Russian Courses in Russia - Schools and Courses in Russia

Russia is a country that has something to cater for everyone's taste, and when the sun sets, you can spoil yourself to some Russian cuisine in one of the many delightful restaurants. Join our Russian courses and schools in Russia, and learn a vast language in a vast country.

Russia - more fully known as the Russian Federation - is a vast country in Eastern Europe and northern Asia. Russia boasts extensive Arctic Ocean and North Pacific Ocean coastlines, as well as coastlines on the Baltic, Black and Caspian Seas. Russia borders Norway, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Belarus, the Ukraine, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, China, Mongolia, China and North Korea.

In terms of area, Russia is the largest country in the world. Although Russia is extremely large, most of the country lacks proper soils and weather for farming. Mount Elbrus ( Gora El'brus ), at 5,633 m, is Europe's, and Russia's, tallest peak.

Russia has contributed greatly to the development of the world and still has much to offer. It is divided into some very exciting cities and many small picturesque countryside towns, each with its own special attractions.

When learning Russian in winter, Russia is covered in snow and the lakes are covered with a dense layer of ice. These conditions are very favorable for those who take pleasure in winter adventures, such as skiing, snowboarding, ice-diving and ice-skating.

Russian History

The defeat of the Russian Empire in World War I led to the seizure of power by the Communists and the formation of the USSR. Josef Stalin's vicious rule (1924-53) reinforced Russia's lead over the Soviet Union. The Soviet economy continued to grow at high rates under Malenkov and Khrushchev, and political and social controls were relaxed. The Soviet Union eventually hit its peak and became stagnant under Leonid Brezhnev, and this predicament would carry on until General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev (1985-91) initiated glasnost (openness) and perestroika (restructuring) in an effort to modernize Communism. Gorbachev's initiatives inadvertently released forces that by December 1991 splintered the USSR into 15 independent republics. Since then, Russia has struggled in its efforts to build a democratic political system and market economy to replace the strict social, political, and economic controls of the Communist period. A determined guerrilla conflict still plagues Russia in Chechnya.

Learn Russian - Russia Geography

Russia is a country located in Europe and in North Asia. The territories to the west of the Ural Mountains are seen as the European section of Russia. Although Russia, in terms of land area, is the largest country in the world, it is has a poor position for accessing important sea lanes. Russia's topology includes the world's deepest lake and Europe's highest mountain and the longest river. The topography and climate, however, resemble those of the northernmost portion of the North American continent. The northern forests and the plains bordering them to the south find their closest counterparts in the Yukon Territory and in the wide swath of land extending across most of Canada. The terrain, climate, and settlement patterns of Siberia are similar to those of Alaska and Canada.

Russian Economy

Russia ended 2005 with its seventh straight year of growth, averaging 6.4% annually since the financial crisis of 1998. High oil prices and a relatively cheap ruble are important drivers of this economic rebound, while investment and consumer-driven demand have also played a noticeably increasing role since 2000. Real fixed capital investments have averaged gains greater than 10% over the last five years, and real personal incomes have realized average increases over 12%. During this time, poverty has declined steadily and the middle class has continued to expand. Russia has also improved its international financial position since the 1998 financial crisis, with its foreign debt declining from 90% of GDP to around 31%. Strong oil export earnings have allowed Russia to increase its foreign reserves from only $12 billion to some $180 billion at yearend 2005. These results, combined with structural reforms, have increased confidence in Russia's economic prospects. Nevertheless, serious problems persist. Economic growth slowed to 5.9% for 2005 while inflation remains high. Oil, natural gas, metals, and timber account for more than 80% of exports, leaving the country vulnerable to swings in world prices.

Russia's manufacturing base is on its last legs and must be replaced or modernized if the country wishes to achieve broad-based economic growth. Other problems include a weak banking system, a poor business climate that discourages both domestic and foreign investors, corruption, and widespread lack of trust in institutions. In addition, a string of investigations launched against a major Russian oil company, culminating with the arrest of its CEO in the fall of 2003 and the acquisition of the company by a state owned firm, have raised concerns by some observers that President Putin is granting more influence to forces within his government that desire to reassert state control over the economy. State control has increased in the past year with a number of large acquisitions. Most fundamentally, Russia has made little progress in building the rule of law, the bedrock of a modern market economy.

