What images come to mind when you hear the word "Russia"?  Russia is known for its large territory and cold winters. But, digging deeper, what is Russian culture like?  Art and literature enthusiasts may be familiar with our world-famous ballet and our prominent writers: Alexander Pushkin, Leo Tolstoy, Fyodor Dostoevsky…  Sports lovers may acknowledge our hockey team and outstanding performances at the Olympics. Those who are into science must already be familiar with our space activities as well as our massive oil and gas industry.  And gamers: you know Tetris, right? Perhaps you’ve already learned something new just from reading this Russian culture introduction. But if you want to find out how Russians live, interact with... Show more

This article is the result of a diligent inquiry into the question of how native Russians are actually telling time in Russian. If you’ve taken a peek at this topic before, you probably know that Russians usually add one of the following words to the number of hours: утра (utra) — "of the morning"дня (dnya) — "of the day"вечера (vechera) — "of the evening"ночи (nochi) — "of the night"  But how would you define three a.m.? Is it still night or is it already morning?  Well, the Russian language is very flexible, so both options are possible depending on the context and what you want to emphasize. If you’re talking about early wakeups, saying Сегодня я встал в 3 утра (Segodnya ya vstal v tri utra), or "Today I woke up at three in the... Show more

When you’re taking a cab, asking for the nearest toilet, and making sure that the bus goes where you need it to go, being able to understand directions in Russian is essential for tourist survival in Russia. Of course, you can always use translation apps, but sometimes it’s just inconvenient to do that. The taximeter is counting ruble by ruble, a full bladder doesn’t want to lose a second more, and the bus is already at the bus stop ready to take off—and you have no idea when the next one is. Learning all about directions in Russian will help you save time, money, and nerves. Also, knowing how to say basic things—such as the cardinal directions in Russian, the words for "far" and "close," "straight," "left" and "right" in Russian,... Show more

Did you know that there’s a Russian holiday called Крещение (Kreshcheniye), or "Baptism," when everyone jumps into прорубь (prorub’), or an "ice hole" in just their underwear? This holiday is in January, so it might be -10°C or -20°C, or even -50°C outside. Russian people believe that it washes off their sins and improves health. This holiday salutes the end of Russian winter holidays, each of which contains even more peculiar traditions. (You thought you were just going to learn Happy Birthday in Russian, didn’t you?) To feel confident in living in Russia and communicating with Russian people, it’s important to know these traditions, especially how people congratulate each other. So, let’s dig into the festive side of life and learn how... Show more

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... Show more

Did you know that it’s considered good etiquette in Russia to bring something к чаю (k chayu) or "for the tea?" That means something sweet: cake, chocolate, candies, or a sweet pastry. There are many interesting and exciting Russian customs which may not seem obvious, but definitely are to native Russians. Knowing even basic Russian etiquette for tourists can go a long way during your visit to the country! Let’s start this exciting journey. Learn Russian etiquette with RussianPod101.com’s Russian tourist etiquette guide! Table of Contents Do's and Don'ts in Russia #1: Basic Russian Etiquette Do's and Don'ts in Russia #2: Russian Dining Etiquette Do's and Don'ts in Russia #3: Russian Drinking Etiquette Do's and Don'ts in... Show more

The Focus of This Lesson is Tips to Help Russian Students Overcome Common Errors Tip 1: Learn Your Cases There are no cases in English. That means that nouns and adjectives always stay the same no matter what their function and position in the sentence is. It's different in Russian. The endings of nouns and adjectives change depending on their function. Of course, it's possible for a native speaker to understand someone who speaks like this but... It can be irritating because you are slaughtering their language It can be totally confusing! Tip 2: Watch Your Word Stress! Like in English, word stress is extremely important. In Russian, you don't say all the syllables of the word with the same... Show more

This Lesson Focuses on the history of the Russian languages and the top 5 reasons to study! Russia is the largest country in the world with a population of over 140 million people. It spans eleven time zones and contains the largest forest reserves in the world as well as a quarter of the earth's fresh water within its lakes. The Russianlanguage has recieved numerous influences throughout history, including influences from Polish, German, and even Slavic. A lot of academic and intellectual vocabulary was used from languages such as Dutch, French, German, and even Latin. So by learning Russian, you get a sense of history, and the better you know it, the more familiarities you'll pick up from other languages too. ... Show more

Happy Holidays and Happy New Year from everyone here at RussianPod101.com! We're grateful to have listeners just like you, and we're eagerly waiting for the upcoming year to learn Russian together! And when the New Year comes around, be sure to make a resolution to study Russian with RussianPod101.com! Have a healthy and happy holiday season. From the RussianPod101.com Team!