RussianCast

Listen to this episode to find out why New Year in Russia is a bigger holiday than Christmas. Transcript and extras: https://russiancast.ru/podcast-season4-episode3/ Subscribe to support and get access to extra materials: https://russiancast.ru/subscribe/

This episode features an overview of the Russian language including a brief history and some general facts about the language. This will help you learn or revise some vocabulary that is used to describe a language. Transcript and extras: https://russiancast.ru/podcast-season4-episode2/ Subscribe to support and get access to extra materials: https://russiancast.ru/subscribe/

In this episode, I tell a brief history of my home town, Saint Petersburg, the second largest Russian city. I mention a few key events in the history of the city – this will help you learn or revise how to say in Russian in what year something happened. Also notice that I sometimes switch from the Past Tense to the Present Tense, although referring to the bygone events. Transcript and extras: https://russiancast.ru/podcast-season4-episode1/ Subscribe to support and get access to extra materials: https://russiancast.ru/subscribe/

This episode features a short story about Kate. An American living in St. Petersburg, she isn't quite used to local transport modes, which ruins her day. The story features some verbs of motion and some of transport vocabulary. Transcript and extras: https://russiancast.ru/podcast-season3-episode12/ Subscribe to support and get access to extra materials: https://russiancast.ru/subscribe/ Take a quiz on the episode and get a 30% discount on your first subscription: https://russiancast.ru/quiz/quiz-bad-day/

In this episode, I'm telling you about my regular day. This story will help you learn or revise some Russian daily routine imperfective verbs such as 'вставать', 'принимать душ', 'завтракать', 'обедать', 'включать компьютер' and some time vocabulary. Transcript and extras: https://russiancast.ru/podcast-season3-episode11/ Subscribe to support and get access to extra materials: https://russiancast.ru/subscribe/ Take a quiz on the episode and get a 30% discount on your first subscription: https://russiancast.ru/quiz/quiz-my-day/

In this episode you'll hear a story about Dima who goes to a pet shop to buy a parrot. The pricing policy surprises him a lot. Which parrot will he choose? Transcript and extras: https://russiancast.ru/podcast-season3-episode10/ Subscribe to support and get access to extra materials: https://russiancast.ru/subscribe/ Take a quiz on the episode and get a 30% discount on your first subscription: https://russiancast.ru/quiz/quiz-silence/

This episode of RussianCast features a short story about Vanya who went to the shop to buy bread, but bought beer instead. He blames the person who stood at the shop entrance and measured his temperature using an electronic thermometer. Transcript and extras: https://russiancast.ru/podcast-season3-episode9/ Subscribe to support and get access to extra materials: https://russiancast.ru/subscribe/ Take a quiz on the episode and get a 30% discount on your first subscription: https://russiancast.ru/quiz/quiz-prescription/

This episode features a presumably funny short story about a doctor's bad handwriting. Do doctors always have problems with handwriting? Have you ever had trouble reading doctors' handwriting? Share in comments on russiancast.ru. Transcript and extras: https://russiancast.ru/podcast-season3-episode8/ Subscribe to support and get access to extra materials: https://russiancast.ru/subscribe/ Take a quiz on the episode and get a 30% discount on your first subscription: https://russiancast.ru/quiz/quiz-prescription/

This episode features a short story about three men who found themselves on a desert island. What do they do to escape? Listen to the episode to find out. Transcript and extras: https://russiancast.ru/podcast-season3-episode7/ Subscribe to support and get access to extra materials: https://russiancast.ru/subscribe/ Take a quiz on the episode and get a 30% discount on your first subscription: https://russiancast.ru/quiz/quiz-island/

This episode features a short story that took place in a bar. A man came into a bar in the morning and did something absolutely unexpected for the bartender. Listen to find out what surprised the bartender. Visit russiancast.ru to see the transcript. Find extra materials on the website: a longer audio including comments on some vocabulary, grammar notes, exercises on the episode to check your understanding and learn new vocabulary and grammar, PDF, Russian/English glossary Transcript and extras: https://russiancast.ru/podcast-season3-episode6/ Subscribe to support and get access to extra materials: https://russiancast.ru/subscribe/ Take a quiz on the episode and get a 30% discount on your first subscription: https://russiancast.ru/quiz/quiz-bar/