Russian Food

Russian cuisine is world-renowned (caviar and beef Stroganoff are but two examples), and there are now many restaurants in Moscow and St. Petersburg that cater to an educated palate. Russian specialties include:

• Pelmeni (ravioli)
• Blini (crêpes)
• Borsch (red soup/beetroot soup)
• Shi (cabbage soup)
• Manti (meat stuffed pasta)
• Vareniki (dumplings)
• Russian salads

Both St Petersburg and Moscow offer sophisticated, world class dining and a wide variety of cuisines including Japanese, Tibetan and Italian. You can also eat well and cheaply there without having to resort to the many western fast food chains that have opened up. Russians have a unique version of fast food restaurants, which range from cafeterias serving comfort foods to streetside kiosks cooking up blinis and stuffed potatos.

You should try to avoid drinking the tap water in Russia, and avoid using ice in drinks. Bottled water and Coca Cola are available everywhere food is served.

Stylish cafes serving cappuccino, expresso, toasted sandwiches, rich cakes and pastries are popping up all over St Petersburg and Moscow. Some double as wine bars, while others are also internet cafes.

Russia Climate

Climate ranges from steppes in the south through humid continental in much of European Russia; sub arctic in Siberia to tundra climate in the polar north; winters vary from cool along Black Sea coast to frigid in Siberia; summers vary from warm in the steppes to cool along the Arctic coast.

Learn Russian in Russia - Advice

At our Russian schools and courses in Russia our advice can really be summed up with one simple word - practice! What kind of study materials you use is not quite as important as how or how often you use them. Your hard work and determination will be one of the biggest factors in successful language learning.

The Russian school and course you choose in Russia is going to be the core of your Russian study, so make sure you choose a Russian language course that gives you structured lessons and lots of opportunity to practice your new language skills. Our Russian courses at our Russian schools in Russia, will give you the perfect opportunity to study, learn, and practice Russian in a supportive, well planned and friendly environments.

You must work at your new Russian language skills every day. Ideally, you should study Russian an extra hour or more every day. If you can get at least an extra half-hour of study time, that's pretty good too. Try to at least get a little review and study, learn and practice Russian every single day.

If you attend one of our Russian courses in Russia and you learn Russian everyday, you will have a good basic knowledge of the Russian language in a reasonable amount of time. Your knowledge and ability will increase and improve depending upon what other tools you use and what kind of experiences you have using the Russian language.

Grammar book. A good old-fashioned grammar book may be boring but they are a great way to really get to grips with the details of the language.

Phrase Book

These are extremely helpful books that you can carry with you. They can be useful for practicing pronunciation, or for quickly finding a lot of more commonly used phrases, words and idioms. Phrase books are always a nice supplement to learn Russian and they are convenient and cheap.

Dictionary. Absolutely necessary in the long run. You must have a dictionary if you wish to expand your vocabulary, and you will need one in order to take full advantage of many of the Russian language learning tips set out here. Make sure you get one that translates both ways e.g. Spanish to Russian AND Russian to Spanish. It is also helpful to find a dictionary that contains idioms - the phrases particular to the language which you are studying - as well as phrases that are commonly used in the Russian language, but may be difficult to translate.

Flashcards

A simple Russian language learning tip, but a very effective way to review, refresh your memory and expand your vocabulary. There are pre-made flashcards that can be purchased, or for extra help, you can create your own. Keep them with you at all times, in your pocket or in your car, and look at them for a quick review or language lesson at every opportunity. They are very convenient.

Talk to yourself

It may be obvious, but the best way to learn Russian in Russia is to speak Russian in Russia! This convenient method can be use at all times, as you can even talk to yourself. Even if you are in public and don't feel comfortable talking to yourself out loud, you can make it your habit to practice Russian by thinking Russian. Throughout the day, think of the Russian words for everything you pass - objects in your house, things you pass when you are traveling, things you use at work or school, etc. Learn basic Russian phrases like - ‘it is cold today' or ‘it is sunny today' and use whichever is appropriate when you first look out the window. By putting this tip into use on a regular basis, the vocabulary and phrases will become more routine and automatic.

Practice with friends

Taking it even further than talking to yourself, you can practice with your friends. Even if they don't speak Russian, talk to the people you know by using your new language. Warn them in advance that you are practicing your new knowledge and they'll know what's coming. Even a simple 'good morning' or'see you later' in Russian will make those phrases more natural to you. Your friends may even begin to learn a few words and join in the fun too!

Listen to music

Listen to Russian music. You'll hear the Russian language used in a real context and this will help you pick out the rhythm and pronunciation even better. This method will also give you a further understanding of, and appreciation for, the culture and customs of the people. Music in Russian might be easier to find than others, but Amazon or eBay and many other global websites will enable you to find music in Russian and many different languages.