Learn Russian in a way your brain can actually remember
Russian shouldn't feel this overwhelming
Confused, and not sure what to learn next?
I untangle difficult grammar and explain it in simple words.
Learn with your brain, not against it
I studied biology before I became a Russian teacher, and I never stopped being interested in how memory works.
The Brain Method is how I build my lessons.
New words are connected to what you already know. You practise pulling them back out of your memory instead of reading them again. And you use them in real sentences from the first week.
Two ways to learn with me
Russian from 0
A 12-week program that takes you from the alphabet to simple everyday conversations. For complete beginners.
Explore the course →1:1 Russian Lessons
Personalized lessons built around your level, your goals and the topics you care about. From A2 level.
Explore 1:1 lessons →Starting Russian from zero?
Russian from 0 is my 12-week A1 program. Enrolment opens on 25 September.
Explore Russian from 0 →Private lessons with me
You get the vocabulary and a short text on a topic you actually care about, so you come in prepared instead of starting cold.
We talk about the text, work through the grammar it contains, do exercises and practise speaking. You talk more than I do.
You get homework, and I check it and write you my feedback.
Everything lives on one platform: your materials, your homework and your notes. Nothing gets lost in a chat.
What you get
- A learning plan built for your level and your goals
- Vocabulary and materials chosen around your interests
- Homework checked with written feedback
- Your own space on the learning platform, with interactive exercises
- Lessons booked around your schedule
Lessons and packages
One lesson is 60 minutes.
4 lessons
30 € per lesson
8 lessons
30 € per lesson
12 lessons
30 € per lesson
Single lesson
Good for trying a full lesson or for an occasional session.
Every lesson is written for you, not taken from a textbook. Before each lesson I spend at least an hour choosing the material: an article, a piece of a book, a video, on a topic you are actually interested in.
Learning with someone else? Lessons for two or three people cost less per person. Write to me and I will make you a price.
Payment by card, PayPal or bank transfer.
I take a limited number of private students, so I can follow the progress of every one of them. This also means the calendar is sometimes full.
Hi, I'm Alena.
I'm a Russian teacher with a background in biology. I retrained as a teacher of Russian as a foreign language, and I've never stopped being interested in how things work, from living organisms to languages and the way we learn.
I create my own lessons, programs and learning materials because I want Russian learners to have something better than a collection of disconnected resources.
Who is teaching you
A professional qualification from Moscow State University, followed by further training in different levels and teaching methods.
Three years at an international school, teaching children and teenagers one to one and in groups, and years of private lessons with adults at every level and with very different goals.
Built from real articles, books and everyday situations, for travel, work, university exams, TORFL and daily life.
I studied biology before I became a Russian teacher, so I build lessons around how memory works. New words come back to you before you forget them, not after.
What my students say
Moved to Russia, everyday Russian
Reading Russian literature
University exam preparation
Grammar, 6 months of lessons
Exam prep, 95% result
Learn Russian with me for free.
Practical Russian, explanations, vocabulary, grammar and understandable listening, without the textbook feeling.
Ready to make Russian finally feel clearer?
Whether you're starting from zero or trying to get unstuck, there's a way to learn with me.
Not ready to book a time? Write to me instead.