Hall’s cultural factors. Why are the Russians so hospitable?

Do you know that there is a scientific background behind the different levels of hospitality among different nations? An anthropologist Edward T. Hall’s theory is well known to people dealing somehow with intercultural relations. Put simply, he highlighted several vital factors – time, space and context - to which every ethnic nation has a certain attitude and consequently divided the countries into groups. On the one hand that approach seems to be of high interest only to a narrow circle of people. But let us give you example and you see how close it stands to reality.

Learn Russian in Petrozavodsk and feel at home

Note: we focus here mainly on one part of Hall’s theory – high- and law- context cultures, leaving aside two other dimensions. There are many ways to explain what “context” is. Basically you can view it as an attitude towards the rules and information.  For instance, law-context culture implies having fragile and rare bonds between people with personal relations not interfering into business ones. Representatives of these cultures always put it clear and describe every tiny detail not to confuse someone. Often the task for them is more important than relationship. The demand for extra information is pretty high and the main message is kept in the words, not in the communication context. According to Hall, the USA, Germany, Switzerland and North European countries are in law-context-cultures group.

And the opposite group contains high-context countries. Here we have strong people bonds as well as high commitment to long-term relationships. Many words are unsaid and many rules are unwritten but the people are still aware of them keeping all this extra information in mind. Hints and metaphors, use of non-verbal communication and process-before-product attitude – that’s how we know the culture is from high-context group. Japan, France, Spain, Italy and the Middle East countries are here as well as Russia.

Keeping that information in mind helps to explain the willingness of Enjoy Russian School to do its best. We do focus on relationships with students and never let them deal with problems by themselves, even if it’s not our working time. We cooperate with the host families that are ready to offer comfortable stay for our students. We don’t wait the moment you ask us for help. We can read between the lines! And not because we are so cool and want to show off. It’s high-context culture! Choose our course and experience Russian hospitality!
Let us know what you think about the Hall’s theory. Do you personally have these high or law context features? 

RUSSIAN DRINKING TRADITIONS

How to drink vodka like a Russian

1. Drink vodka from 50-60 ml glasses called РЮМКА (ryumka), but if you are a pro, use Russian-style faceted glass (ГРАНЁНЫЙ СТАКАН).
2. Exhale loudly and drink quickly. After that you must take a bite of a pickle or a special Russian sandwich with some pork fat or just sausage. If you don’t have any food you must smell something, for example your shirt sleeve will do fine.
3. Russians usually make a toast before drinking, like:

За здоровье! – To health!

За встречу! – To the meeting!

За любовь! – To love! and etc.

The third toast traditionally is the one to love. Some people stand up when they drink to love and hold their shot with the left hand, because it’s closer to the heart.

A few things you shouldn’t do when drinking vodka with Russians

1. Do not change hands! It means that the one started pouring vodka for everyone must continue doing it throughout the party.
2. Do not put an empty bottle on the table. Russians usually put empty plates and glasses on a table for a passed away person at his/her memorial service, that’s why an empty bottle on the table is a bad omen.
3. Try not to say no to people who want to drink with you. Russians easily get offended if you don’t want to drink with them. At least drink a shot or just try to escape quietly;)

And one more little observation

People that are drunk can understand each other no matter what language each of them speaks. If your Russian is not good enough, just party up with Russians and no language barrier will stop you from becoming best friends!

NUMBERS IN RUSSIAN

Numbers in Russian is a tough topic even for B1 students, but here is what everyone should know

1. There are different ways of declining numbers, it’s not just one rule, there are different rules for different groups of numbers.
2. You should memorize declination of 1, 2, 3, 4, 40, 90, 100 separately, 5-20, 30, 50-80 as one group, and 200-900 as another group.
3. In compound numbers like 52 or 83 both parts of the number must be declined, not just the last number.
4. Declining numbers from 200-900, you should just decline the first part (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9) the same way as it is if it’s a separate number and then just add -сот (Genitive), -стам (Dative), -стами (Instrumental), -стах (Prepositional).
5. In Nominative case you should care about numbers, because the following noun can be declined differently depending on what number precedes it: 1+ Nominative (один дом); 2-4 + Genitive singular (два, три, четыре дома), 5-20 + Genitive plural (пять, шесть,… одиннадцать,… домов). But when you start declining a noun with a numeral together, the numeral is declined according to the rule, and the noun is declined the same was as it would be without a numeral:

Nomintive: Здесь стоит три дома.

