The Top 17 Russian YouTube Channels for Learners
When it comes to learning Russian, getting the language boost you need is literally right at your fingertips—through YouTube.
With a host of Russian language YouTube channels available to the masses, it’s important you find channels that are updated regularly and offer a wide variety of learning modalities, such as reading, writing and speaking in Russian.
Whether you’re a beginner, intermediate or advanced learner, we’ve narrowed down the choices of Russian language YouTube channels for you, and have listed our top channel and video picks.
Contents
- Russian YouTube Channels for Language Learning
- Russian YouTubers
- Science and History Russian YouTube Channels
- More Russian YouTube Videos for Learners
- And One More Thing...
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Russian YouTube Channels for Language Learning
1. Real Russian Club
Real Russian Club is an excellent resource for beginning and intermediate Russian learners. It offers a variety of lessons featuring common Russian grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, and vlogs.
Weekly live streams are offered as well, to give you that Russian language boost you need.
The Real Russian Club channel is hosted by Daria Molchanova—a professional Russian language teacher from Moscow—who offers two new video lessons uploaded weekly.
And, all her videos are subtitled in English, Russian, and a host of other languages: making it a flexible option to suit your needs and preferences.
Additionally, the “slow and fast Russian” travel videos often cover culturally significant themes such as holidays or vodka, which will allow you to improve your understanding of life in Russia as you perfect your language skills.
2. RussianPod101.com
RussianPod101.com is an online Russian language learning channel and website that offers both audio and video lessons on its YouTube channel.
From learning everyday Russian words, how to have daily conversations in Russian, vocabulary, grammar, and listening practice lessons—you’ll learn to speak, read, write and hear Russian through the hundreds of videos offered by this channel.
They also offer 24/7 Learn Russian Live streams on their YouTube channel for you to get the most out of your Russian language learning experience.
FluentU takes authentic videos—like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talks—and turns them into personalized language learning lessons.
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3. Weekly Russian
Weekly Russian, also known as Let’s Speak Russian, offers hundreds of helpful videos for all levels of Russian language students.
For beginning Russian learners, there are simple lessons covering the basics of vocabulary and grammar. For intermediate and advanced students, there are tons of colorfully focused videos to help you zoom in on details of the Russian language and expose you to authentic Russian culture.
The videos include Russian cartoons, songs from Russian cartoons, traditional Russian music, subtitled Russian songs, Russian choral music, children’s songs, and holiday songs.
If you want to learn more about Russian culture, there are also a host of videos on Russian history, the Sochi Olympics, Russian poetry, and other fascinating topics to choose from.
4. Rush into Russian
Rush into Russian is hosted by professional teacher, and business coach, Kris Amerikos and offers videos on grammar, common phrases, vocabulary, and culture for a well-rounded learning experience.
Most of this channel’s videos target beginning to early intermediate learners. You can also find downloadable lesson printouts and audio lessons on his website to further educate you on speaking Russian more fluently.
5. Learn Russian with Denis Fedorov
Denis Fedorov, a tutor and native Russian speaker, offers a vast selection of videos on his YouTube channel, Learn Russian with Denis Fedorov. The channel is designed to help beginning and early intermediate Russian students improve their skills.
His videos focus on vocabulary building, grammar and pronunciation. Some videos also discuss the process of learning Russian and effective study techniques.
6. Russian from Russia
Russian language teacher, Anna, hosts the YouTube channel Russian from Russia using a unique method of teaching.
Her channel offers videos that focus on teaching grammar and vocabulary through discussions on Russian culture, customs, and history.
The videos are a great tool for intermediate Russian learners to pick up new vocabulary, learn more about Russian culture, and fine-tune their listening skills.
Each video contains Russian captions so that you can read along as Anna speaks. Additionally, many vocabulary words appear and are defined in the video to help you along.
She also offers podcast lessons for those who are less visual learners and more auditory.
7. LearnRussian.org
LearnRussian.org is hosted by Bart de Pau. Originally from the Netherlands, his experience stems from living in Russia for 10 years and also managing another Russian language YouTube channel on this list for a decade – Russian from Russia.
With a host of videos for beginners and intermediate learners, LearnRussian.org offers verbs, phrases, grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, and conversational lessons.
You’ll also find fun videos on Russian culture and socializing.
The videos are color-coded by topic, so it is easy to select what category you want to work on. Each video shows you the Russian words as the host speaks them.
There are also often images to illustrate a word’s meaning, which is a great tool for visual learners. English-language subtitling is also available.
8. Be Fluent in Russian
The host of this YouTube channel Fedor is known for his friendly personality and engaging style that is likely to attract a wide audience. There’s a variety of videos suitable for learners of all levels.
