If you’re a foreign student studying in Russia and you want to learn more about Russian culture and language there are several different TV shows to choose from, but we’d like to share with you some of our favorites. Russian contains numerous unusual sounds that can be difficult for beginners to pick up. The more you hear certain sounds, the easier it is to grasp and pronounce them. These Russian tv shows will help in learning Russian quickly and effectively. You can use visual clues to enable you better understand what’s going on while you’re watching TV.
1. Вечерний Ургант-Evening Urgant
Evening Urgant, the episodes will likely start with jokes about current trends and pop culture before moving on to celebrity interviews. You’ll also remember several famous names, as famous American celebrities often appear on the show. Understanding jokes can be difficult unless you’re a native speaker.
Although you can watch the show on YouTube using its subtle auto-translate features, this Russian tv show is still best for advanced speakers.
2. Орел и Решка-Orel i Reshka
Orel i Reshka ” -Meaning “Heads or Tails” is a travel show that counts millions of Russians and Ukrainians among its audience. The two presenters travel to various cities around the world every weekend. According to the program’s rules, one must spend just $100 on Saturday and Sunday, while the other will spend as much money as they want from a golden ticket. Presenters flip a coin before each journey to see which of them will live like a millionaire and which will learn to survive, and it’s always Heads or Tails. This is a more casual and realistic show since they need it to get around. There are subtitles available to assist you.
3. Vongozero: The Outbreak-2019
The Outbreak is a web television series released in Russia. On November 14, 2019, it first premiered on the Russian Platform. This series got acquired by Netflix and was released internationally on October 8, 2020. The series is based on Yana Vagner’s debut novel Vongozero(2011). After all, this Russian tv show is entertaining to watch a performance that the target audience enjoys. The only other piece of advice is to turn on English subtitles and enjoy the show. That way, you can study Russian in a different setting than in a classroom.
4. Pereval Dyatlova (Dead Mountain: The Dyatlov Pass Incident-2020)
Based on the true event, the Dyatlov Pass Incident on Dead Mountain, Pereval Dyatlova is a 2020 Russian tv series. This tv show premiered on the OTT platform Premier from November 16th to November 26th, 2020 in both Russian/ English subtitles.
In February 1959, during the height of the Cold War, a group of students set out on a trek into the Ural Mountains in the dead of winter, the range that separates Europe and Asia. Their frozen bodies, which had puzzling injuries, were found in places that added to the mysteries of how they died. The mysteries covering the Dyatlov Pass have produced dozens of new conspiracy theories that have persisted for more than 60 years from a Yeti attack to a run-in with aliens.
It’s an eight of the best Russian tv shows about the “Dyatlov Pass Incident,” a famous missing and found-dead case. Every episode is 50 minutes long and the vocabulary is wide-ranging but not complicated, and the dialogue is not too fast, so Pereval Dyatlova is perfect for beginner and intermediate learners. Understanding Russian will become incredibly simple as a result of this!
5. Ekaterina-2014
In this 2014 period drama narrative of a Prussian princess as she rises to prominence and eventually becomes Russia’s famous Empress Catherine the Great.
The life of Russian Empress Ekaterina II (Catherine the Great), portrayed as a German princess. However, she traveled to Russia as a bride for young Peter III, chosen by his aunt Elisabeth. Further, she revolutionized the Soviet union once she took power.
This tv show delivers some interesting historical information about Russia. The language will be a little different than the rest of the list because it’s a period drama. This can be challenging in some ways (since it isn’t the language you’re used to hearing). But it can also be beneficial in others (no difficult-to-understand slang).
6. Маша и медведь (Masha and the Bear-2007)
The “Masha and the Bear” series began in 2009 and continues to this day. The show is based on Russian tales. Masha is a mischievous child who has a bear buddy. Masha’s adventures are accompanied by The Bear, who strives to prevent calamities. Despite its Russian origins, “Masha and The Bear” has become a worldwide popular animated tv show. It’s possible you saw it on Netflix as well.
