What to watch to learn Russian
Everything 4 working Russian teachers told us they would actually put in front of a learner, with a note on why each one works and the level it suits.
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Recommendations
4
Teachers
Picked by
Lidia teaches Russian as a foreign language on her channel Easy Russian Practice. Her picks run from simple cartoons to feature films, documentaries and educational channels, sorted from the most beginner-friendly to the most advanced.
See Lidia Pyzhik’s picks
12 месяцев (The Twelve Months)
A classic Soviet fairy tale about a girl who meets the twelve months of the year. The clear storytelling voice makes it a lovely, gentle step up for beginners.
Beginner
38 попугаев (38 Parrots)
Four animal friends play with language and simple ideas in these short, funny episodes. The clear speech and gentle jokes are perfect for building first vocabulary.
Beginner
Бобик в гостях у Барбоса (Bobik Visiting Barbos)
Two funny dogs make a happy mess of their owner's home in this short Soviet classic. The clear, playful speech is easy to enjoy even as a beginner.
Beginner
Весёлая карусель (Merry-Go-Round)
A long-running collection of short, playful animated pieces built on rhymes and songs. The bite-sized format is friendly for beginners who want quick, simple listening.
Beginner
Ёжик в тумане (Hedgehog in the Fog)
A dreamy, world-famous short about a little hedgehog lost in the fog. There are few words and slow, gentle narration, so beginners can relax and just absorb the sound of Russian.
Beginner
Ералаш (Yeralash)
A famous comedy show of short funny sketches with children. Each scene is only a few minutes long, so you can pick up everyday spoken phrases in small doses.
Beginner
Каникулы в Простоквашино (Vacations in Prostokvashino)
A boy, a talking cat and a dog share cozy country adventures in this treasured Soviet series. The warm voices and short episodes are great for early listening practice.
Beginner
Колобок (Kolobok)
The classic folk tale of a little round loaf who rolls away from everyone. The repeating song and simple sentences are a lovely first taste of Russian storytelling.
Beginner
Кот в сапогах (Puss in Boots)
The Soviet 1968 take on the famous fairy tale, with a clever cat who wins his master a fortune. A familiar story helps beginners follow the simple Russian dialogue.
Beginner
Котёнок по имени Гав (A Kitten Named Woof)
A curious kitten and his puppy friend get into small adventures in these short Soviet cartoons. Simple dialogue and lots of repetition make it ideal for your first words.
Beginner
Малышарики (BabyRiki)
A gentle CGI series for the very youngest viewers, with short episodes and simple, repeated words. Perfect for hearing your first Russian phrases at a slow, clear pace.
Beginner
Маша и Медведь (Masha and the Bear)
One of the most watched cartoons in the world, full of everyday speech and playful little Masha. The clear voices and simple stories make it a friendly first listen for beginners.
Beginner
Приключения пингвинёнка Лоло (The Adventures of Lolo the Penguin)
A curious baby penguin explores the Antarctic in this warm Soviet-Japanese film. The calm narration and clear story make it easy and enjoyable for beginners.
Beginner
Три кота (Kid-E-Cats)
Three kitten siblings solve small everyday problems in short, calm episodes. Great for learning basic family and home vocabulary without any rush.
Beginner
Фиксики (The Fixies)
Tiny helpers who live inside gadgets explain how things work in short, upbeat episodes. The clear speech and simple topics make it easy for early learners to follow.
Beginner
Чебурашка (Cheburashka)
A beloved Soviet classic about a sweet, big-eared creature and his friends. The slow, warm narration and famous songs give beginners a gentle taste of real Russian.
Beginner
Бриллиантовая рука (The Diamond Arm)
One of the most quoted Soviet comedies, about an ordinary man caught up with smugglers. Its famous lines are a fun, memorable way to pick up spoken Russian.
Beginner-Intermediate
Джентльмены удачи (Gentlemen of Fortune)
A gentle crime comedy where a kind teacher poses as a criminal boss. It is full of famous lines and a nice mix of everyday and slangy Russian.
Beginner-Intermediate
Кавказская пленница (Kidnapping, Caucasian Style)
A classic Soviet comedy packed with famous jokes and songs. The lively, clear dialogue and physical humor make it a fun way to hear everyday Russian.
Beginner-Intermediate
Любовь и голуби (Love and Pigeons)
A warm, funny film about a village family and their ups and downs. The natural, homey speech gives learners a real feel for everyday Russian conversation.