This episode features a short story about a young artist whose painting caught attention of a collector. The collector visited the artist's workshop and found a piece of work that he really liked. The story includes some vocabulary related to arts and painting. The full version of the episode features a story with the dialogue changed into indirect speech. It also includes a PDF file with the transcript, comments on some vocabulary, grammar notes, exercises on changing general questions into indirect questions using the conjunction 'ли', and a Russian/English glossary. Transcript and extras: https://russiancast.ru/podcast-season3-episode5/ Subscribe to support and get access to extra materials: https://russiancast.ru/subscribe/

This episode features a short story about someone who is looking for a new job. The vocabulary includes Russian terms for 'job offer', 'interview', 'reference letter', etc. The grammar notes in the full version include explain the use of sentences such as 'Ему задают вопросы.' The full version for subscribers include a longer audio, PDF download, grammar notes, exercises on the episode, and a Russian/English glossary. Transcript: https://russiancast.ru/podcast-season3-episode4/ Subscribe to support and get access to extra materials: https://russiancast.ru/subscribe/

This episode of RussianCast features a short, presumably, funny story about the importance of being attentive. Imagine that your hotel room is on the 50th floor, but the lifts are out of order and you have to walk upstairs after a long busy day in a big city. How would you entertain yourself while climbing up those stairs? The story features some verbs of motion, such as 'поехать', 'ходить', 'прийти', 'дойти', and some other 'motion' vocabulary. Transcript: https://russiancast.ru/podcast-season3-episode3/ Subscribe to support and get access to extra materials: https://russiancast.ru/subscribe/

How do you say 'Happy Birthday' in Russian? Listen to this short simple story about Lena's birthday to learn new vocabulary. Listening to podcasts with transcripts is a good way to improve your understanding and listening skills. You can try listening without reading the text, if you don't understand something, take a look at the transcript. The transcript is available on https://russiancast.ru/podcast-season3-episode2. If you like RussianCast, you can support it by buying a monthly subscription. Subscribers get longer audios, grammar notes, Russian/English glossaries, and PDF downloads. Visit https://russiancast.ru/ and find out the details.

What is the best method to learn Russian? Learning grammar and doing exercises or regular talking to native speakers without doing any studies? Listen to a simple short story about John and James who use the two strategies and think which one is better. Leave a comment. Transcript and extra materials: https://russiancast.ru/podcast-season3-episode1/ Extra materials for Subscribers include: the same story from a different perspective, comments on vocabulary, grammar notes, Russian/English glossary.

As a thanks for your support, dear Subscribers, I'm going to add extra episodes that will help you go through some difficult areas of Russian grammar and vocabulary. These episodes are only available to Subscribers. In this extra episode, you're going to learn how to say dates in Russian. What's the Russian for 'date' How do you say 'it's the 1st of January' vs 'on the 1st of January?' To find the answers, please, listen to the recording, and if you need, read the transcript.

This episode features a simple story about my working day. Some basic everyday life vocabulary related is used. The full version includes the story from a different perspective and comments on some vocabulary, as well as other extra materials. The transcript is available on russiancast.ru. Visit russiancast.ru to listen to the full version of the episode and to find other extra materials: PDF downloads, grammar notes, and Russian/English vocabulary. If you like RussianCast and want to support it, you can buy a subscription here: https://russiancast.ru/subscribe/

This episode features features a story about Dima who is going to a museum. The story contains some verbs of motion 'заходить', 'ходить', 'идти' and some other vocabulary related to visiting a museum. The transcript is available on russiancast.ru. The full version includes the same story from Dima's perspective, comments on some vocabulary including the stress of the verb 'находиться' and pronunciation of '-ться' and '-тся', as well as brief grammar notes, and a Russian/English glossary. What about you? Do you like museums? What is you favourite museum? Leave a comment!

In Russia, New Year holidays last for 8-10 days. It's a great time to visit your friends and family. This podcast episode features a story about Katya and Kolya who are visiting their friends. The story features verbs of motion in set expressions with 'гости': 'идти в гости', 'ходить в гости'. The other featured verbs are 'подходить' and 'заходить'. Visit russiancast.ru to see the transcript. The full version of this episode is available on russiancast.ru and includes comments on those verbs and the same story from a different perspective, as well as grammar notes on the usage of the word 'гости' and a Russian/English glossary.