A retired circus bear goes into the woods and prepares for a calm new life encircled with deep relaxation, that is until he meets Masha, an adventurous young girl.
In many countries, Masha and the Bear, a Russian animated tv show is quite popular. The cartoon is simple to understand. The Character-Masha doesn’t talk much, and the interactions are short and sweet. However, If you’re worried about not understanding what they’re saying, English-language versions of all the episodes are readily available. With the help of animations, learning Russian is a lot of fun! And this animated tv show is something you might not realize: when you laugh, new phrases and phrases reach your brain. There are no long sentences in this tv show. Even a beginner should be able to understand what is being said in all episodes.
7. “Кухня” Kukhnya (2012–2016)- “The Kitchen”
Maxim Lavrov is on a mission to become a world-renowned chef. As a result, he must deal with Viktor Barinov, the grumpy but often competent head chef at the fictitious Claude Monet restaurant. The restaurant serves a luxury hotel’s customers. Cooks, waitstaff, and Lavrov’s best buddy, the bar manager Anisimov, one of the eclectic cast of characters. Dmitry Nagiev, a real-life actor, portrays the restaurant’s owner as a fictitious version of himself.
However the show is set in a restaurant kitchen, you’ll learn a lot of words about cuisine and cooking. The characters talk slowly and clearly, and the dialogue isn’t overly complex, so this is a good tv show for any level of the language learner. Subtitles may be preferable for beginners. The translated version is available for purchase on Amazon.
8. Otel Eleon (2016)
The kitchen’s life changed dramatically after the experienced and sarcastic chef Viktor Petrovich brought his staff to the Hotel Eleon. Someone fell in love, and someone chose to go swimming for free. Chief Victor realized a long-held ambition by receiving a Michelin star. It appears that a person has dreamed towards the award for far too long that now that she is in his possession, he can securely retire.
This is, without a doubt, one of the popular and favorite television shows of all time. It’s a really good one. Nice comedy show with lots of amazing examples of love, friendship, and human relationships in each episode. CTC (together with another Russian TV station, THT) features several really good TV shows that aren’t generally available on American networks. The channel itself is also quite enjoyable. Similarly, the characters talk slowly and clearly, and the dialogue is also not overcomplicated. So you’ll learn a lot of Russian phrases that are used in daily life.
9. “Лучше, чем люди”-Better than Us
A family on the verge of disbanding becomes the proprietors of a cutting-edge robot pursued by a corporation, homicide detectives, and terrorists.
The sci-fi thriller tv show, “Лучше, чем люди” (meaning, “better than humans”) based in the near future. In this universe, androids—robots that look like humans—have become a commonplace reality, infiltrating many people’s homes. However, not everyone pleased with this technological advancement: the Liquidators are fighting to eradicate these artificial life forms.
Similarly, after watching this popular Russian tv show you’ll also pick up words like “home” and “family dynamics”. This show is also available on Netflix.
10. “Мажор”- Silver Spoon
An affluent Russian youngster caught street racing while under the influence of narcotics. His father pushes levers to get him a law enforcement training job instead of a prison sentence, threatening him with losing his inheritance if he doesn’t.
“Мажор”- Silver Spoon is a crime drama that marks Netflix’s first venture into Russian content. It depicts the story of Igor Sokolovsky, a privileged young man whose life is turned upside down when his father forces him to work at a police station—the same precinct where he got into a fight with two cops.
“Мажор- Silver Spoon” jam-packed with police procedural vocabulary as well as street slang. Because the speech is fast-paced and contains a lot of slang, this one may be better suited to intermediate and advanced students.
These Russian tv shows are appropriate for anyone learning a language. While certain words may be too difficult for beginners. But the rate of speech is slow, and the majority of the words are useful in a variety of situations. This is an excellent way to hear how simple, normal talks sound.
