderator and coach, proposing different methods of organizing the discussion.

  • Global artistic culture

    The course consists of three blocks. You will learn about the history, art, and religion from ancient times to modern era.

  • World history

    Individual courses about various periods in world history from the history of the ancient world to modern day. Detailed courses, dedicated specifically to ancient Greece, ancient Rome, and ancient Egypt. Particular focus will be placed on key moments, as well as the role of Russia through the course of world history. During lessons, a large amount of visual material, infographics, video clips from documentary and artistic films, maps and encyclopedia’s will be used. As part of this course, students will complete creative and game-based tasks based on the given historical period. This course on world history will significantly broaden the horizons of bilingual students while enriching their vocabulary.

  • Radio and television

    This course explores the history of the development of radio and television in the USSR and Russia. It is based on fragments of radio and television broadcasts that students will watch and discuss with the teacher. Through this method, students will become familiar with the most interesting channels and programs of Russian radio and television and get to know the most famous stars. They will have the opportunity to compare their lesson material with radio and television broadcasting in their own countries.

  • Science and technology

    During this course, students will read popular science articles on various topics and acquire new vocabulary and grammatical constructions connected with scientific registers of speech. This course also includes television programs and clips from documentary films. Students will learn to discuss scientific subjects, express their opinions, paraphrase texts, and work with infographics.

  • Famous Russian dynasties

    When you speak about famous Russian families, you probably think of the Romanovs. But they were not the only ones who formed and marked Russian history and art. This course will introduce you to
    - The Rurik dynasty that preceded the Romanovs and ruled for more than 7 centuries;
    - the Yusupovs who were known for their exquisite taste, impressive art collections and played an important role in the history of the Russian Empire;
    - the Morozovs – a merchant dynasty which members became patrons of art and introduced modern European painting to Russians;
    - and many others.

  • Imperial St. Petersburg

    This course is equally good for those who have not yet visited St. Petersburg and for those who have already had a chance to discover its beauty. The city is called the Russian cultural capital and throughout the course students will understand why. They will get a closer look at the city’s history and learn why and when this city was founded and how it developed. Students will get acquainted with the most important personalities such as emperors, artists, and architects. The course will also highlight major Russian history events between the second half of the 17th – beginning of the 20th centuries.

  • Unique Russian art

    This course focuses on unique phenomena in Russian art. Students will go through the centuries to gather examples of exceptional ideas and works of art that glorified talent and creativity of Russian artists worldwide. Throughout the course students will find answers to questions like
    - Why Russian icons are so extraordinary?
    - What is a Russian mosaic?
    - How did Faberge invent his famous Easter eggs?
    - Who created the radically new art in the beginning of the 20th century?
    The course will be accompanied by extensive illustrative material.

  • Culture of the Peoples of Russia and Surrounding Countries

    This course is devoted to the study of the various cultures and ethnic groups found in Russia, as well as other countries of the former USSR (Ukraine, Belarus, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan). It is taught in Russian by professional educators from various countries who have a wide range of experience teaching Russian language. Throughout the course students will be presented with authentic materials, creative assignments, and various exercises connected with project activities.

  • The History of Russian Language for Foreigners

    Russian language has come a long way over the course of its lengthy history. Once, it had a more complex, branching system of verb forms and noun declension, but in its modern form Russian has developed a much more structured grammar. In this course you will learn what Russian language was like at the beginning of its history, how it evolved, and how its phonetics and grammar have changed over the years. We will explore the history of nouns and adjectives, as well as pronouns, numerals and adverbs. In addition, we will discuss the history of Russian’s verb system.

Our teachers

Our online Russian school Russificate is made up of a collective of highly experienced Russian teachers who believe in using cutting edge technology to facilitate language learning. Our teachers strive to provide high quality yet affordable Russian lessons.