New Year is the largest holiday in Russia. It plays the same role in the Russian culture as does Christmas in Europe, America and the rest of the Christian world. In this episode, you'll hear a story about a Russian family celebrating New Year. You'll learn about some of the dishes that are typically found on the New Year table,  and learn the vocabulary related to the celebration, decorations. The comments include information on New Year in Russia. Visit russiancast.ru to find the transcript. The full version for Subscribers features a brief history of New Year vs Christmas in Russia and other comments on the audio, and grammar notes on dates in Russian. 

Holidays are coming! Anya who has a big family wants to buy presents for everyone. She goes to shops and buys presents online. The story is narrated in the present tense using imperfective verbs, one of the alternative versions (see full version) features perfective verbs in the past tense which imply the implementation of Anya's plan. Some verbs of motion are also used. The transcript is available on russiancast.ru. If you want to share where you do your New Year/Christmas shopping, please leave a comment on russiancast.ru!

In this episode, you'll hear a short story about Yulya who's got a cold. The story features some health vocabulary such as 'простудиться', 'заболеть', 'мерить температуру'. The story is read twice: slowly and at a regular speaking speed. The full version of Subscribers includes the same story from a different perspective and comments on some vocabulary. The grammar notes include two homonyms: болеть I 'feel ill'; II 'cause pain'. Visit russiancast.ru to see the transcript and extra materials.

In this episode, you'll hear a story about Oleg who is making the Olivier salad (aka ‘Russian salad' abroad), one of the most famous and popular dishes of the Russian cuisine. The store features some vocabulary that is used when we talk about cooking, such as ‘нарезать', ‘отварить', etc., which may be useful for learners of all levels. Visit russiancast.ru to see the transcript. The full version for subscribers includes comments on this vocabulary as well as on some differences in Olivier recipes.

In this episode you'll hear a short story about Ilya and Alyona who are going to the cinema to watch a film. The story features some related vocabulary, such as 'фильм', 'зал', 'касса' and the motion verb 'идти' when talking about films. Find the transcript on russiancast.ru. The full version for Subscribers includes two variations of story, comments on some vocabulary, grammar notes, a Russian/English glossary , and a PDF download.

This time I'm telling you a story about Olya who you might remember from episode 4 of season 1 (Оля работает в офисе). This time Olya is going to a cafe to have lunch. Verbs of motion such as переходить 'переходить', 'заходить' are used. Visit russiancast.ru to see the transcript. The full version for Subscribers is available on russiancast.ru and includes the same story from Olya's perspective and in the Past Tense; comments on some vocabulary including the verbs of motion and the use of 'пойти' in the past to talk about a sequence of events. The full text includes grammar tables with some verbs and a Russian/English glossary.

This episode features a short story about Dima who is buying a new car. The story is read twice: slowly and at a regular speaking speed. The transcript is available on russiancast.ru. Visit russiancast.ru to find the full version of the episode which includes the same story rendered in the Past Tense and from Dima's point of view.

In this episode of the podcast for Russian learners, I'm telling a short story about Vanya and Lena who are going for a walk. The story features some verbs of motion such as 'xодить', 'гулять', 'доходить', 'идти гулять'. Comments on those are provided in the full version of the episode available to Subscribers. The full version also includes the story rendered in the Past Tense and from Vanya's perspective. Visit russiancast.ru to see the transcript and get access to the full version of this episode.

Listen to the story about Anya and Lena who go to the library to read for their exam. This story features some vocabulary related to the library, including some verbs of motion. The transcript and the full version of the episode are available on russiancast.ru. The full version includes: more audio and text, PDF, grammar notes, and a Russian/English glossary.

This episode of the Russian Language podcast features a short story about a Russian couple who do their food shopping every Saturday. The story is read slowly and at a regular speaking speed. Comments on some vocabulary are provided. Visit russiancast.ru to see the text. The full version for Subscribers includes variations of this story, grammar notes, a Russian/English glossary, and a PDF download.

This episode features a story about Sasha who tidies his flat every Saturday. The episode includes some vocabulary related to cleaning and washing. The transcript is available on russiancast.ru. The full version for subscribers includes extra audios and comments on grammar such as the usage of some perfective verbs in the Past Tense in a specific context. Buy a subscription on russiancast.ru to enjoy extra materials and bonuses for subscribers.

