9 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
- Popular Russian Managizes
- Why Learn Russian with Magazines?
- How to Get the Most out of Reading Russian Magazines
- And One More Thing...
Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)
Popular Russian Managizes
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.
1. Лиза (“Lisa”)
Price: €105 for 3 months
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.
2. Мурзилка (“Murzilka”)
Price: €28 for 3 months
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.
FluentU takes authentic videos—like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talks—and turns them into personalized language learning lessons.
You can try FluentU for free for 2 weeks. Check out the website or download the iOS app or Android app.
P.S. Click here to take advantage of our current sale! (Expires at the end of this month.)
3. Cosmopolitan
Price: €67 for a year
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.
4. HELLO! Россия (“HELLO! Russia”)
Price: €144 for a year
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.
5. Домащний Очаг (“Good Housekeeping”)
Price: €85 for a year
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.
6. Forbes
Price: €84 for a year
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.
7. Russian Life
Price: $39 for 3 months
Russian Life is a bimonthly magazine that offers a rich cultural and historical exploration of Russia. It covers a wide range of topics, including travel, cuisine, literature, and contemporary Russian life.
Dive into Russian culture, traditions, and history, and expand your vocabulary with engaging articles.
You’ll explore the unique landscapes, diverse regions, and the vibrant arts scene in Russia through beautiful photographs and in-depth features.
You can subscribe to Russian Life via their official website.
8. Эксперт (“Expert”)
Price: €99 for 3 months
Expert is a weekly business and finance magazine that delves into the world of economics, finance, and global markets. If you want to learn the Russian language for business purposes, Expert is a great choice. You can read it while improving your knowledge of business-related terms and news.
You’ll also stay informed about international and Russian economic affairs.
You can subscribe to Expert via Nasha-Pressa.de.
9. Vokrug Sveta (“Around the World”)
Price: €24 for 3 months
Vokrug Sveta (“Around the World”) is a renowned travel and geography magazine published monthly. It provides a fascinating journey around the world, featuring breathtaking photographs and articles about various countries and cultures.
This magazine is an excellent choice for intermediate and advanced Russian learners looking to explore the world while sharpening their Russian language skills.
You’ll immerse yourself in global travel experiences, learn about diverse Russian culture, and enhance your vocabulary with descriptions of stunning destinations.
Subscribe to Vokrug Sveta via Nasha-Pressa.de.
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.
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)
And One More Thing...
If you love learning Russian and want to immerse yourself with authentic materials from Russia, then I should also tell you more about FluentU.
FluentU naturally and gradually eases you into learning the Russian language and culture. You'll learn real Russian as it's spoken by real Russian people!
FluentU has a very broad range of contemporary videos. Just a quick look will give you an idea of the variety of Russian-language content available on FluentU:
FluentU makes these native Russian videos approachable through interactive transcripts. Tap on any word to look it up instantly.
Access a complete interactive transcript of every video under the Dialogue tab. Easily review words and phrases with audio under Vocab.
All definitions have multiple examples, and they're written for Russian learners like you. Tap to add words you'd like to review to a vocab list.
And FluentU has a learn mode which turns every video into a language learning lesson. You can always swipe left or right to see more examples.
The best part? FluentU keeps track of your vocabulary, and gives you extra practice with difficult words. It'll even remind you when it’s time to review what you’ve learned. You'll have a 100% personalized experience.
Start using the FluentU website on your computer or tablet or, better yet, download the FluentU app from the iTunes or Google Play store. Click here to take advantage of our current sale! (Expires at the end of this month.)
