The best way to learn any language is to immerse yourself in the culture of the target language. Such as reading in Russian, watching movies and TV shows in Russian, listening to Russian podcasts, chatting with Russian friends, and learning new words with Russian teachers. Russian series on Netflix will be a great step in creating this true Russian atmosphere for boosting the learning process.

Yes, you really can learn Russian on Netflix! And when it comes to Russian TV, Netflix is a gold mine.

So, what’s the best way to learn from Netflix Russia? Here are some tips on how to watch Russian Netflix for language-learning purposes:

First, don’t translate every single word. You’ll get tired and lose interest pretty fast. Instead, either translate the first episode or translate the first few minutes of every episode. Write down the translations in a notebook and look in there every time you hear a familiar word. Once you hear it ten or twenty times, you’ll naturally start to recognize the meaning!

To help you with that, RussianPod101.com has prepared a list of words and expressions that you’ll hear a lot in Russian movies on Netflix. You can write them down in your “show-notebook” as well. ;)

Without further ado, our list of some of the best Netflix Russian content for language-learners!

Table of Contents

1. Фарца (Fartsa)—Fartsa, 2015
2. Хождение по мукам (Khozhdeniye po mukam)— The Road to Calvary, 2017
3. Спарта (Sparta)—Sparta, 2018
4. Троцкий (Trotsky)—Trotsky, 2017
5. Нюхач (Nyukhach)—The Sniffer, 2017
6. Смешарики (Smeshariki)—Kikoriki, 2010
7. Машины Сказки (Mashiny skazki)—Masha’s Tales, 2017
8. Саранча (Sarancha)—Locust, 2014
9. Метод (Method)—Method, 2015
10. Мажор (Mazhor)—Silver Spoon, 2015
11. Conclusion

1. Фарца (Fartsa)—Fartsa, 2015

Genre: Crime TV Show
This show is: Emotional; suspenseful

This is one of the best Russian shows on Netflix, and it tells a story about four Russian friends who grow up in the early ‘60s in Moscow. Kostya Germanov gambles away a huge sum of money that he needs to find and give to bandits. Three of his friends decide to help him, so he can get that money in time. As they become фарцовщик (fartsovshchik — see below), they start to make a lot of money and their life changes…

Interesting fact:

When it comes to Russian history, Netflix shows like this can be a great learning tool.

The movie title comes from a Russian slang term фарцовка (fartsovka) which is simply “fartsovka” in English. The Soviet Union was a closed country, so foreign goods were scarce and it was illegal to trade them. But scarcity makes things even more desirable, which is how фарцовка (fartsovka) appeared. A number of clever people started to acquire foreign goods from foreigners and sell them to Soviet people. They were called фарцовщик (fartsovschik).

The most popular goods were clothes, accessories, phonograph records and other sound storages, cosmetics, and books. Ownership of foreign goods gave prestige, which was the basic principle of the arisen subculture – стиляги (stilyagi). Cтиляги were the main buyers of foreign goods. There’s a great Russian musical about this subculture called Cтиляги (Stilyagi).

For language learners. This Russian Netflix show contains a handful of Soviet Union vocabulary and historic terms, so it will give you a great chance to dig into exciting Russian history. Though the show is about history, language is pretty easy and modern, so you’ll be able to find a lot of useful expressions.

The vocabulary.