Beginner-Intermediate
Операция Ы (Operation Y and Shurik's Other Adventures)
A beloved Soviet slapstick comedy that almost everyone in Russia can quote. The visual humor carries the story, so you can enjoy it while your Russian grows.
Beginner-Intermediate
Питер FM (Piter FM)
A light modern romance set in St. Petersburg, with easy everyday city dialogue. A gentle, feel-good film for learners ready for real, natural speech.
Beginner-Intermediate
Телекурс РКИ (Russian as a Foreign Language TV Course)
A structured TV course made for people learning Russian as a foreign language. It walks you through grammar and everyday situations at a clear, teacher-led pace.
Beginner-Intermediate
TED Talks на русском (TED Talks in Russian)
Popular TED talks in Russian on ideas, science and life. Short, focused, and often subtitled, they are ideal for intermediate listening practice.
Intermediate
The Люди (The Lyudi)
Anton Lyadov's reportage from unusual places and closed countries. The lively, on-the-ground speech is engaging listening practice for intermediate learners.
Intermediate
Адмиралъ (Admiral)
A sweeping historical drama about Admiral Kolchak during the revolution and civil war. Good for intermediate learners who enjoy history alongside their listening practice.
Intermediate
Анна Герман (Anna German)
A biographical drama series about the famous Polish-Soviet singer. The slower, emotional dialogue across many episodes is good for steady intermediate practice.
Intermediate
Арзамас (Arzamas)
A respected educational channel with lectures on history, literature and the arts. Great for intermediate learners who want to grow their vocabulary through real content.
Intermediate
Белое солнце пустыни (White Sun of the Desert)
A cult Soviet adventure film full of famous quotes and songs. It gives you memorable phrases and a taste of a movie every Russian speaker knows.
Intermediate
Возвращение (The Return)
An award-winning, quiet drama about two boys and their returning father. The sparse, careful dialogue lets intermediate learners really focus on each line.
Intermediate
Все умрут, а я останусь (Everybody Dies but Me)
A raw drama about teenage girls and their world. The natural, current teen speech is authentic and useful, though note it deals with heavy themes.
Intermediate
Ирония судьбы (The Irony of Fate)
The New Year film every Russian family watches, about a mix-up that leads to romance. Knowing it gives you both good listening practice and a shared cultural touchstone.
Intermediate
Кухня (Kitchen)
A popular sitcom set in a busy Moscow restaurant, with fast, natural dialogue. Its many short episodes let you soak up modern conversational Russian and workplace slang.
Intermediate
Настоящее время (Current Time)
A Russian-language news and reportage network with clear broadcast speech. Good for learners who want to practice with real, current-affairs Russian.
Intermediate
ПостНаука (PostNauka)
Short talks where scientists explain their fields in plain terms. A great way to learn Russian while picking up interesting ideas across many topics.
Intermediate
Призрак (Ghost)
A modern family comedy about a boy who teams up with a ghost. The contemporary, everyday speech is great for learners ready for real spoken Russian.
Intermediate
Редакция (Redaktsiya)
Alexey Pivovarov's channel of modern news reports and documentaries. The current, journalistic Russian is authentic and keeps you up to date.
Intermediate
Рождённые в СССР (Born in the USSR)
A documentary series that revisits the same people every seven years across the former USSR. Real interviews give you authentic speech and a moving look at Russian life.
Intermediate
Русские грузины (Russian Georgians)
A polished documentary by Leonid Parfenov about Georgians in Russian history and culture. His clear, engaging narration is excellent listening practice for intermediate learners.
Intermediate
Русские евреи (Russian Jews)
Leonid Parfenov's documentary series on Jews in Russian history and culture. The crisp, well-paced narration makes it a rich source of real, educated Russian.
Intermediate
Сибирский цирюльник (The Barber of Siberia)
A grand historical romance set in Imperial Russia. The rich language and long runtime give committed learners plenty of authentic Russian to enjoy.
Intermediate
Служебный роман (Office Romance)
A witty Soviet romantic comedy set in a Moscow office. The sharp, everyday dialogue is a great workout for intermediate listeners.
Intermediate
Стиляги (Hipsters)
A colorful musical about rebellious young jazz fans in 1950s Moscow. The songs and lively dialogue make listening fun while you meet a piece of Soviet history.
Intermediate
Тамара Эйдельман (Tamara Eidelman)
A beloved history teacher who explains the past in a clear, storytelling way. Her calm, careful Russian is very approachable for intermediate listeners.