Fedor incorporates English explanations to help beginners in understanding the more complex nuances of learning Russian, though there are also videos entirely in Russian.
From grammar tutorials to conversational practice and cultural insights, Be Fluent in Russian covers it all. Tune in to their engaging videos to learn essential vocabulary, improve pronunciation, and gain confidence in speaking Russian.
For those seeking a more organized approach to learning, the BeFluent Russian course might be of interest.
9. Easy Russian
On the Easy Russian channel you’ll mostly find street interviews conducted entirely in Russian, so you can get an authentic glimpse into the language as it’s spoken on the streets.
Alongside these interviews, there are videos dedicated to exploring language topics such as modal verbs, filler words, and prepositions.
Although all videos come with bilingual subtitles, this channel is particularly beneficial for intermediate-level learners and above who are keen on immersing themselves in natural Russian conversations.
10. R for Russian
The host of this R for Russian YouTube channel has been producing educational Russian content for several years, primarily focusing on various aspects of Russian grammar. Her channel offers high-quality explanations in a blend of Russian and English, with the majority accompanied by subtitles and translations.
In addition to grammar tutorials, the channel features videos that utilize music to aid learning and emphasize practical everyday phrases.
It’s particularly beneficial if you’re a beginner or an intermediate learner seeking comprehensive language instruction.
11. Antonia Romaker
Antonia Romaker is your guide to learning the Russian language with confidence and ease. Through her dynamic and interactive lessons, Antonia covers essential grammar rules, pronunciation tips, and cultural insights to help her viewers become proficient in Russian.
Whether you’re a beginner or an advanced learner, Antonia’s friendly teaching style and expert guidance make learning Russian a rewarding experience.
Antonia teaches both English and Russian, so tune in to her videos if you want to explore a wide range of topics in both languages, from basic vocabulary to advanced language skills.
Russian YouTubers
12. Like Nastya
Like Nastya offers a fun and entertaining approach to learning the Russian language for children and learners of all ages.
Hosted by the charming Nastya (Anastasia Radzinskaya), a Russian-American YouTuber based in Miami, Florida, this channel features a variety of videos, including everyday scenarios, songs, and educational content.
Through engaging storytelling and colorful animation, Like Nastya provides a playful introduction to the Russian language and culture.
The child-friendly content provides a unique avenue for beginners to grasp basic Russian vocabulary and sentence structures.
With the Like Nastya YouTube channel, learning Russian becomes an enjoyable and immersive experience for the whole family.
13. Ruslan Usachev
Ruslan Usachev, with almost 3 million subscribers, is a Russian vlogger who offers a diverse range of content mainly about travel, lifestyle and news.
His channel is an excellent resource for learners seeking to learn varied everyday vocabulary.
Usachev’s clear articulation and engaging storytelling make his videos an enjoyable addition to your language learning journey.
If you love travel content, then this channel is your go-to!
14. Kate Clapp
Kate Clapp, whose real name is Katya Trofimova, is a YouTube personality based in Moscow.
Her entertaining content comprises a variety of short and humorous videos, covering diverse topics from beauty, fashion, international travels, talking about Justin Bieber and the Twilight Saga to showcasing her rap skills.
Whether you’re an intermediate or an advanced learner, Kate’s engaging content and relatable personality can make learning Russian both fun and rewarding.
Tune in to her videos to explore everyday Russian conversations, learn new vocabulary, and gain insights into Russian culture.
Science and History Russian YouTube Channels
15. Послезавтра (The Day After Tomorrow)
Послезавтра (Poslezavtra) is a relatively new YouTube channel about the developments of modern technologies.
Hosted by Nikolai Dubinin, you’ll find videos about new tech gadgets, tools, and historical events that have changed our lives or will change in the future. Suitable for intermediate to advanced learners, every video is very entertaining for a lover of new technologies.
With Послезавтра (Poslezavtra), you’ll gain the confidence and proficiency you need to communicate effectively with your Russian-speaking friends.
16. The Люди (The People)
The Люди (The People) is a YouTube channel by a Russian travel blogger and journalist Anton Lyadov, where you can watch documentary videos about the lives of people from different countries.
This channel offers valuable insights into the use of everyday Russian language with Russian subtitles available. It’s perfect for intermediate and advanced learners while watching how people live in different cities and regions of Russia.
Anton filmed videos about “how people live” in countries like North Korea, Somalia, Mongolia, Republic of Korea, UAE, Iceland, Belarus, USA, Mexico and others.
Tune in to this channel to explore everyday Russian conversations, cultural traditions, and historical insights.
