Simple Russian Stories

A1 Christmas Special.
This episode tells a simple and heart-warming story about Masha, an eight-year-old girl who celebrates Russian Christmas on January 7th.
You will learn about Christmas Eve (Сочельник), traditional foods like kutya and kozuli, the night church service, gifts under the Christmas tree, and the beginning of Svyatki — twelve festive days full of songs, guests, and joy. A perfect c...

A warm B2 holiday story about choosing meaningful gifts before the New Year. Andrey wants to find presents that are practical, personal, and thoughtful — something more than simple souvenirs. He looks for gifts for his friends, his parents, and even for himself, discovering that true gifts carry emotions and attention. A cozy, easy-to-follow episode with useful everyday vocabulary and plenty of Ne...

In this holiday episode, we read an adapted B1—B2 level version of Mikhail Zoshchenko’s short story “Yolka”. The text is clear, simple, and full of warm New Year and Christmas atmosphere. At the end of the episode, you’ll learn several useful Russian Christmas greetings and how to use them correctly. 📄 Transcript + Quizlet set in my Telegram: https://t.me/rustor_podcast 🎥 Follow me on TikTok: ht...

A1–A2 Russian Story — “Yan’s First New Year in Russia”
In this episode, you’ll hear a simple and warm story about how Yan celebrates his very first Russian New Year with friends and family in Saint Petersburg.  Perfect for beginner and pre-intermediate learners who want to practice vocabulary about holidays, winter, celebrations, and daily life. 📄 Transcript + Quizlet set in my Telegram: https://...

In this atmospheric Russian story, the narrator discovers a mysterious café that appears only to people who feel lost.
This gentle, emotional text is perfect for learners at B1–B2 who want to practice listening to narrative Russian with rich, vivid vocabulary.
A story about quiet moments, intuition, and finding your way back. 📄 Transcript + Quizlet set in my Telegram: https://t.me/rustor_podcast...

In this beginner-friendly episode, student Yan introduces his classmates from China, Canada, France, Germany, Turkey and Spain.
This simple A1-A2 text helps you practice vocabulary for countries, nationalities, jobs, family and hobbies, as well as basic sentence patterns for describing people.
A great episode for daily listening and building confidence with easy Russian. 📄 Transcript + Quizlet se...

In this episode, we talk about one of the biggest names in Russian literature — Leo Tolstoy. You’ll learn about his childhood, his extraordinary family life, his philosophy, and the cultural impact of his famous novels. We also explore the modern image of Tolstoy — from memes to surprising facts. This episode is perfect for B1-B2 learners who want to discover Russian culture through an accessible...

In this episode, you’ll hear about Yan’s week — a student from America who studies in Moscow. This story will help you practice the days of the week and the verbs ехать and ездить, with natural, real-life details about student life in Russia. 📄 Transcript + Quizlet set in my Telegram: https://t.me/rustor_podcast 🎥 Follow me on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@russian.with.mary My Patreon: https:/...

In this episode, we talk about Russian mythology and the famous characters from Russian folk tales — from the scary Baba Yaga and Koschey the Deathless to the kind but mischievous house spirit Domovoy. This episode is perfect for level B1–B2 learners who want to understand Russian culture, legends, and traditional symbols better. 🎃 Listen, learn, and get into the Halloween mood — the Russian way!...

In this episode, you’ll hear one topic — food and cooking — on five Russian levels: A1, A2, B1, B2, and C1. Listen and see how Russian changes from simple sentences to natural, fluent speech. Perfect for learners who want to grow step by step and feel real progress. 📄 Transcript + Quizlet set in my Telegram: https://t.me/rustor_podcast 🎥 Follow me on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@russian.with....

In this episode, you’ll hear a simple Russian fairy tale called “Репка” — “The Turnip.”
It’s perfect for A1 learners: short sentences, repeated structures, and easy words.
Listen, read along, and learn new Russian vocabulary while enjoying this classic story! 📄 Transcript + Quizlet set in my Telegram: https://t.me/rustor_podcast 🎥 Follow me on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@russian.with.mary My...

In this episode, we explore one of the most unique letters in the Russian alphabet — Ё. Why do Russians often replace it with “E”? Learn the story behind this letter, how it changes meaning in words, and why it deserves more attention. Perfect for A2–B1 learners who want to understand Russian culture through its language. 📄 Transcript + Quizlet set in my Telegram: https://t.me/rustor_podcast 🎥 F...