  • Svetlana
    Svetlana
    Speaks: English, French, Spanish
    Svetlana is a professional Russian as a foreign language teacher with a great deal of experience and an educational background read CV
  • Tatiana Mor.
    Tatiana Mor.
    Speaks: English, French, German
    Tatiana a certified specialist with the 7+ years of experience in Russian language tutoring. After her graduation from Pushkin State read CV
  • Tatiana L.
    Tatiana L.
    Speaks: English, French, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Turkish
    Tatiana is a qualified teacher of Russian as a foreign language with a wide work experience in the field. She read CV
  • Roman
    Roman
    Speaks: English, Turkish, Ukrainian
    Roman is an experienced and enthusiastic Russian language teacher. He works both with groups of international students and gives one read CV
  • Anna M.
    Anna M.
    Speaks: English, French, German
    - Since 2011 Anna has been working as tour guide in Saint-Petersburg delivering tours in English, French and Russian read CV
  • Tatiana K.
    Tatiana K.
    Speaks: English
    2016 – 2018 – Teacher of Russian as a Foreign Language: Ufa, Bashkir State Medical University 2017, 2018 – Research Assistant read CV

Testimonials of our students

Not convinced yet? Please have a look at the testimonials recorded by our students:

More testimonials

Marguerite
Marguerite,
France

Mikhail Yurievich was my tutor of the Russian language in 2014 during the first semester at the MSU in the name of Lomonosov. With him we studied the grammar rules and the spoken language at the same time; he understood that the grammar rules- are one thing, but the way that the Russian people speak, in which mode you can interact in Russian, which cliché phrases the Russians use, how to quickly deal with basic, political and philosophical situations, when you need to express your opinion and which songs all the Russian people know and sing- are completely different things and are very important.
We did written exercises and checked them during the lessons. Mikhail Yurievich always gave us dialogues- which in turn established discussions on many different topics, and so in this way all of the students in the group got the opportunity to speak their mind out loud, ask each other questions and so on. Mikhail Yurievich has achieved his goal; no-one was embarrassed or afraid to speak and, in my opinion, this is most important. Every student felt enough confidence to speak freely and to understand that it is possible! In conclusion, I believe that Mikhail Yurievich is a great tutor!

Jivorad
Jivorad,
Serbia

I have heard many good things about Mikhail Yurievich from my course-mates during my first year at the Institute of Slavic Studies of the Viennese University. In the summer semester 2014 I had the opportunity to meet him personally during my exchange at the MSU in the name of Lomonosov in Moscow. For me it was a big surprise, as I did not expect to meet a lecturer in Moscow who has worked earlier in Vienna. Mikhail Yurievich established himself as a literate lecturer, perfectly knowing his subject, possessing modern knowledge and skills in the area of pedagogy, psychology and methods of teaching. He thoroughly approached the choice of the contents of the course, responsibly regarded the choice of tasks set for the students. Lectures were always led in an interactive form. Mikhail Yurievich built connections with the students, taking into consideration their individual and age related qualities. I especially enjoyed that with him we studied not only the literary language but also the speaking language, which is very important in the everyday life in Moscow. Also the discussion topics were very interesting and we had the opportunity to get to know a lot about each other.
The materials used by Mikhail Yurievich were not only interesting and helpful, but also very well developed didactically, due to the fact that he always, for example, tried to put the stress into the spoken word and explain everything in Russian instead of just translating into English.
The atmosphere in the lessons was fantastic, no-one was afraid to speak in Russian, even if they made mistakes. Mikhail Yurievich always found ways to correct mistakes without offending anyone. Studying with Mikhail Yurievich does not only mean language improvement but also a good time pass and a great mood. I definitely recommend lessons with him!!

Anita
Anita,
Slovakia

Mikhail Yurievich is one of the best tutors of Russian as a second language that I have met during the time of my studying it.
He is well and honestly prepared for the lessons, bringing own (author’s) materials to every lesson for reading and discussing, grammar exercises, lexical exercises (including the typical cliché phrases from the speaking language and slang) and dialogues for the development of speech. Among the materials there are also practice and visualisation of the correct pronunciation, which is absent in the typical textbooks of Russian as a second language, although it is especially important for the foreigners.
With this combination of the different didactic methods, Mikhail Yurievich, systematically develops all 4 language competencies in all types of students. He is an experienced tutor, who actively and constructively uses own knowledge of the language problems, connected with the interference of the students’ mother tongue.
Mikhail Yurievich’s lessons are always led in a good mood and in a pleasant atmosphere. With his natural charm and a good sense of humour, he finds common ground and understanding with every student, and also ways to motivate students in discussions of any topic. During the discussion, the student forgets that he is speaking a foreign language; in this way eventually eliminating the language barriers and fear of mistakes. On the other hand, thanks to his wide range of interests he is prepared to lead the lesson on any topic that interests the student; and to answer any questions connected with the history and the culture of Russia.
Work with Mikhail Yurievich is always interesting and helpful!