Best Russian Courses Online 2024

23 Best Russian courses online 2024. Become fluent in Russian.

Are you a linguaphile looking to add Russian to your linguistic toolkit? Is learning Russian key to unlocking your professional development? Are you an intermediate Russian speaker searching for your next stepping stone to mastering the Russian language?

This article offers you a succinct and comprehensive guide to help you navigate the web’s best Russian courses online so that you can find the right fit for you.

Russian Courses Online – Overview

With roughly 258 million speakers, Russian is the 7^th most spoken language across the globe. Due to the language’s ubiquitous nature, you can hear Russian not only across Eastern Europe but also in Central Asia and the Caucasus region. The Russian language is also highly coveted in leading organizations in the field of diplomacy and international relations, not least because it is one of the six official languages at the United Nations.

The benefits of learning Russian are clearly manifold, ranging from increased employability to a deeper immersion in Russia’s rich culture and history. As the most commonly spoken language in the Slavic family, taking Russian courses online or in person can also improve your capacity for understanding other Slavic languages.

Russian has as many as 6 cases and is based on an alphabet of 33 letters based on the Cyrillic script. Interestingly, Russian is many people’s foreign language of choice, as studying has the effect of boosting their mental dexterity.

Another feature of the Russian language is that it is largely homogeneous, meaning that dialectic variation is limited to a slight difference in pronunciation. Thus, there is no secret advantage to learning one dialect over another.

Russian language learning levels range from A1 (Basic User) to C2 (Proficient User). As a beginner, you can expect to become introduced to everyday phraseology and start developing your vocabulary arsenal. As you progress, you’ll become more confident in your use of Russian, using the language effectively and spontaneously in different settings.

Best Russian Courses Online 2024 – Top Picks

Rocket Russian	Russian Uncovered	Udemy Russian	Rosetta Stone
from $99/Level 1	$297	from $11.99/class	from $7.99/month
★★★★★	★★★★★	★★★★☆	★★★★★
Free Trial. Discounts.	7-days free trial.	Up to 95% off.	Free trial. Discounts.
Visit Website	Visit Website	Visit Website	Visit Website

*Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. Read the full disclosure at the end of this post.

Note: This review aims to give an overview of the best Russian courses online. We cannot claim comprehensiveness as there are many other Russian online classes available.

1. Rocket Languages – Russian Online Classes

Taught in English, Rocket Russian (visit website) goes beyond the pronunciation and grammar that naturally form part of all language learning. Rocket Languages has gone the extra mile to infuse invaluable cultural context into its online Russian course. The program will teach you everything from food and culture to business and Russian customs. By the end, you will meaningfully connect to the language and, eventually, the natives.

As a student, you will get lifetime access to their Rocket Russian course. You can revisit the class anytime and once you have formally completed it. This class also helps you perfect your pronunciation through a state-of-the-art voice recognition system, geared at helping you practice speaking and acclimating your ear to the Russian language.

A central learning objective of this Russian online class is to encourage independent sentence-building so that you can train to become an autonomous Russian speaker. You’ll also get to practice spontaneous speaking in a pressure-free environment to prepare you for real-life situations. It makes it one of the best Russian courses online for a culture enthusiast or anyone that is interested in visiting, or perhaps even living in, Russia.

User Reviews: 4.9 ★★★★★ | Info: Visit website. Free trial + discounts.
Pricing: Level 1 from $99 | Level 1/2 from $249.90 | Level 1/2/3 from $259.90

2. Russian Uncovered – StoryLearning

Russian Uncovered by StoryLearning (visit website) promises to teach you to think, speak, live and even love in Russian. As the class focuses on helping you build a strong lexical and grammatical foundation, it is suitable for absolute beginners or already advanced beginners of the Russian language. There are more advanced Russian courses available.

Whether you are attempting to learn Russian for the first, second or fifth time, this Russian online course is unique in that it puts story-telling at the center of learning Russian, fostering a natural approach to learning, better recall of Russian diction and a deeper connection to the language itself.

This is the same passive approach used to teach native Russian children their mother language. As such, you can expect to experience a smooth integration into the Russian community by being able to pronounce and speak Russian intuitively through the Story Method. That approach makes it one of the best Russian courses online for beginners.

Provider: StoryLearning | Level: A1-B1 CEFR. Vocab, Grammar, Pronunciation.
Price: $297 Lifetime | Trial: Yes. 7-days full access. | Rating: 4.9 ★★★★★
Info: View course page. Browse all Russian online courses from StoryLearning.