In this episode, we read the Russian fairy tale Kolobok in very simple language. The story is perfect for A1 learners who want to improve vocabulary and listening skills. Listen to the adventure of Kolobok and discover a classic of Russian culture. 📄 Transcript + Quizlet set in my Telegram: https://t.me/rustor_podcast 🎥 Follow me on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@russian.with.mary My Patreon: h...

In this episode we talk about stereotypes and culture shock.
You will hear five common stereotypes about Russia and try to guess which ones are true and which are false. Then we discuss what stereotypes Russians have about other countries, and what surprises them most when they travel abroad.
This episode is perfect for A2–B1 learners of Russian: simple vocabulary, clear explanations, and a fun to...

In this episode, we talk about bad habits in Russian. From smoking and drinking to small everyday things like skipping breakfast or saying filler words, you will learn new vocabulary and practice listening. Perfect for learners at A2+/B1 level. 📄 Transcript + Quizlet set in my Telegram: https://t.me/rustor_podcast 🎥 Follow me on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@russian.with.mary My Patreon: https...

In this A1-level episode, hear real stories of people from France, Switzerland, the USA, and Italy who moved to Russia — and stayed. Learn how Russia became home for a teacher, a beekeeper, a farming family, a tour guide, and a cultural enthusiast from Milan. Simple Russian, warm stories, and useful vocabulary await! 📄 Transcript + Quizlet set in my Telegram: https://t.me/rustor_podcast 🎥 Follow...

In this episode (A1–A2 level), we talk about the Russian dacha — a summer house in the countryside. Why do Russians love their dachas so much? What do they do there? What vegetables and berries do they grow? You will also hear a personal story about spending time at the grandparents’ dacha.
Listen in simple Russian and improve your vocabulary about nature, food, and Russian traditions. 📄 Transcri...

In this episode, we talk about the system of education in Russia. You will learn about different levels of education — kindergarten, school, university — and how they are organized. The episode is designed for learners at levels A2–B1. 📄 Transcript + Quizlet set in my Telegram: https://t.me/rustor_podcast 🎥 Follow me on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@russian.with.mary

In this episode you will learn about the most important Russian holidays: New Year, Christmas, Defender of the Fatherland Day, International Women’s Day, Easter, Victory Day, Russia Day, National Unity Day and others. You will discover how people celebrate them and why they are important in Russian culture. 📄 Transcript + Quizlet set in my Telegram: https://t.me/rustor_podcast 🎥 Follow me on Tik...

In this A1-A2-level episode, I share my story about living in Vietnam. You will learn vocabulary for describing your home, furniture, village life, animals, food, and free-time activities. The text is simple and clear for beginners, so you can easily follow along. 📄 Transcript + Quizlet set in my Telegram: https://t.me/rustor_podcast 🎥 Follow me on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@russian.with.ma...

In this episode for A2–B1 Russian learners, we talk about the history of potatoes in Russia — when they appeared, why people were afraid of them at first, and how they became a national food. You’ll hear useful past-tense verbs, everyday vocabulary, and cultural facts. A great way to improve your listening and learn something new! 📄 Transcript + Quizlet set in my Telegram: https://t.me/rustor_pod...

In this episode, we’re talking about one of the most famous Russian traditions — the banya! Why do Russians love going to the banya? What do they do there? And what does the phrase "S lyogkim parom!" mean? Let’s find out together in this fun and useful episode. Learn new Russian vocabulary for health, body care, and traditional culture. 📄 Transcript + Quizlet set in my Telegram: https://t.me/rust...

In this A1-level episode, learn how Russians spend their summer.
Discover dacha life, beach cities like Sochi and Anapa, nature trips to Altai and Karelia, and festivals in Moscow and Saint Petersburg.
Transcript + Quizlet set in my Telegram: https://t.me/rustor_podcast Follow me on Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@russian.with.mary

In this funny and honest story, Jan talks about his experience learning Russian — and all the mistakes he made along the way. Perfect for A1–A2 learners, this episode includes everyday vocabulary, simple grammar, and examples of verbs in the past and present tense. Listen, laugh, and learn from Jan’s journey! Transcript and vocabulary list available in the Telegram channel: https://t.me/rustor_pod...

In this episode, I shares memories of my childhood in Russia. I talk about my family, pets, favorite books and toys, my first years at school, and even a funny story about eating too many apricots. This episode is perfect for A1 learners to practice the past tense and simple Russian verbs. Transcript + Quizlet set in my Telegram: https://t.me/rustor_podcast Follow me on TikTok: https://www.tiktok....