Привет, Русский!
Learn Russian — Привет means hello!
Daily
~10 min
A bilingual Russian language learning podcast for English speakers — kids and adult beginners. Host Olya teaches vocabulary, phrases, grammar, and culture through fun, themed episodes.
For students, teens, curious parents, career changers, and anyone who wants to learn Russian — no experience needed.
Latest Episode
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Recent Episodes
Привет, Русский! - Episode 13 - April 24, 2026
Fri, Apr 24, 2026
Привет, Русский! - Episode 12 - April 22, 2026
Wed, Apr 22, 2026
Привет, Русский! - Episode 11 - April 20, 2026
Mon, Apr 20, 2026
Привет, Русский! - Episode 10 - April 10, 2026
Fri, Apr 10, 2026
Привет, Русский! - Episode 9 - April 08, 2026
Wed, Apr 08, 2026
Привет, Русский! - Episode 8 - March 30, 2026
Mon, Mar 30, 2026
Привет, Русский! - Episode 7 - March 28, 2026
Sat, Mar 28, 2026
Привет, Русский! - Episode 5 - March 26, 2026
Thu, Mar 26, 2026
Привет, Русский! - Episode 6 - March 26, 2026
Thu, Mar 26, 2026
Привет, Русский! - Episode 4 - March 24, 2026
Tue, Mar 24, 2026
Привет, Русский! - Episode 2 - March 20, 2026
Fri, Mar 20, 2026
Привет, Русский! - Episode 3 - March 20, 2026
Fri, Mar 20, 2026
About Привет, Русский!
A bilingual Russian language learning podcast for English speakers — kids and adult beginners. Host Olya teaches vocabulary, phrases, grammar, and culture through fun, themed episodes.
Hosted by Olya from Vancouver. Each episode is a mini lesson you can practice anywhere.
Resources & Further Reading
Language Learning Apps
Duolingo Russian
Free gamified Russian course — 5 minutes a day builds vocabulary and grammar habits
www.duolingo.com/course/ru/en/Learn-Russian
Babbel Russian
Structured Russian lessons with speech recognition — more grammar-focused than Duolingo
www.babbel.com/learn-russian
Busuu Russian
Russian course with native speaker feedback on your writing and speaking exercises
www.busuu.com/en/course/learn-russian-online
Pimsleur Russian
Audio-first method — learn Russian through listening and speaking, great for car commutes
www.pimsleur.com/learn-russian
Dictionaries & Grammar
OpenRussian
Free Russian dictionary with declensions, conjugations, stress marks, and usage examples
en.openrussian.org
Wiktionary Russian
Community dictionary with etymologies, pronunciations, and detailed grammar tables
en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Category:Russian_language
Russian Grammar Tables
Clear grammar reference — cases, verb conjugations, and adjective agreements
www.russianlessons.net/grammar/
Reverso Context
See Russian words used in real sentences — context-based translation with examples
context.reverso.net/translation/russian-english/
Russian Media
Russian With Max
Comprehensible input podcast — slow, clear Russian with transcripts for A2-B2 learners
russianwithmax.com
Meduza (English)
Independent Russian news in English — understand current events and cultural context
meduza.io/en
Arzamas Academy
Russian culture and history courses — literature, art, and philosophy (in Russian with subtitles)
arzamas.academy
Kinopoisk
Russia's IMDB — find Russian films and TV shows to practice listening comprehension
www.kinopoisk.ru
Practice & Immersion
Forvo Russian
Hear native speakers pronounce any Russian word — essential for mastering pronunciation
forvo.com/languages/ru/
Tandem
Find Russian-speaking language partners for text and voice chat — free language exchange
www.tandem.net
italki
Book affordable 1-on-1 lessons with native Russian tutors — from $5/hour
www.italki.com/en/teachers/russian
Clozemaster
Learn Russian through mass sentence exposure — fill in the blanks in context
www.clozemaster.com/languages/eng-rus
Culture & History
Russia Beyond
Russian culture, history, food, and travel — English-language articles about Russia
www.rbth.com
Moscow Times
Independent English-language news about Russia — politics, culture, and society
www.themoscowtimes.com
Russian Life Magazine
Russian culture, travel, and history — beautifully written long-form articles
russianlife.com
RussianPod101
Comprehensive Russian learning platform — lessons, vocabulary lists, and cultural notes
www.russianpod101.com
Recommended Tools
Free
Duolingo
Start learning Russian with 5-minute daily lessons — gamified, fun, and builds habits
Free
Anki
Spaced repetition flashcards — the most effective way to memorize Russian vocabulary
Free
Forvo
Hear any Russian word pronounced by native speakers — type it in, hear it spoken
Free
Tandem
Free language exchange app — find native Russian speakers who want to learn English
Free
Google Translate
Instant English-to-Russian translation — use camera mode to translate signs and menus
Key Concepts
How hard is Russian to learn?
The US Foreign Service Institute rates Russian as a Category III language — harder than Spanish or French, but easier than Chinese, Japanese, or Arabic. For English speakers, the main challenges are the Cyrillic alphabet (learnable in a week), six grammatical cases (takes months to internalize), and verb aspect (perfective vs imperfective). The good news: Russian pronunciation is very regular — if you can read a word, you can pronounce it. With daily practice, expect basic conversational ability in 6-12 months.
What is the Cyrillic alphabet?
Cyrillic is the alphabet used to write Russian (and Ukrainian, Bulgarian, Serbian, and others). It has 33 letters — some look and sound like English letters (A, K, M, O, T), some look familiar but sound different (B sounds like V, H sounds like N, P sounds like R, C sounds like S), and some are unique (Ж, Щ, Ы, Э). You can learn all 33 letters in about a week of focused practice. Once you know Cyrillic, you can sound out any Russian word.
How many cases does Russian have?
Russian has six grammatical cases: Nominative (subject), Genitive (possession/of), Dative (to/for), Accusative (direct object), Instrumental (by/with), and Prepositional (about/in). Cases change the endings of nouns, adjectives, and pronouns depending on their role in the sentence. English handles this with word order and prepositions; Russian uses endings. It sounds intimidating, but you learn them gradually — start with Nominative and Accusative, then add others as you progress.
What's the difference between ты and вы?
Both mean 'you,' but ты (tee) is informal/singular and вы (vee) is formal/plural. Use ты with friends, family, children, and pets. Use вы with strangers, older people, professionals, and in formal situations. Вы (capitalized Вы) is also used as a polite singular 'you' — like saying 'sir' or 'ma'am' in English. Using the wrong form isn't a disaster, but switching from вы to ты with someone signals that you've become friends — it's a meaningful social moment in Russian culture.
How long does it take to learn Russian?
It depends on your goals and daily practice. With 30 minutes/day: basic greetings and survival phrases in 1-2 months, simple conversations in 4-6 months, comfortable intermediate level in 12-18 months. The FSI estimates 1,100 classroom hours for professional proficiency. Key accelerators: daily consistency (even 15 minutes beats occasional long sessions), native speaker practice (italki or Tandem), and immersion through media (Russian music, YouTube, Netflix shows with subtitles). This podcast is designed to be one of those daily touchpoints!
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