3. Udemy Online Russian Courses

Udemy (visit website) offers a large variety of online Russian courses for beginners, intermediates and advanced learners. Whatever your motivation for learning Russian may be, there is probably a suitable class and topic for you on Udemy. From studying business-related Russian to focusing more on perfecting your pronunciation, it’s all there.

Their online Russian courses guide you through the foundational vocabulary needed to build coherent, grammatically correct phrases and fluently engage in conversation.

For example, there is a 3-hour class to help you grasp the Cyrillic alphabet may be the perfect place to start, complemented by an A1 beginner’s Russian course (view) that covers topics that range from detailed self-introduction to commonly used Russian diction.

If you’re interested in accelerated learning, this three-in-one Russian class (view) cuts across the A1, A2 and B1 levels of learning and could be just right for you. For more information on this latter Russian course, please read a more detailed description below.

Italian courses: 500+ | Rating: 4.7 ★★★★☆
Info: Browse category for all Russian Courses on Udemy. From $11.99. Up to 95% off.

4. Rosetta Stone Online Russian Courses

Rosetta Stone’s Russian course (visit website) is an excellent place to start your learning journey. It will also help you refine your Russian skills, making the program suitable for intermediate and advanced learners as well. The program focuses on simplifying Russian through the help of technology like TruAccent® and methods like Dynamic Immersion®.

With a speech recognition engine built into their mobile app, this online Russian course aims to improve your accent by comparing it to a native Russian speaker’s. Also, if you enjoy learning through visual aid, Rosetta Stone’s Dynamic Immersion® method of learning through imagery will be right up your alley.

One of the practical benefits of this Russian course is the opportunity to practice your Russian by speaking to an expert coach in either a small or large group setting. So if your priority is to become a confident Russian speaker from your very first lesson, this class is among the best Russian courses online thanks to its unique tools and immersion methods.

Languages: 60+ | Review: ★★★★★
Pricing: from $7.99/month. Visit website.
Deals: $179 Lifetime. Access all languages. View deal.

5. The Complete Russian Language Course – Udemy

The Complete Russian Language Course (visit website) covers grammar and vocabulary from A1, A2, and B1 levels in less than 30 hours. It is in English and taught by a former learner of the Russian language herself.

In this Russian course, you will learn the vocabulary needed to meet people, describe your family and home, explore your neighborhood, go to a restaurant, describe your daily routine and go on a trip. Lastly, you will also learn service-related vocabulary, such as that needed to visit the doctor, pharmacy and hairdresser.

Through a combination of pre-recorded lectures, extensive vocabulary lists and short assignments to test your understanding of each section, you can expect to build a strong foundation for learning to speak Russian at a more advanced level. Moreover, you can enjoy life-long access to all of the course’s resources, including all future updates.

Instructor: Yelena Zhivkovich, Udemy | Level: Beginners | Video: 27 hours
Price: View course. From $11.99. Up to 95% off. Browse category on Udemy.

6. Red Kalinka – Russian Online School

Red Kalinka (or Red Raspberry!) offers a resource-rich approach to the study of Russian, making use of videos and audio and e-books to guide you from the beginning to the end of your formal online learning journey.

Whether you are a beginner looking to grasp the ABCs (or AБBs) of Russian or a seasoned Russian speaker interested in refining a specific skill, there is a Russian online course on Red Kalinka tailored to your need. You can cover all levels from A1 to C2 by enrolling in a video Russian course or signing up for private Russian lessons via Skype.

Both learning paths use a mix of English and Russian in their teaching. However, the online lessons provide access to 160 videos, each 30 minutes in length. There are also 400 pages of learning material and an ad hoc personal tutor.

Alternatively, you can use Skype for personalized, one-on-one tutorials taught by a native Russian speaker. In either case, you will benefit from an exclusive eLibrary to assist you in meeting your specific Russian learning goals.

Rating: 4.8 ★★★★☆ | Classes: Online courses
Skype lessons: $20-$60. $25/lesson. $125/5 lessons | $210/10 online lessons.

Reading tip: Here is a guide on how to learn a language fast. Browse our lists of language courses online or language learning apps to learn multiple languages.

7. Pimsleur Russian Online Courses

Using the famous Pimsleur Method™ (visit website), you can learn Russian through a research-based method that affords you the vocabulary that is the most useful. Pimsleur’s online Russian courses range from Level 1 to Level 5 intending to advance you from a beginner to an intermediate level.

With every Russian class, you receive audio language instruction that helps improve your reading, accent, phraseology and conversational ability. This is further accompanied by visual aids and information to connect your learning to Russia’s culture and history. As you progress through each level, you can expect more of the teaching to happen in Russian.