• Гражданин (grazhdanin) — “Citizen” or “Mister” (in the Soviet Union)
  • This was the common form of address to another person in the Soviet Union. гражданин (grazhdanin) was used outside to address an unknown person, while гражданин (grazhdanin) plus the person’s surname were used to officially address someone. The first phrase of the first episode is гражданин Рокотов (grazhdanin Rokotov), meaning “Mister Rokotov.” Find it and remember this word. You’ll hear it a lot in the series. By the way, “Miss” or “Mrs.” will be гражданка (grazhdanka).
• Поехали! (Poyekhali!) — “Let’s go!”
  • This is a famous phrase that belongs to Yurii Gagarin, the first human to go to outer space. He said it right before the launch. This phrase became a symbol of a new era in the history of Russia.
• Спектакль окончен. Занавес. (Spektakl’ okonchen. Zanaves.) — “The show is over. The end.”
  • Literally, занавес (zanaves) refers to a curtain on the scene in the theater. The curtain goes up at the beginning of the show and goes down at the end of the show. In this phrase, it’s used as a synonym of “the end.”
• Костыль (kostyl’) — “crutch”
  • What is this word doing on the list? The thing is that some Russian names get turned into specific nicknames. For example, the name Константин (Konstantin), or the shorter version Костя (Kostya), is often turned into Костыль (kostyl’). You’ll hear this nickname throughout the show because he’s one of the main heroes. In the first episode, when the main hero gets off the train and meets his friends, he asks: А где Костыль? (A gde Kostyl’?) meaning “And where is Kostyl?” His friends joke: Сломался (Slomalsya) meaning “Broken.”
• Жить взахлёб (Zhit’ vzakhlyob) — “To live excitedly/effusively”
  • This is a poetic expression that the main hero often quotes and tries to build his life off of. It essentially means “to seize the moment” or “to enjoy every moment of life.” If you’re a person who lives like that, then you can say about yourself: Я живу взахлёб (Ya zhivu vzakhlyob), which means “I live excitedly/effusively,” or Я люблю жить взахлёб (Ya lyublyu zhit’ vzakhlyob), which means “I love to live excitedly/effusively.”
• Твою ж мать! (Tvoyu zh mat’!) — “Darn it!”
  • Literally, it means “Your mother!” and is the ending of a Russian obscene phrase. But as it’s used quite often in Russia, Твою ж мать! (Tvoyu zh mat’!) has lost its negative meaning and can now be translated as “Darn it!”
• Бегом! (Begom!) — “Run!”
  • This word is used when people are late and need to hurry up.
• Давай! Давай! (Davay! Davay!) — “Go! Go! Go!”
  • Literally, it means “Give! Give!” but it has another meaning depending on the context. By the way, there’s one more meaning of Давай! (Davay!) — “Let’s do it!”
• Счастливо! (Shchactlivo!) — “Goodbye!”
  • This word comes from the noun счастье (shchast’ye), which means “happiness.” So literally it means “be happy,” and is used to say “goodbye.”
• Пошёл вон отсюда! (Poshyol von otsyuda!) — “Go away!”
  • Russian people can use this expression when they’re really angry. Of course, people can also use it as a joke. Always mind the context and facial expression of the person saying it.

2. Хождение по мукам (Khozhdeniye po mukam)— The Road to Calvary, 2017

Genre: Political TV Show based on the book
This show is: Emotional; suspenseful

This Russian Netflix TV series covers the life of two sisters during political changes in 1914 through 1919. The old imperial Russia is dying, and the revolution is rising. The show is based on a book trilogy by the Russian classical author Alexey Tolstoy. The language is really literal and the dialogue is truly deep. If you enjoy solving language puzzles and trying to find the meaning underneath every phrase, this Russian Netflix series will become an exciting nut to crack. It’s best for advanced language learners or for those who want to immerse themselves in the great Russian Revolution.

The vocabulary.