Do you know any Russian names? What does a Russian name consist of? In this episode of the Russian language podcast, you'll learn what are the essential three parts of any Russian name. You'll find out what the patronymic is. Visit russiancast.ru to read the transcript. On russiancast.ru, you can also get a subscription and learn how patronymics are formed and when they're used. The extra materials of this episode include some examples of Russian full and short names with correct stresses.

This podcast episode features a short story about Dima's morning routine. You'll learn Russian equivalents of ‘wake up', ‘get up', ‘have breakfast', and some other morning vocabulary. The transcript is available on russiancast.ru. On the website, you can listen to the same story in the Past Tense and from Dima's perspective. Visit russiancast.ru and become a subscriber to support RussianCast. Subscribers get access to extra materials such as extra audios and transcripts, PDF downloads, quizzes to check your understanding, grammar notes, and English-Russian glossaries for each episode. 

This extra episode features the names of the days of the week, and examples of how to use them in simple sentences. What's the Russian for 'on Monday' or 'I went shopping last Tuesday'? How do we pronounce the preposition в in в понедельник and в воскресенье? Is the pronunciation the same or different? If you want to find the answers, please visit russiancast.ru. The full version of this episode is available to Subscribers. On the website you can become a subscriber to support RussianCast and get access to full versions of every episode.

Do you know what the question Как дела? really means and how it's different from the English 'How are you doing?' This episode features a short story with an example of how this phrase may be used in real life and provides a detailed comment on its meaning and usage. Visit russiancast.ru to find the transcript and additional materials where you can learn when it's not appropriate to ask this question, and what are possible different variations of Как дела?

In this episode, I'm telling a short story about Marina who is going to the shopping mall to buy a new dress and new shoes. The story is read slowly and at a regular speaking speed. Comments to some vocabulary are provided, including the verb 'сходить'. Visit russiancast.ru to find the transcript and the full version of the episode including a quiz on the episode content, extra audio, PDF, grammar notes, and an English-Russian glossary.

This episode features a short story about Olya who is going to visit her parents at their dacha. The story is read slowly and at a regular speaking speed. Comments on some vocabulary are provided, including the word 'dacha'. Some verbs of motion are used and discussed. Visit russiancast.ru to find the transcript and the full version of the episode including extra audio, PDF, grammar notes, and an English-Russian glossary is available on russiancast.ru. On the website you can buy a subscription to support RussianCast and get access to extra materials.

In this episode, you'll hear a short story about a regular evening of Zhenya. The story features some daily routine vocabulary. The story is read slowly and at a regular speaking speed. Comments on some vocabulary is provided. Visit russiancast.ru to find the transcript and the full version of the episode including extra audio, PDF, grammar notes, and an English-Russian glossary. On the website you can buy a subscription to support RussianCast and get access to the extra materials.

This episode features a short story about Olya who works at the office. She goes to the office every day. The story is read slowly and then at a regular speaking speed. Some verbs of motion are used and discussed. Visit russiancast.ru to find the transcript and the full version of the episode including extra audio, PDF, grammar notes, and an English-Russian glossary is available on russiancast.ru.

This episode features a short story about Alex who lives in Russia and works as an engineer at a factory. He learns Russian and has a lot of Russian friends. The story is read slowly and then at a regular speaking speed. The transcript is available on russiancast.ru as is the full version of the episode including extra audio, PDF, grammar notes, and an English-Russian glossary.

In this episode of this podcast for Russian learners, I'm telling you a short story about Lena who is reading a book. The story is read slowly and then at a regular speaking speed. Comments on some vocabulary are provided. The transcript of this episode is available on russiancast.ru as is the full version, including a quiz to check your understanding, extra audio, PDF, grammar notes, and an English-Russian glossary.

In this episode of the podcast for Russian learners, I'm telling you a short story about John who learns Russian and plans on visiting Russia one day. The story is read slowly and then at a regular speaking speed. Comments on the names of some nationalities are provided. Please, visit russiancast.ru to find the transcript of this episode and the full version, including a quiz to check your understanding, extra audio, PDF, grammar notes, and an English-Russian glossary.