The Level 1 Russian course covers the basics, such as self-introduction and asking for and receiving information. By the time you reach Level 5, you can expect to be nearly fluent in Russian and confident discussing going to an exhibition, food and sightseeing. Through their app, you can also engage in hands-free, on-the-go learning.

Rating: 4.8 ★★★★★ | Price: $14.95/month. Discounts available.
Info: Visit website to start learning. | Try free: Get 7-days free here.

8. MGU Russian Language Centre

At the MGU Russian Language Centre, you can choose online Russian courses and training material that is right for you, enabling you to reach your desired learning level in the shortest possible amount of time.

What’s special about MGU’s Russian classes is that you can tailor them to your crisply defined needs. Students can certainly advance their Russian along the traditional learning levels that range from A1 to C2. But, you may only have an interest in learning vocabulary that is pertinent to, for instance, a trip to Russia or conducting business in Russian. In such an event, MGU’s best Russian online courses can serve exactly that purpose.

In curating a class that is individual to you, you can choose to learn Russian from scratch, focus on Russian grammar or even specialize in understanding Russian humor, song and film. As the course is taught mostly in Russian, you can expect to become immersed in the language from day one and receive an official certificate upon completion of your class.

Rating: 4.8 ★★★★☆ | Price: Group live classes from $195/week.
Individual classes $22/hour. Online classes available.

Tip: Not the right language? Browse our lists of best Italian courses or Spanish courses or English courses or German classes or Portuguese classes or Mandarin classes or Japanese classes or Arabic courses or French classes online.

9. iTalki Russian Online Lessons + Tutors

Are you in a rush to embark on (or resume) your Russian learning journey as soon as possible? iTalki (visit website) can connect you to a qualified Russian online teacher who can deliver your first lesson in less than 72 hours, if not instantly.

Giving you full autonomy over your learning outcome, you can choose to concentrate on conversation practice, pronunciation, grammar, spelling, reading, listening and/or composition. Alternatively, if you are more interested in the business side of the Russian language, you can hone the skills needed to conduct a meeting, deliver a presentation or enter into a negotiation in Russian.

If you’re planning on giving the TORFL a go, iTalki can also match you to a seasoned tutor who has vast experience setting learners like you up for success in their studies. Each teacher’s learning methods vary, although they are flexible in adapting them to your preferred style to keep your learning as personalized and authentic as possible.

Review: ★★★★☆ | Info: Visit website.
Pricing: Hourly rates start from $10/hour. Average between $15-25/hour.

10. Glossika Russian Courses Online

If you’re interested in being able to listen to and speak Russian like a native, Glossika’s Russian courses (visit website) have your name on it. Available for levels A1 through to C1, this audio-based Russian course aims to teach you Russian through complete sentences so that your learning is as natural as possible.

Whether you are on your jog, at the grocery store or on your morning commute, the Glossika app generates useful sentences for you to listen to and practice daily, keeping track of your progress and helping you revisit any grey areas. In the course of your learning, you’ll access over 6,500 sentences spoken by Russian natives and be tested on them by either typing them out or recording yourself repeating them.

A popular feature of this online Russian course is the built-in memory bar that prompts you to revisit a sentence that may be fading from your memory. This way, you don’t retrogress on any of your learning. Further, you can activate the “listening only” mode to minimize interruption. One of the best Russian courses online for beginners and intermediates alike.

Rating: 4.8 ★★★★☆ | Price: $30/month | $24.99/month annually | Trial: Yes

11. Learn Russian Online – University of Texas

Open to UT and non-UT students, this semi-intensive, three-module Russian course program is aimed at preparing you for learning Russian at an advanced level by, first, helping you reach intermediate proficiency. The program is taught in English.

Kicking off in Russian 406, you’ll develop a functional understanding of the Russian language by becoming introduced to the Cyrillic alphabet, conversational diction and Russia’s abundant culture. You can expect to build on your understanding thereof in the second and third online Russian classes.

This program is perfect for anyone who has a particular interest in using Russian cyber language to optimize their social media and search engine use. Do you happen to be an interactive learner? Then you’re even more likely to benefit from this Russian course.

Your virtual companions – Polina and Oleg the Hedgehog – accompany you through instructional videos and pages that are formulated to expand your vocabulary, improve your communication, and demystify the intimidating Russian grammar.

You’ll also have the opportunity to practice conversing in Russian by joining other virtual learners in the “Language Lab”, creating a balance of independent and group learning.

