7 Captivating Russian Magazines for Learning the Language
Don’t you just love the feel of a good magazine in your hands?
You can enjoy the sensation while learning Russian at the same time.
Read on to discover some of the best Russian magazines to start learning with!
Contents
- Why Learn Russian with Magazines?
- How to Get the Most out of Reading Russian Magazines
- 7 Captivating Russian Magazines for Learning the Language
Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)
Why Learn Russian with Magazines?
Learning Russian through magazines is a good choice because there’s a wide array of material to fit your tastes and learning goals. You can choose simpler magazines (like those intended for children or that focus largely on images) if you’re a beginner. More advanced learners might prefer magazines that cover more complex ideas and use more advanced vocabulary. Additionally, magazine topics are diverse, covering everything from business to science.
Additionally, most articles are brief, so they’re not as intimidating as reading longer texts. There are some great easy Russian books out there, but if you just don’t have the time for a book, magazines are an ideal choice. Like Russian blogs, it’s easy to select just one article to read at a time. Because of this, you can easily fit a little Russian reading practice into your daily routine without it feeling like a chore.
Finally, reading Russian magazines is a helpful way to stay current on your topics of interest. For instance, reading Russian-language news from newspapers, magazines or renowned news resources helps you stay abreast of current events. Similarly, you can stay up-to-date on beauty, celebrity news, science and even business by reading magazines. Indeed, reading Russian magazines is a great way to multi-task since you can practice your Russian while learning about your favorite areas of interest.
How to Get the Most out of Reading Russian Magazines
- Find a magazine that covers topics you’re interested in. This way, reading them will feel like a fun break rather than a normal study session.
- Read articles focused on areas in which you need to improve your vocabulary. For instance, anyone looking to learn business vocabulary can refer to a business magazine. If you’re interested in health terms, check out a health magazine. Since magazines vary thematically, it’s easy to pick and choose related vocabulary sets. Note: you might also want to keep a dictionary app handy for any unfamiliar words.
- Reread articles you like. Rereading articles is valuable because it can help reinforce grammar and vocabulary. If you’re particularly fond of one article, you can even memorize passages to use as models of grammar rules and/or challenging conjugations.
- Make it a habit to read frequently. If you’ve chosen a magazine you like, this shouldn’t be a problem. Exposing yourself to written Russian frequently will massively improve your Russian skills. Since Russian uses the Cyrillic alphabet, there can be a lag in reading skills for beginners.
Reading exposes you to the language, which will make you read much more naturally without the constant need to think about grammar rules and spelling. Since magazines offer a consistent flow of new reading material, they’re a great way to encourage yourself to read frequently.
- Prepare yourself. Working hard on the vocabulary you’ll encounter before trying to read your magazine will make the experience far more enjoyable once you start it.
Try to consume other material with a similar theme to the magazine you’re subscribing to. For example, if you’re interested in an entertainment-themed magazine, you should start familiarizing yourself with Russian celebrities to help understand what’s being discussed.
A resource like FluentU might be useful, too, because its lessons are entirely based on authentic Russian media. The interactive captioning will help you learn new vocabulary as it comes and get you ready to tackle those magazine articles.
7 Captivating Russian Magazines for Learning the Language
Some of the pages below may have options to subscribe online via newsletters, apps, etc., but we’ve also included some options for subscribing to the print versions for those living outside of Russia.
Лиза
Лиза (transliterations vary between “Lisa” and “Liza”) is a weekly women’s magazine. It covers standard topics like fashion, beauty, celebrities and relationships, so it’s a great way to learn general vocabulary. Лиза also offers a horoscope section for the astrologically inclined. If you’re feeling ambitious, you might also try cooking using the magazine’s Russian-language recipes.
You can subscribe via Amazon.
Мурзилка
Мурзилка (“Murzilka”) is a monthly magazine for children ages 6-12. Founded in 1924, it’s the world’s longest running children’s magazine.
But don’t let the fact that it’s a children’s magazine deter you! Мурзилка offers poems, short stories, competitions, comics and puzzles accompanied by associated artwork. While the magazine’s content is aimed at children, it’s also great for beginning and intermediate Russian students who want to learn general vocabulary and improve their reading skills.
You can subscribe via Amazon or via Nasha-Pressa.de.
Cosmopolitan
This monthly magazine is the Russian edition of the familiar American women’s magazine by the same name. It covers the general topics you usually find in women’s magazines such as celebrities, beauty and fashion. There’s also a horoscope section.
The Russian version of the magazine contains a lot of similar material to the American version. The most notable difference is that in addition to American celebrities, Russian celebrities are mentioned. Plus, the magazine is in Russian, so there’s that.
You can subscribe via Nasha-Pressa.de for 67€ a year.
HELLO! Россия
HELLO! is a weekly magazine that originated in the United Kingdom. It focuses primarily on popular celebrity news in addition to a few human-interest stories.
HELLO! Россия (“HELLO! Russia”) shares news about Russian and international celebrities. It also covers general entertainment news and offers sections that focus on beauty and lifestyle.
Because of the magazine’s leanings towards entertainment news, HELLO! Россия is a good choice for anyone looking to learn entertainment-related vocabulary. Since many of the stories are also image-intensive, it’s a good choice for beginning and intermediate learners who still need more visual cues.
You can subscribe via Nasha-Pressa.de for 144€ per year.
Домащний Очаг
Домашний Очаг (which translates literally to “Home Hearth”) is the Russian-language edition of the monthly American magazine “Good Housekeeping.”
Like the English-language version, the Russian version covers topics like cleaning, health, home and human-interest stories. Given the magazine’s fairly broad focus, it’s a good option for anyone looking to learn general vocabulary.
You can subscribe via Nasha-Pressa.de for 85€ a year.
National Geographic Россия
National Geographic Россия (“National Geographic Russia”) is the Russian version of the well-known monthly publication.
Like other versions of the magazine, National Geographic Россия focuses primarily on culture, science, nature and animals.
National Geographic Россия is a good option for intermediate and advanced Russian students looking to learn more vocabulary related to science and culture. Since this magazine is more scientifically focused than other magazines, it’s also a terrific way for advanced students to test out their comprehension skills. Thinking about advanced topics in Russian is a good test of fluency.
You can subscribe via Nasha-Pressa.de for under 68€ per year.
Forbes
This monthly magazine is the Russian edition of the American magazine of the same name.
The magazine is entirely business focused, so it’s a great tool for anyone looking to learn Russian to use in business. You can learn key terms related to business, finance and entrepreneurship while staying abreast of important Russian and international business news.
You can subscribe to the Russian edition of Forbes via Nasha-Pressa.de for 84€ per year or subscribe through Amazon.
With so many great Russian magazines out there, it’s time to crack one open and be entertained.
You might not see “learning” in its table of contents, but trust us—it’s there!
Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)