• Да здравствует революция! (Da zdravstvuyet revolyutsiya!) — “Viva revolution”
  • During revolution times, this was a popular phrase to cry out loud in the crowd.
• Хороших снов тебе (Khoroshikh snov tebe) — “Sweet dreams to you.”
  • This is a really sweet phrase to say to a friend, or someone who is more than a friend. You can say it without тебе (tebe), or “to you” at the end, but this little word makes the phrase sound smarter and more intellectual. Use it. ;-)
• Я хочу выпить за вашу смелость (Ya khochu vypit’ za vashu smelost’) — “I want to have a drink for your bravery.”
  • As you probably know, Russians rarely drink alcohol without making a toast. This is one of the ways to make a toast: Я хочу выпить за… (Ya khochu vypit’ za…), meaning “I want to have a drink for…” You can put pretty much anything after that: …ваше здоровье (…vashe zdorov’ye) meaning “…your health,” …мир во всем мире (…mir vo vsyom mire) meaning “…peace in the whole world,” …красоту женщин (…krasotu zhenshchin) meaning “…women’s beauty,” etc. Use your imagination. :-)
• Чем могу быть полезен? (Chem mogu byt’ polezen?) — “How can I be useful?”
  • This is an old-fashioned phrase used when you’ve been called by someone you don’t know. You will often hear it during this show.
• Барышня (baryshnya) — “young lady”
  • This is another old-fashioned way for older people to address a young lady. As there are many heroines in the show, you’ll hear this address pretty often.
• Слово хозяина – закон (Slovo khozyaina – zakon) — “The word of a host is a law.”
  • This is a very interesting phrase, in that you can actually change the noun хозяин (khozyain) meaning “host” for начальника (nachal’nika) or “boss,” мужа (muzha) or “husband,” and Кати (Kati) or “Katya” (a girl’s name, though you can put any name here).
• Вы что себе позволяете? (Vy chto sebe pozvolyayete?) — “What do you think you are doing?” (What are you daring?)
  • This is an old-fashioned phrase to ask someone who’s acting inappropriately.
• Это безобразие! (Eto bezobraziye!) — “It’s a disgrace!”
  • Famous phrase to use in the Soviet Union to comment on anything that’s out of order or scandalous. Now it’s used very occasionally and mostly by people born in the Soviet Union.
• Это издевательство! (Eto izdevatel’stvo!) — “That’s an insult/mockery!”
  • A nice way to comment on something when you feel that someone is intentionally doing something bad.
• Милости прошу (Milosti proshu) — “Welcome”
  • An old-fashioned way to welcome someone. Though it’s old-fashioned, nowadays this expression is very popular. It’s used as a mocking or cool way to greet guests into a home.

3. Спарта (Sparta)—Sparta, 2018

Genre: Mystery; Thriller
This show is: Dark

In this Netflix Russian language series, a crime investigator starts to uncover the mysterious death of a young high school teacher. He finds out about a video game that all the kids in that school love to play. The more he knows about the game, the more he realizes that what happens in the game happens in real life as well… All dark fantasies become real.

This Russian Netflix series contains great vocabulary that modern teenagers use, making this one of the best Russian Netflix series for improving your informal communication skills.

The vocabulary.

• Самоубийство (samoubiystvo) — “suicide”
  • As the story takes place around the suicide of a school teacher, you’ll hear this word quite often. It’s interesting to know that “murder” is убийство (ubiystvo), so cамоубийство (samoubiystvo) can literally be translated as “self-murder.”
• Не перебивай (Ne perebivay) — “Don’t interrupt.”
  • You can tell this phrase to your friend who’s trying to say something while you’re still speaking.
• Да пошёл ты (Da poshyol ty!) — “F*ck you.” [Literally “You go away.”]
  • This is a short version of the phrase with obscene words, which is why even without obscene lexic, it still sounds harsh.
• Да ладно, не парься! (Da ladno, ne par’sya!) — “It’s fine, don’t worry.”
  • This phrase was popular when todays’ adults were teenagers. It’s still pretty commonly used between friends.
• Мне б твои проблемы (Mne b tvoi problemy) — “I’d love to have your problems.”
  • This means that your problems are very small compared to mine, so I’d gladly switch them. This is a great and very common phrase, so don’t hesitate to use it in a friendly conversation.
• Чё смотрим? (Chyo smotrim?) — “Stop staring.” [Literally “Why are you looking?”]
  • This is a rude question to ask, and it may result in a conflict.
• Британские учёные доказали, что… (Britanskiye uchyonyye dokazali, chto…) — “British scientists have proved…”
  • You’ll hear this phrase several times during this series. It refers to the highly valued authority of British scientists. Kids in the series use it as a joke to “prove” random facts.
• А чё так? (A chyo tak?) — “Why?”
  • This alternative of the question Почему? (Pochemu?) or “Why?” is used a lot in spoken language between friends. Try to use it in your next conversation.
• Тянуть кота за хвост (Tyanut’ kota za khvost) — “To pull a cat by his tail.”
  • It means that something takes a longer time than it should.
• Это в прошлом (Eto v proshlom) — “It is in the past.”
  • You can use this phrase to emphasize that even though you did something in the past, you’re not doing it now.

The story is about modern high school students, so they use a lot of slang words and abbreviations. We’ve prepared an awesome article on this topic for you.