Intermediate
Хочу домой (Hochu Domoy)
Documentary travel stories about real people living in extraordinary conditions. The natural narration and interviews give you rich, authentic Russian to grow with.
Intermediate
30 лет без СССР (30 Years Without the USSR)
Ilya Varlamov's series on how former Soviet republics have lived since independence. The fast, opinion-rich narration is a strong challenge for advanced listeners.
Intermediate-Advanced
Движение вверх (Going Vertical)
A gripping film about the Soviet basketball team's famous Olympic win. The energetic, natural speech is a good challenge for upper-intermediate listeners.
Intermediate-Advanced
Красная королева (The Red Queen)
A stylish drama series about the first Soviet fashion model. The dialogue-rich episodes give advanced learners plenty of nuanced, real Russian to work through.
Intermediate-Advanced
Легенда №17 (Legend No. 17)
An inspiring sports drama about a legendary Soviet hockey player. The faster, emotional dialogue suits confident learners ready for a real feature film.
Intermediate-Advanced
Picked by
I'm a teacher and researcher at MnemoLing, and the question I keep coming back to is memory: why some words and phrases stick after a single exposure, while others slip away no matter how many times you review them. That's the thread running through this whole list. I didn't just pick things that are 'good level-appropriate content', I picked things that give your memory something to actually hold onto: repetition and rhythm, a story with real stakes, a joke you have to work for, a scene you already half-know from your own life. I've sorted my picks by level, from the very first Russian words you'll ever hear to material a confident, near-fluent listener can enjoy purely for its own sake, because what makes something memorable changes as you grow. Early on, it's repetition and melody doing the work. Later, it's plot, humor, and genuine curiosity about what happens next. Work through a few at your level, notice what actually stays with you without effort, and lean into more of that. That feeling is the method.
See Anna Moravskaya’s picks
Jurussia Учим русский
A structured beginner course that walks through the Russian alphabet, sounds, and first phrases at an unhurried pace, a solid place to build your very first foothold in the language.
Beginner
Live Russian
Short videos built around everyday situations rather than isolated vocabulary lists, plus original songs that turn verb conjugations into something you can hum along to.
Beginner
Russian with Nastya
A certified teacher's channel built around a clear, step-by-step course structure, with patient explanations that suit absolute beginners.
Beginner
Russisch in Häppchen
Bite-sized vocabulary videos built around mnemonic devices and a bit of humor, taught in German rather than English, a good fit if German is one of your working languages.
Beginner
Hey Russian
Real Russian stories set in everyday scenes, a café, a metro ride, a market, so new vocabulary arrives attached to a place and a moment instead of a bare list.
Beginner-Intermediate
Learning Russian the Natural Way
Short, comprehensible stories built for natural acquisition rather than grammar drills, meant for learners ready to move from single words to full sentences.
Beginner-Intermediate
Sergey Storyteller
Simple, comprehensible stories told slowly and clearly, using the same input-based approach that lets grammar sink in naturally instead of through memorized rules.
Beginner-Intermediate
Dubbed Russian Songs
Familiar international hits rewritten and sung in Russian, a fun way to notice how meaning and rhythm shift between languages.
Intermediate
Learn Russian with Music
Popular Russian songs broken down line by line with translations, letting the melody do some of the memory work for you.
Intermediate
Learn Russian with Songs
Another song-based channel pairing lyrics with translation, useful for building vocabulary you'll actually recognize when you hear it playing in real life.
Intermediate
Russian Radio Show
Short news stories adapted for learners and read at a measured pace, with full transcripts available, a solid way to build listening stamina.
Intermediate
Русский, блин! (Russian, Blin!)
A relaxed podcast where a Russian teacher talks through everyday topics, mentality, slang, proverbs, at a natural pace, good listening stamina practice once you can follow a conversation without subtitles.
Intermediate
вДудь (vDud)
Long-form, unscripted interviews with well-known Russian-speaking figures, real, unrehearsed speech at a pace upper-intermediate learners can start following.
Intermediate-Advanced
Ёлки (Yolki)
A cozy New Year's Eve comedy told through interconnected stories across Russia, one of the most-watched Russian films of its year and a good cultural touchstone.
Intermediate-Advanced
О чём говорят мужчины (What Men Talk About)
A witty road-trip comedy built almost entirely on dialogue between four friends, great for picking up natural conversational rhythm and everyday phrasing.
Intermediate-Advanced
Сатисфакция (Satisfaction)
A film built almost entirely on one long, prickly conversation between two men over a bottle, with Evgeny Grishkovets doing much of the talking, unhurried, dialogue-dense material for close listening.
