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Russian Resources

Language

There is an enormous number of materials online that you can look at to help develop your Russian language, whatever level you are at.

For ab-initio students we recommend this site and The Real Russian Club

For ab-initio students and post A-level we recommend The Pushkin Institute (these courses are free) 

For post A-level students we recommend the Russian Podcast 

Here are some other popular links/sites to language learning resources:

Duolingo

Learn Russian

Russian Language Lessons

Learn Russian for free

Blog

There are many free podcasts on Russian culture and history, the pick of which is Sean’s Russia Blog. (in english)

Culture, Literature, Film (all levels)

Mosfilm, Russia’s biggest and most prestigious film studio, has a Youtube channel that is free to subscribe to, where you can watch an enormous number of Russian language films with English subtitles, all entirely FREE

If you want a light comedy, to take your mind off things, then Leonid Gaidai’s 1968 film The Diamond Arm (Бриллиантовая рука), has stood the test of time and is much loved and universally quoted by Russians.

Looking for something more challenging? the same Youtube Channel has an acclaimed 1979 film adaptation of Russian national poet’s Alexander Pushkin’s 1830 work, Little Tragedies (Маленькие трагедии). The Third film in the three-film series even has a work that we might think of as topical: ‘A Feast in Time of Plague’ (Пир во время чумы). Here is the Russian text. Curiously, it is an adaptation of little known Scottish writer, John Wilson’s The City of the Plague (1816).

Don't forget that subscription sites, such as Netflix, have some Russian serials, including one about the life of Russian revolutionary Leon Trotsky that is interesting, and more ‘art-house’ contemporary Russian films can also be found on Mubi.

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