4. Троцкий (Trotsky)—Trotsky, 2017

Genre: Political drama
This show is: Cerebral

This is a great Russian period drama Netflix currently has. Lev Trotskiy was a powerful political figure. It was he who influenced the minds of Russian people, headed the Russian Revolution, and destroyed the Russian Empire. This Russian Netflix series contains a lot of revolution-related words that would be exciting vocabulary to learn for advanced learners.

The vocabulary.

• Приятного вечера (Priyatnogo vechera) — “Have a nice evening.”
  • This is a very polite phrase that you can use toward someone you respect.
• Пошёл вон! (Poshyol von!) — “Get out of here!”
  • This phrase is used by people who have a different kind of authority, such as teachers or parents toward kids.
• Всего хорошего (Vsego khoroshego) — “I wish you well.”
  • A very polite thing to say as an alternative to До свидания (Do svidaniya) meaning “Goodbye.”
• Есть! (Yest’!) — “Yes, sir!” and Так точно! (Tak tochno!) — “Yes, sir!”
  • These replies to commands are used in Russian military forces.
• Вы свободны (Vy svobodny) — “You can go.” [Literally “You are free.”]
  • Very official phrase used by people with authority.
• Позвольте представиться (Pozvol’te predsatvit’sya) — “Let me introduce myself.”
  • Follow it with your name. It’s a nice and intelligent way to introduce yourself. It was mainly used in XIX-XX centuries by the aristocracy, so you’ll bring some noble manners into your speech by using it.
• Я знаю, кто вы (Ya znayu, ko vy) — “I know who you are.”
  • This phrase is often used in series as a reply to someone’s introduction.
• Я никогда ни о чём не жалею (Ya nikogda ni o chyom ne zhaleyu) — “I never regret anything.”
  • One of the phrases that the main hero likes to use.
• Строить новый мир (Stroit’ novyy mir) — “To build a new world.”
  • You’ll hear this phrase many times in the series. Revolutionists built their propaganda around this idea.
• Управлять людьми можно единственно страхом (Upravlyat’ lyud’mi mozhno edinstvenno strakhom) — “You can rule people only by fear.”
  • A famous phrase of Trotsky.

5. Нюхач (Nyukhach)—The Sniffer, 2017

Genre: Mystery; Thriller
This show is: Dark

A genius detective with a nasty character has a keen sense of smell. Just by smell, he can tell everything and even more about any person: what he ate, with whom did he sleep, if he has an alibi.

The vocabulary in this series is pretty simple, so it’s great for beginners. But do be warned it may have the most interesting vocabulary of the other Russian shows on Netflix… ;) You’ll see.

The vocabulary.

• Чёрт! (Chyort!) — “Darn it!”
  • Literally, it means “Devil!” Often used as an interjection.
• Я вызову полицию (Ya vyzovu politsiyu) — “I’ll call the police.”
  • In the context of this series, the phrase is used as a threat.
• Совершенно верно (Sovershenno verno) — “Absolutely right.”
  • This phrase is often used by the main hero of the series.
• Посмотрим (Posmotrim) — “We’ll see.”
  • It has the same meaning as the English phrase.
• Ладно (Ladno) — “Okay.”
  • This is a nice and very Russian alternative to Окей (Okey) meaning “okay” and Хорошо (Khorosho) meaning “good.”
• Отпечатков нет (Otpechatkov net) — “There are no fingerprints.”
  • All crimes that the main hero will come across are complicated, so this phrase will come up pretty often.
• Убитый (Ubityy) — “Murdered person”
  • Well, this word will come up even more often.
• Убийца (Ubiytsa) — “Murderer”
  • This one as well.
• Труп (Trup) — “Corpse”
  • You’re going to get pretty interesting Russian words in your memory after watching this series, right? :)
• Да? (Da?) — “Yes?”
  • In the series, the main hero uses this reply as an alternative to Алло (Allo) or “hello,” which is used to reply to phone calls. You can also start your phone call reply this way, as it’s very common in Russia.

6. Смешарики (Smeshariki)—Kikoriki, 2010

Genre: Kids’ cartoon
This show is: Funny

Cute animals live, get into adventures, and build friendships in this funny animation series.

The vocabulary is simple but very diverse, like most Netflix Russian programs for kids. This is one of the best Russian Netflix shows for beginner language learners, as they’ll find a great deal of useful words here.