With The Люди (The People) as your guide, you’ll gain a deeper understanding of Russian language and culture.
17. Другая История (Another History)
Другая История (Another Story) offers a fresh perspective on Russian history and culture through its engaging and informative videos.
Hosted by a team of experienced educators and historians, this channel covers a wide range of topics in history, from Ancient R0me, China and advances in space technologies. Whether you’re a beginner or an advanced learner, Другая История has something for everyone.
Tune in to their videos to explore the rich tapestry of Russian history, language, and culture. You can start with their “Интересные истории” (Interesting stories) playlist where they talk about historical acts from a different perspective.
More Russian YouTube Videos for Learners
Looking for more Russian YouTube videos to use in your studies? Here are some more recommendations.
Beginner
“Learn to Read and Write Russian” from RussianPod101.com (Innovative Language)
If you’re looking to learn Russian, learning the Cyrillic alphabet is an important first step. It will provide you with the groundwork you need for more advanced learning.
This is actually a video playlist that starts out with easy letters that look and sound similar in both the Cyrillic and Roman alphabets. Watch all the videos in the playlist, and you’ll be well on your way to mastering the Cyrillic alphabet for good.
“Learn Russian Lesson 1” from Babel Yak
In this video, Babel Yak shares basic Russian phrases.
Since the video offers both the written and spoken English and Russian phrases along with a Russian pronunciation guide, it’s a great tool for beginning speakers. Learning phrases can be very motivating since the practical nature of being able to use them makes your progress more obvious. Additionally, these phrases will help you remember important vocabulary you can use in various ways in the future.
“Learn Russian: Common Words” from LearnRussianTV
This video contains common words in the Russian language, so it’s a great starting point for when you’re ready to start building your vocabulary.
The speaker speaks very slowly and clearly, so her pronunciation is easy to understand. There’s plenty of time to repeat what she’s saying, too, which is great for your pronunciation practice.
Furthermore, the spoken words are accompanied by the Russian words and their pronunciations, so you can link the spoken and written versions in your mind.
“Russian 101 – Common Words & Phrases” from The Travel Linguist
While this video is geared mostly at travelers, it’s a useful video for anyone looking to learn a few helpful phrases quickly.
It offers common phrases travelers may use along with their Russian equivalents and a helpful pronunciation guide.
Intermediate
“Story in Russian About a Clever Boy” from Learn Russian Easily
As you might have guessed, in this video, the speaker shares a story about a clever boy in Russian. Unless you use auto-translate, there are no English translations, so it’s a good test for your listening skills.
Attempting to follow this video is an approachable listening activity for intermediate speakers. The storyteller speaks very slowly and clearly, and she is very animated, making the story easier to follow.
“Learn How to Use All Six Russian Cases” from Learn Russian Language
If you’re an intermediate-level learner, chances are the Russian case system has already given you a headache more than once. But it doesn’t have to be so frustrating! This video is a great way to practice the cases and see them in action.
This video has a lot going for it: First of all, Russian text appears throughout, so you get to both see and hear how the case system works. You’ll also see the context in which different cases are used. Finally, the speaker does an excellent job of repeating herself and using gestures to help reinforce learning.
In essence, this video is a helpful tool to assist you in nailing down one of the most challenging aspects of the Russian language.
Advanced
“Advanced Russian – Idiomatic Expressions” from Key2Russian
This lesson focuses on idiomatic expressions. Idiomatic expressions are informal expressions that don’t translate literally, so they can be a bit tricky when learning a language.
Nonetheless, idiomatic expressions are common and important if you want to understand Russian in and out, so this lesson is a great jumping-off point to get you started on the road to full fluency.
This video offers spoken Russian in addition to the written words to help reinforce your learning.
“Advanced Russian – Russian Colloquial Verbs” from Key2Russian
Like idiomatic expressions, colloquialisms are informal terms. This lesson focuses on colloquial verbs that do not translate literally.
You’ll see the text and hear it spoken, which will help you commit these unique words to memory. Additionally, the examples provide useful context for when you might need to use these colloquialisms.
“Listen to an Interesting Story in Russian” from Learn Russian Easily
This brief story about family meals uses some more advanced language. It’s a good option for advanced learners looking to cement their learning and perfect their pronunciation by listening to a native speaker.
The speaker speaks quite clearly and precisely, which will help ensure you know how to pronounce the words correctly.
Russian YouTube videos are both entertaining and conveniently short, so they’re great for beginners, intermediate, and advanced learners diving into the language.
So, the next time you’re looking to perfect your Russian—or take a break from that language textbook—look no further than your favorite Russian YouTube channel to help you practice speaking 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)
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.
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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.
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