Genitive: Здесь нет трёх домов.

Dative: Он подошёл к трём домам.

Accusative: Я вижу три дома.

Instrumental: Сейчас строители работают над тремя домами.

Prepositional: Мои друзья живут в тех трёх домах.

And some Russian proverbs with numbers to cheer you up!

Один друг лучше новых двух – One old friend is better than two new ones

Одна голова хорошо, а две лучше – One head is good, but two are better

Leave your comments and questions! Apply for the course if you want to master your Russian as quickly as possible! Apply here

LEARN RUSSIAN, DRINK COFFEE AND LAUGH YOURSELF TO TEARS!

It may sound cheesy but сoffee fans would probably agree: one should not wait for the certain moment for having a cup. However many of them believe autumn is the season of hot drinks.  While the scientists argue about the way caffeine affects our body and life, the Enjoy Russian School takes you to the best coffee shops in Petrozavodsk. Although they are quite numerous we would like to tell you only about brand new ones that have become incredibly popular in the last few months.

Live Russian music at “Coffessor”

Loft, wood, good vibes. These are probably main “Coffessor” associations.  The place with comfy setout and live music is located in the very heart of Petrozavodsk.  If you find Lavazza coffee mind-blowing, decent and full of flavors then this place is perfect for you. What is special: not every café in our city can offer you a substitute to a traditional dairy coffee. Soy latte and cappuccino are not only nice-looking but also delicious here. Moreover you can fully enjoy the wide range of coffee beans free to buy at Coffessor. What is more the professional baristas know how not to make milk curdle in the cup! By the way it’s super affordable. The average spend is only €7.

Crema caffe. Best brew in Petrozavodsk  

They say it’s “best brew in town”. Well, to some point the crowds of people inside every night is the proof to that. The crack of a matter is hidden in the original recipes available to be tested in there. Have you ever tried espresso shot mixed with cherry juice? Or maybe cappuccino with salted caramel? What about raf coffee with popcorn flavor?  “Crema caffe” baristas are open to an any kind of experiments. And they are also very tender and kind towards guests and the espresso machine. The reason they have such a good coffee had been detected:)

Enjoy Russian language café

If you find the mentioned-above-places attractive then you’ll probably like Macaron café or Red Cup. But since you read this post and you are familiar with our school, Enjoy Russian language café is probably holds the top position in your wish list. Why? We offer Russian-language-inspired drinks mixed with stories, games, happy moments and pleasant memories. We also have traditional treats and tons of humor-pills. Honestly, you should have heard how hardly Enjoy Russian language participants were laughing last Friday!

Come to Petrozavodsk and let the world know if local coffee shops are competitive with Starbucks and how do you like Enjoy Russian Café! Choose a course here

VOLUNTEER AND LEARN RUSSIAN. KAROLINA’S STORY

There are lots of people that do volunteering work in their country, people who are happy to help others, for example, to help kids learning English, people, who want not only to travel or to improve their Russian in Russia, but really get into contact with Russian people. That’s why we have a special program in “Enjoy Russian” language school – “Russian and volunteering”. You volunteer at our summer camp for two weeks (as an English teacher for kids from 5 to 18) and get two weeks of free Russian course.

I asked our volunteer Karolina from Czech Republic a few questions about her experience in Petrozavodsk. And that’s what she said.

Me: How come you chose Petrozavodsk?

Karolina: I’ve been learning Russian for 2 years already and my main goal was to finally start speaking Russian. And I’m sure that the best way to put a foreign language into use is to come to a country of its origin and to be among native speakers. I was looking for different opportunities to come to Russia and I found the information about “Russian and volunteering” program in Petrozavodsk on my university’s website. My friend was here a year ago, so I heard about Petrozavodsk from him, so I thought “Why not?”.

Me: Was your experience here the same as you expected it to be?

