Why learn Russian?

Russian is the 7th most spoken language in the world!  It is the largest native language in Europe, and the most geographically widespread language in Eurasia. Over 280 million people speak Russian in Russia and many of the surrounding countries, including the Baltic states and countries of the former Soviet Union. You will open doors to business, travel, and a new culture when learning Russian.

Is it hard to learn the Russian alphabet?

The Russian alphabet is written in Cyrillic, and consists of 33 letters. It is only a few more characters than the Latin or Roman alphabet you are used to reading! With some practice, English speakers can learn to read and write Cyrillic in a short time. And because Russian spelling is largely phonetic (unlike English where spelling often has little to do with pronunciation!) - you can start speaking with words you read right away!

Fun facts about Russian

• There are many Russian-speaking communities in the USA. In one city - Nikolaevsk, Alaska - Russian is spoken more than English!

• The verb Russian verb for “to be” is used only in the past and future tense.

• In the 19th century (in Russia until 1917), the language was often called "Great Russian" to distinguish it from Belarusian, then called "White Russian" and Ukrainian, then called "Little Russian".