Intermediate-Advanced
Stand-Up Club #1
Unfiltered Russian stand-up comedy, wordplay, cultural references, and fast delivery make this a genuine test of advanced comprehension.
Advanced
Мастер и Маргарита (The Master and Margarita)
Vladimir Bortko's 2005 series, the adaptation that stays closest to Bulgakov's text, with dense literary dialogue that rewards learners who already have a strong handle on the language.
Advanced
Трудные подростки (Troubled Teens)
A drama series about a disgraced athlete turned mentor to at-risk teenagers, fast, contemporary speech and slang for advanced learners.
Advanced
Picked by
I'm Daria. I founded Etudoma, a Russian school in France, and I've been teaching Russian to French speakers for over twelve years — first at the University of Bordeaux, now in my own school. Most of my students already have the basics and are stuck on the A2–B1 plateau, so we work on the things nobody taught them at university: paying a compliment, saying how something actually made you feel, picking apart a friend's outfit, arguing about overconsumption. And we do all of it with real material — short videos and clips, films, series, articles, comments on Instagram. Everything here is what I actually put in front of them.
See Daria Accot-Kuntsevich’s picks
Твои сибирские каникулы (Your Siberian Holidays)
A free Russian course from teachers at the Siberian Federal University in Krasnoyarsk, with grammar, vocabulary and video about Siberia and Russian culture. A good choice if you want material built for learners from the start.
Beginner
Про Миру и Гошу (Mira and Gosha)
Short cartoons about the everyday life of one family, made with psychologists on the team. They will help you talk about your feelings — and perhaps understand them.
Beginner-Intermediate
Встретимся вчера (Meet Me Yesterday)
A couple on the edge of divorce get stuck in a time loop, so it is full of arguments, accusations, apologies and making up. The best film here for the language of relationships and emotions — and I have built a free seven-day lesson around clips from it.
Intermediate
Нежность (Tenderness)
A short film about a woman who climbed the career ladder and missed the stops marked friends, family and love. Under twenty minutes, so you can watch it several times over — which is exactly how I would have you use it.
Intermediate
Питер FM (Piter FM)
A light romantic comedy built almost entirely out of everyday conversation, set in St Petersburg. Great for hearing how people really talk about work, relationships and plans for their lives.
Intermediate
Серебряные коньки (Silver Skates)
A love story on the frozen canals of St Petersburg at the turn of the twentieth century, all balls, ice and big decisions. It opens up the "Russian Venice" under the ice, and plenty of talk about following expectations or your own dreams.
Intermediate
Чернильное море (Ink Sea)
A young sailor writes letters to the father he has not seen since childhood, and one day an answer arrives. Good material for working on emotions, memories and telling the story of something that happened.
Intermediate
Кококо (Kokoko)
Two women from completely different worlds end up sharing a flat in St Petersburg, and they speak completely differently. It is the best film here for hearing registers, intonation and vocabulary sitting side by side.
Intermediate-Advanced
Транссиб (Trans-Siberian: Moscow to Vladivostok)
A film-length journey along the whole Trans-Siberian line, with the passengers and the crew doing the talking. Perfect if you love travel and want to hear many different voices, stories and regions of Russia.
Intermediate-Advanced
Седа Каспарова (Seda Kasparova)
A voice and public-speaking coach, and I recommend her less for learning Russian than for hearing what good Russian sounds like. Take a short fragment, listen to it several times, and shadow it.
Advanced
Француз (The Frenchman)
A French student arrives in 1957 Moscow, and the film puts language, history and Soviet culture in one place. Good practice for explaining who you are, where you came from and what you do — to a KGB officer.
Advanced
Picked by
My top three Russian TV shows of the last decade — all native-level, so watch them with subtitles.
See Maria Vance’s picks
Ivanovy-Ivanovy (Ивановы-Ивановы)
A popular sitcom about two families who learn their sons were switched at birth in the hospital, and have to navigate the fallout together.
Intermediate-Advanced
Chiki (Чики)
A critically acclaimed drama about four friends with troubled pasts who try to leave their old lives behind and start a legitimate business.
Advanced
The Boy's Word: Blood on the Asphalt (Слово пацана)
A gripping crime drama set in the turbulent 1990s, following a young man pulled into the world of street gangs where respect comes at a devastating price.
Advanced
Frequently asked
What can I watch to learn Russian?