Provider: University of Texas | Type: Professional Certificate
Duration: 3 semester Russian online course | Pricing: 1,100.00

12. Live Lingua Russian Online Classes

Are you an aspiring Russian learner on a budget? Are you searching for free yet effective material to guide your independent learning? With 23 online Russian courses, 146 e-books and 498 audio files to choose from, you can build a robust glossary and a versatile understanding of Russian grammar all for free on Live Lingua.

And it doesn’t stop there. Students of the program can also engage in listening comprehension, pronunciation practice and sentence-building, enabling them to move beyond the beginner level into intermediate territory.

While these Russian courses offer a cookie-cutter approach to learning Russian, they can nevertheless be a great place to start, if not to give you an initial taste of the language. Each course’s eBooks are accompanied by audio files to talk you through the material, making sure that you are pronouncing everything correctly.

Although most of the content is for beginners, there are some great online Russian courses for intermediate and advanced users targeted at English speakers looking to improve their Russian language skills.

Review: 4.7 ★★★★☆ | Tutors: $18/hour | Free trial lesson: Yes
Russian: Language basics, dictation, pronunciation. Free Russian online classes.

13. Preply Russian Online Lessons + Tutors

For an entirely personalized Russian learning experience, Preply matches you to qualified Russian tutors online. Those teachers are also native speakers and based on your current level, motivation(s) for learning Russian, and desired area of focus.

A true benefit of learning Russian through Preply is that you can select a tutor that is best suited to you and your preferred methods of learning. Another convenient benefit is that Russian tutors are filtered based on your availability.

With Russian tutors for every level, you can choose to focus your learning on business Russian, general Russian, conversational Russian, intensive Russian, Russian literature, Russian for beginners or Russian for children.

There are also tutors that can help you prepare for your Test of Russian as a Foreign Language (TORFL) exam. The tutoring happens in English by default. There is a variety of learning methods that combine the tutor’s teaching style and the learner’s preferences.

Tutors: Various tutors to learn Italian 1 on 1. Native speakers. Multiple languages.
Review: ★★★★☆ | Pricing: Low: $10. Medium: $15/hour. High: S40/hour.

14. 3ears – Learn Russian with Interactive Scripts

Inspired by the paradigm of an adult reading to a child, 3ears offers an extensive list of videos that are accompanied by interactive transcripts in English. The aim is to help you learn Russian at a beginner, intermediate or advanced level.

Using a mixture of English and Russian, the videos focus primarily on boosting your listening and reading comprehension, and there is a variety of themes to choose from, including “Lessons”, “Films”, “Songs”, “Humor”, “Poetry” and many more.

A beneficial feature of these transcripts is that they contain useful additional information that helps you understand the text grammatically and phonetically, fostering a more holistic approach to the study of Russian.

Another great element of the videos on 3ears is that they can range from a very generic topic, such as “Basic Russian” to a more specific area of interest such as the prepositional case, paronyms or idioms, enabling you to tailor your learning based on your needs. 3ears offers some of the best Russian courses online for beginners that are free.

Rating: 4.8 ★★★★☆ | Info: Free Russian classes online. Various topics.

15. Real Russian Club Online Classes

On this platform, you can access various free and premium Russian online courses to help you learn Russian. Whether it’s through a blog, a podcast or a YouTube channel, Real Russian Club’s Daria aims to fully immerse you in Russian culture, history and language.

On Real Russian Club, you can learn the Cyrillic alphabet through poetry, the Russian equivalent of animal sounds and even Russian chess vocabulary. You can also learn various methods to roll your “R”s – key to perfecting your Russian pronunciation.

What’s more, you can become an expert not only in listening but also describing the arms of the Russian Emergency Service. Such titbits of information peppered throughout your learning are guaranteed to keep you engaged.

If you’re looking for a more traditional structure for your Russian learning, Daria has also curated online Russian classes targeted at basic and intermediate learners that help you master linguistic elements such as verbs of motion, confusing diction and Russian slang, bringing you one step closer to speaking like a true native.

Rating: 4.8 ★★★★☆ | Info: Premium and free Russian online classes. Various topics.

8 Additional Russian Online Classes

16. Babbel Russian

Covering vocabulary and grammar from levels A1 and A2, Babbel’s app-based online Russian course is entirely self-paced. The program applies speech recognition technology and other learning methods proven to be helpful in learning Russian.

In addition to covering the basics, you can tailor your Russian online class to be more business-, culture- or travel-related.