The vocabulary.

• Ёжик (Yozhik) — “Yozhik”
  • That’s the name of the hedgehog hero. It was made from the word Ёж (Yozh) meaning “hedgehog” by adding the suffix -ик (-ik) that usually shows that the thing referred to is small.
• Бараш (Barash) — “Barash”
  • That’s the name of the ram hero. The name comes from the word Баран (Baran) that actually means “ram” or “sheep.”
• Нюша (Nyusha) — “Nyusha”
  • That’s the name of the pig hero. It’s interesting to know that нюша (nyusha) is a cute way to refer to a “pig.”
• Что это у тебя? (Chto eto u tebya?) — “What’s that you have?”
• Не мешайте (Ne meshayte) — “Don’t distract (me).”
  • A very often-used phrase to stop someone from interfering.
• Это как-то само собой получилось (Eto kak-to samo soboy poluchilos’) — “It happened by itself.”
  • A nice way to remove guilt from yourself. :)
• Я чуть не умерла от страха! (Ya chut’ ne umerla ot strakha!) — “I’ve almost died from fright!”
  • You can say this phrase after you’ve been suddenly very frightened by someone or something.
• Ёлки-иголки! (Yolki-igolki!) — “Fir tree needles!”
  • Actually, the translation of this phrase isn’t that important. It’s an interjection which is used by some people, and can be translated as “Wow!”
• Спасайся, кто может! (Spasaysya, kto mozhet!) — “Save yourself, everyone who can!”
  • The short version of this phrase is Спасайся! (Spasaysya!) meaning “Save yourself!” It’s used in the same situations as the English phrase.
• Какая прелесть! (Kakaya prelest’!) — “So cute!”
  • You can say this phrase if a kid is gifting you with something cute that he made himself, or if you get an amazing and pretty gift. The phrase can also be cut to Прелесть! (Prelest’!)
• Чего нет, того нет (Chego net, togo net) — “What I don’t have, I don’t have,” or “What there isn’t, there isn’t.”
  • This phrase gives an interesting emphasis on regret about something that you don’t have. For example, if someone asks you if you have a video camera, you can sadly shake your head and say Чего нет, того нет (Chego net, togo net).

7. Машины Сказки (Mashiny skazki)—Masha’s Tales, 2017

Genre: Kids’ cartoon
This show is: Funny

Another one of the best Russian Netflix TV shows for beginners, where the most famous Russian tales are interpreted and told by a cute little Russian girl.

The vocabulary that you learn from this series will help you to read Russian tales. Good for both beginners and advanced language learners.

The vocabulary.

• Голубчики мои (Golubchiki moi) — “My darlings”
  • Usually, this address is used by grannies to their grandkids. It has a patronizing connotation.
• Жили были… (Zhili byli…) — “Once upon a time there lived…”
  • The most common beginning of Russian tales.
• Заяц (Zayats) — “Hare”
  • In Russian tales, he’s often named as Зайчик-попрыгайчик (Zaychik-poprygaychik), meaning “Hare the Jumper.”
• Медведь (Medved’) — “Bear”
  • One of the most often-met characters in Russian tales.
• Волк (Volk) — “Wolf”
  • Another one of the most often-met characters in Russian tales.
• Лиса (Lisa) — “Fox”
  • Another one of the most often-met characters in Russian tales.
• Мышка-норушка (Myshka-norushka) — “Mouse the Burrow”
  • A lot of Russian tales refer to a mouse hero by that name.
• Лягушка-квакушка (Lyagushka-kvakushka) — “Frog the Croaker”
  • A lot of Russian tales refer to a frog hero by that name.
• Баба-яга (Baba-yaga) — “Baba Yaga”
  • A famous fairytale character in Russia. Баба-яга (Baba-yaga) is an ugly old woman who has magical powers.
• Проще простого (Proshche prostogo) — “Easier than easy.”
  • You can say this phrase when someone asks you to do a job for them, and you want to show that the job will be really easy for you—even if it’s really not. :)

8. Саранча (Sarancha)—Locust, 2014

Genre: Thriller; Drama
This show is: Steamy; romantic

This is an exciting thriller and Russian Netflix drama with intense love between a rich girl and a poor guy. The language is quite simple, and there are a lot of useful modern expressions for language learners—both beginners and advanced.