Lidia Pyzhik of Easy Russian Practice recommends 12 месяцев (The Twelve Months), 38 попугаев (38 Parrots), Бобик в гостях у Барбоса (Bobik Visiting Barbos) and Весёлая карусель (Merry-Go-Round), 82 teacher-chosen picks in total. Each links out to where you can watch or listen, with a note on the right learner level.
What shows can I watch on Netflix and Amazon Prime to learn Russian?
Lidia Pyzhik, who teaches Russian at Easy Russian Practice, recommends 12 месяцев (The Twelve Months), 38 попугаев (38 Parrots), Бобик в гостях у Барбоса (Bobik Visiting Barbos), Весёлая карусель (Merry-Go-Round), Ёжик в тумане (Hedgehog in the Fog), Ералаш (Yeralash), Каникулы в Простоквашино (Vacations in Prostokvashino), Колобок (Kolobok), Кот в сапогах (Puss in Boots), Котёнок по имени Гав (A Kitten Named Woof), Малышарики (BabyRiki), Маша и Медведь (Masha and the Bear), Приключения пингвинёнка Лоло (The Adventures of Lolo the Penguin), Три кота (Kid-E-Cats), Фиксики (The Fixies), Чебурашка (Cheburashka), Бриллиантовая рука (The Diamond Arm), Джентльмены удачи (Gentlemen of Fortune), Кавказская пленница (Kidnapping, Caucasian Style), Любовь и голуби (Love and Pigeons), Операция Ы (Operation Y and Shurik's Other Adventures), Питер FM (Piter FM), Адмиралъ (Admiral), Анна Герман (Anna German), Белое солнце пустыни (White Sun of the Desert), Возвращение (The Return), Все умрут, а я останусь (Everybody Dies but Me), Ирония судьбы (The Irony of Fate), Кухня (Kitchen), Призрак (Ghost), Сибирский цирюльник (The Barber of Siberia), Служебный роман (Office Romance), Стиляги (Hipsters), Движение вверх (Going Vertical), Красная королева (The Red Queen) and Легенда №17 (Legend No. 17). Anna Moravskaya, who teaches Russian at MnemoLing, recommends Ёлки (Yolki), О чём говорят мужчины (What Men Talk About), Сатисфакция (Satisfaction), Мастер и Маргарита (The Master and Margarita) and Трудные подростки (Troubled Teens). Daria Accot-Kuntsevich, who teaches Russian at Etudoma, recommends Встретимся вчера (Meet Me Yesterday), Нежность (Tenderness), Питер FM (Piter FM), Серебряные коньки (Silver Skates), Чернильное море (Ink Sea), Кококо (Kokoko), Транссиб (Trans-Siberian: Moscow to Vladivostok) and Француз (The Frenchman). Maria Vance, who teaches Russian at LinguaRu, recommends Ivanovy-Ivanovy (Ивановы-Ивановы), Chiki (Чики) and The Boy's Word: Blood on the Asphalt (Слово пацана). These are all TV series and films, so you will usually find them on Netflix or Amazon Prime. Each one links out to where to watch it, with a note on the level it suits.
What are the best YouTube channels to learn Russian?
Lidia Pyzhik, who teaches Russian at Easy Russian Practice, recommends Телекурс РКИ (Russian as a Foreign Language TV Course), TED Talks на русском (TED Talks in Russian), The Люди (The Lyudi), Арзамас (Arzamas), Настоящее время (Current Time), ПостНаука (PostNauka), Редакция (Redaktsiya), Рождённые в СССР (Born in the USSR), Русские грузины (Russian Georgians), Русские евреи (Russian Jews), Тамара Эйдельман (Tamara Eidelman), Хочу домой (Hochu Domoy) and 30 лет без СССР (30 Years Without the USSR). Anna Moravskaya, who teaches Russian at MnemoLing, recommends Jurussia Учим русский, Live Russian, Russian with Nastya, Russisch in Häppchen, Hey Russian, Learning Russian the Natural Way, Sergey Storyteller, Dubbed Russian Songs, Learn Russian with Music, Learn Russian with Songs, Russian Radio Show, Русский, блин! (Russian, Blin!), вДудь (vDud) and Stand-Up Club #1. Daria Accot-Kuntsevich, who teaches Russian at Etudoma, recommends Твои сибирские каникулы (Your Siberian Holidays), Про Миру и Гошу (Mira and Gosha) and Седа Каспарова (Seda Kasparova). Each one links out to where you can watch or listen, with a note on the level it suits.