17. Fluentu Russian

By accessing a vast library of Russian videos and interactive transcripts, students can learn an eclectic array of Russian vocabulary, practice their pronunciation and explore Russian culture.

By enrolling in their online Russian courses, you can also become a confident conversationalist by listening to audio dialogues that give you a taste of Russian etiquette. 

18. Michael Thomas Russian

Available for basic and intermediate learners alike, Michael Thomas offers three self-paced Russian courses online that target various language levels and skills. With an emphasis on sentence-building and expanding your vocabulary, you can expect to emerge from this learning experience being able to understand and speak basic Russian.

19. Duolingo Russian

Duolingo is a fun, gamified app to supplement your Russian learning through short repetition and translation exercises. To ensure that your learning is relevant, a placement test is administered to ascertain the level that you should be starting from on your quest to Russian reading and listening proficiency.

20. RussianPod101

With the help of a Russian teacher, a personalized program, and regular assignments, you can start speaking Russian as early as your first lesson. This online Russian course uses special staggered audio to help improve your understanding and flashcards to ensure continuity of memory. A voice-recording tool can also help perfect your pronunciation.

21. Russian – The Mimic Method

Echoing the concept discussed earlier of learning language through story, Idahosa Ness offers a number of free resources to help you learn Russian “by ear” (aka “the Mimic Method”). The goal of the Mimic Method is to approach the study of Russian intuitively, helping you learn the language faster and pronounce it better.

22. Berlitz Russian

With the option to choose from in-person, private, or online Russian classes, you’ll be able to approach the study of Russian through a cultural lens. By transcending the alphabet and grammar students also achieve a deep understanding of nonverbal communication, signals and syntax to put them in the Russian native mindset.

23. LanguageBird Russian

A platform targeted at middle and high school students, Language Bird offers one-to-one tutoring that is centered around language immersion, a textbook-independent curriculum and project-based learning.

Through this method, the Russian class aims to prepare learners for real-life situations that occur against the backdrop of Russian customs and culture.

How to Choose the Best Russian Courses Online

There are many factors that you should consider before choosing to invest your time, and perhaps money, into any of the classes mentioned above or the myriad of available Russian courses online. For instance, if you’re a busy individual you may consider a Russian course consisting of compact instruction that can fit snuggly into your schedule.

Further, if you aspire to learn Russian for a specific reason, such as to be able to conduct business meetings in Russian, you’ll need to take a closer look at the course curriculum. Similarly, if you want to boost a particular skill, such as being able to speak Russian, you may consider a selection of online Russian courses that focus on speaking as a priority.

To ensure that you’re engaged throughout your learning journey, it is also recommended to pick those online Russian classes that mirror your learning style and holds you accountable for meeting your learning goals.

Best Russian Courses Online 2024 – Review Verdict

Wrapping up our review of the best Russian courses online in 2024. As a native Russian speaker myself, I’ll be the first one to tell you that you cannot skip out on the grammar. It is an integral part of any language, especially Russian.

Nevertheless, don’t hesitate to give more immersive online Russian courses a chance. The classes offered by StoryLearning (view) or Real Russian Club mimic the same natural learning process that you once experienced as a child learning your native tongue. It’s fun, and you will start using Russian immediately and based on your level.

Adopting this intuitive approach in your learning may just be the key to ensuring that you learn Russian once and for all. While you may find the Cyrillic alphabet and the unfamiliar pronunciation daunting, the benefits of learning Russian are too meaningful to miss out on.

Other Russian Courses Online

• edX Russian online classes
• Online Russian courses on Coursera
• Real Russian Club – Learn Russian – YouTube – View
• Russian with Nastya – YouTube – View
• Grammar Hero (Russian)
• Mango Languages Russian Classes
• Mondly Online Russian Courses
• Russian for Free – Online Classes
• Earworms MBT: Rapid Russian
• Russian Language Guide
• RussianLessons Net
• Decks
• Transparent Language (Russian)
• Liden & Denz Russian Online Courses
• LingQ Russian Course
• Verbling Russian Online Tutors
• Mimic Method Russian
• Busuu Russian
• FSI Russian
• Living Language Russian

What are the best Russian courses online for 2024, in your opinion? Which Russian online classes have you taken? What have you learned? Please let us know in the comments below, or contact us via email for questions.

Sources: Russia – 1 | Russian Language – 2 | Offical Language Certificates – 3

Disclosure: This article contains affiliate links to some providers of Russian courses online. courselounge may receive a commission for purchases made through these links. It does not add any extra costs. All reviews, opinions, descriptions and comparisons expressed here are our own.