The vocabulary.

• Саранча (Sarancha) — “Locust”
  • This is a metaphorical name of the series. But we won’t spoil why it’s named that way. :)
• Я ничего не слышу! (Ya nichego ne slyshu!) — “I don’t hear anything!”
  • Use this phrase when you really don’t hear a word that another person is saying.
• Ладно, давай, пока (Ladno, davay, poka) — “Okay, well, bye.”
  • You might wonder why the main heroine can’t just say Пока (Poka), or “Bye.” Well, won’t it be too simple and short? :) By the way, a lot of Russians use this expression, so make sure to remember it and use it at the end of a first conversation.
• Приятных снов (Priyatnykh snov) — “Sweet dreams.”
  • A nice way to wish goodnight.
• Хватит на сегодня (Khvatit na segodnya) — “Enough for today.”
  • This phrase can be used in many situations. For example, to send your employees home. :)
• За тебя! (Za tebya!) — “For you!”
  • A really short and meaningful toast when nothing else comes into your mind.
• Иди ты! (Idi ty!) — “F*ck you.” [Literally: “Go away.”]
  • Can be used when you have nothing witty to say in reply to an insult or a joke.
• Пока. Целую (Poka, Tseluyu) — “Bye. Kissing you.”
  • It’s a nice way to say goodbye to someone. Though it may seem to be okay only for relationship goodbyes, in Russia it’s very popular between girlfriends and family members.
• Заткнись! (Zatknis’!) — “Shut up!”
  • Use this rude phrase when somebody is really annoying.
• Не заводись (Ne zavodis’) — “Don’t start.”
  • This is a popular phrase to calm down a wife or a girlfriend when she’s starting to shower you with negative emotions.

9. Метод (Method)—Method, 2015

Genre: Crime drama
This show is: Emotional; suspenseful

Do you like genius maniacs with perverted minds, and even more genius detectives? Then this Russian crime drama Netflix series would be a great addition for your Russian language study process. The language is pretty simple and modern, so the series will be good for beginners.

The vocabulary.

• Метод (Metod!) — “Method”
  • The word means pretty much the same as in English.
• Чем занимаешься? (Chem zanimayesh’sya?) — “What are you up to? What are you doing right now?”
  • This is a famous and really common question to start a casual conversation on the phone or via Messenger.
• Глянь! (Glyan’!) — “Have a look!”
  • You probably know the alternative word for it: Смотри! (Smotri!) meaning “Look!” Глянь! (Glyan’!) sounds more common.
• Я не понимаю (Ya ne ponimayu) — “I don’t understand.”
  • Pretty useful phrase even when you do understand. :)
• Маньяк (Man’yak!) — “A maniac”
  • Well, you’ll get to know a lot of maniac heroes while watching this series. :) At least, now you know what they’re called in Russian. By the way, you can say: Ну ты маньяк! (Nu ty man’yak!) or “You’re a maniac!” when somebody is overdoing something (e.g. they learned a crazy amount of foreign words). How about you? How many Russian words have you already learned? 10? 100? What??? 1000??! Ну ты маньяк! (Nu ty man’yak!)
• Помогите! (Pomogite!) — “Help me!”
  • This is a phrase you need to cry out loud in case you face a guy we talked about earlier, Маньяк (Man’yak!) or “A maniac.” And since we’re talking about maniacs…
• Ты меня не поймаешь (Ty menya ne poymayesh) — “You won’t catch me.”
  • That’s the nickname of the first maniac in the series.
• Тело (Telo) — “A body.”
  • In the context of the series, this word often means a dead body.
• Ничего страшного (Nichevo strashnovo) — “It’s fine.” [Literally “Nothing bad.”]
  • You’ll hear this phrase a lot, both in the series and in real life in Russia. People say this phrase when somebody is apologizing to them.
• Внешность обманчива (Vneshnost’ obmanchiva) — “Looks can be deceiving.”
  • This is a popular expression in Russia. Use it to characterize a person whose appearance doesn’t match his character.

10. Мажор (Mazhor)—Silver Spoon, 2015

Genre: Thriller; Drama
This show is: Exciting; suspenseful

A rich boy that had everything since birth seems not to understand what’s right and what’s wrong anymore. After one of his drunken adventures, his father gets so pissed that he cuts all his bank cards and makes him take a job as a simple investigation officer. A rich boy has to face a simple life with its ups and downs in order to become respected among his colleagues and find himself. His witty humor and positive life attitude seem to change the life of his colleagues for the better, as well.

There’s a lot of modern jargon in this Netflix Russian series, so if you’d like to learn some juicy Russian expressions to impress your Russian friends, this series is a great choice.

The vocabulary.

• Вали отсюда! (Vali otsyuda!) — “Be off with you!”
  • The word валить (valit’), meaning “to go,” comes from a criminal slang word, so every usage of it has this spicy feeling of something illegal. A milder version of it that you’ll hear in one of the episodes is: Иди отсюда! (Idi otsyuda!) meaning “Go away.” Also, in this series, you’ll hear the phrase Валим! (Valim!), meaning “Time to go!” which is used when people have been doing something restricted and now it’s time to go.
• Вопросы остались? (Voprosy ostalis’?) — “Any questions left?”
  • This question can be used by someone who has just given instructions.
• Погоны не жмут? (Pogony ne zhmut?) — “Shoulder boards are not tight?”
  • Shoulder straps in Russia usually indicate a military rank. This phrase is used when a person with shoulder boards is overusing his power (and thus risking the loss of his shoulder straps).
• Пистолет (Pistolet) — “Gun; pistol”
  • This word will be used often in the series. Make sure to memorize it.
• Мажор (Mazhor) — “Silver spoon”
  • This is how Russians describe a person with a lot of money. In spoken language, they call someone this if they spend a lot of money on something that’s very expensive or exclusive. In that situation, you can say, with admiration on your face, Ну ты мажор! (Nu ty mazhor!) meaning “What a silver spoon you are!”
• Ты чего? (Ty chego?) — “Why are you behaving like that?”
  • It’s a quick way to ask what’s going on with someone who’s behaving oddly or not like they usually do.
• Здравствуйте. А вы к кому? (Zdrastvuyte. A vy k komu?) — “Hello. Whom did you come for?”
  • This phrase is often used by secretaries or employees of companies when they see an unknown visitor.
• Проставиться (Prostavit’sya) — “To buy drinks to celebrate.”
  • This is an interesting Russian word that doesn’t have an exact translation in English. There’s a tradition that a person who’s celebrating something should buy a round of drinks for his friends or coworkers (depending on the event). That’s what Russians call Проставиться (Prostavit’sya), or “To buy drinks to celebrate.” That way, a Russian person kind of shares his good luck or happiness with others. If you want to know more such words, go ahead and check out our article with the top ten untranslatable Russian words.
• Не таких кололи (Ne takikh kololi) — “We’ve cracked tougher ones.”
  • This phrase is used by policemen when they’re trying to get the truth from somebody who doesn’t want to tell it. You can use the word колоться (kolot’sya), meaning “to crack,” in a popular phrase used in spoken language: Колись давай (Kolis’ davay), or “Come on, tell me.” It’s used when a person is hiding some secret and you want to know it.
• Издеваешься? (Izdevayesh’sya?) — “Are you mocking me?”
  • This phrase can be used when someone is proposing or talking about something irritating. Another way to say it, with the same meaning: Ты издеваешься, что ли? (Ty izdevayeshsya, chto li?).

11. Conclusion

Now you have a list with the most relevant Netflix Russian series for language learners. Choose one you like and start your new exciting step in your language-learning journey!

Have you already watched any of these Russian series on Netflix? What do you think about it? Let us know in the comments!

If you’ve watched one or several series and realized that you want to learn Russian more profoundly with professional tutors, check out our MyTeacher program for Russian learners. Our teachers are all native speakers with an impressive teaching background. They’ll make sure that you start talking in Russian very soon. ;-) And Russian series on Netflix will be a great help in the learning process.

RussianPod101.com also has several other practical learning tools for the aspiring Russian learner! Read more insightful blog posts like this one, study our free vocabulary lists, and chat with fellow students on our community forums!