Karolina: I didn’t think I would have to speak Russian so much. Just Russian! All the time! I thought that I will speak English with the kids that I’m going to teach. But I worked with 6-year-old children, and their English was not that good, so I spoke mostly in Russian. But actually it was really good for me, though some topics were quite hard to talk about, like “Superheros” or “Travelling and travellers”.

Me: To what kind of people you would recommend to come to Russia, Petrozavodsk to volunteer and learn Russian?

Karolina: Depends on what kind of age group you are going to work with. It’s definitely easier to work with teenagers, and you don’t have to know Russian that well, but if you want to improve your Russian speaking skills, working with kids is a good option. Of course the volunteers have to really want working with the kids. They must be patient and talkative, and friendly. Also, it’s a good way to earn yourself a Russian language course. It feels nice that you didn’t just pay for it, but you worked to get it.

Me: How would you assess your progress in Russian?

Karolina: The biggest progress is in understanding of spoken Russian. When I’ve just come here, I couldn’t understand almost anything, but now – a lot! I am not afrain of speking in Russian anymore. I know that I can solve any communication problem in Russian, like if I get lost, I know that I can talk to people around and make myself understood and understand what they are saying back to me.

If you want to volunteer and learn Russian apply here!

To learn Russian for less than 2 months? Just a piece of cake!

“There is no any sounds, colors, images and thoughts – both complicated and easy ones – for which there is no accurate equivalent in the Russian language” Konstantin Paustovskiy

May be that’s why in terms of obstacles learning Russian can be put in the same raw with Icelandic or Chinese.  To become fluent in a language means spending hours, weeks and years of patient and assiduous work. The stakes are high and pitfalls many. But firstly, no language is easy. And secondly, once you became determined or even obsessed with the Idea, you can hit this. Even within a month. Sounds impossible, right? Not for Enjoy Russian language school.

Our study program has already helped 1200 students to learn Russian

Here is a brief review of Enjoy Russian school program designed to improve the language skills or to set up close ties with it.

A0/A1
As for the basics: on this stage you are expected to get familiar with alphabet, numbers, most commonly used nouns and verbs. What is important – the number of hours you spend on a certain topic varies depending on the level of its difficulty. For example, you are more likely to study verbs of motion for 12 hours and week days only for 4.
A1/A2
Moving slowly to the next level you eventually find yourself able to express your thoughts on the same topic but way deeper than before. For instance, you already knew how to invite a friend for dinner. But now you can also describe in details what you are going to eat, why you’ve chosen this particular restaurant and ask your friend about politics or economics.
A2/B1
Congratulations! At this step you see not only the “flat surface” of a language. From here on it is a 3-dimension perception for you. You can talk about the past and the future. About your personal experience and global problems. And the grammar opens up gerund, compound sentences, declination of family names. Even if you face some tricky situations here you are so proud of yourself that you don’t want to turn around.
Click here to know more about the program.

Just look at Sara’s progress! She’d also been learning Russian language by our program in August. Choose a courseand join us!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPa2pkDQ1Fw

DON’T WHISTLE IN THE HOUSE!

Why you should not whistle in the house?

“Не свисти – денег не будет!” (Don’t whistle, otherwise you’ll not have any money!) – that’s what Russian people say when somebody is whistling in the house. Russians have lots of superstitions, but the ones that are related to money are the most important to follow;) If you whistle in a Russian house, the hosts won’t be happy, because you are whistling their money away. Outside – no problem, whistle as much as you like, but inside – never!

Where does this superstition come from?

Most of the Russian superstitions take their origin from paganism, believes that there are different gods and spirits of the house and wind, and earth… Speaking the truth, nowadays people don’t remember the reason why they do what they do, they just repeat some daily rituals the same way as their parents or grandparents did.

Speaking about whistling in the house, there are a few opinions of how this superstition has appeared.

1. Our ancestors believed that whistling is the language of evil spirits and by whistling we are calling them, and inviting them to our houses.
2. Whistling was a magical way to call the wind, which was used by sailors when the weather was too quite. And you can’t whistle in the house, because the wind will blow everything out, including the money.
3. Domovoy (house spirit) that usually protects the house doesn’t like whistling, that’s why he might leave the place and the house will stay unprotected and unhappy.
4. It’s just a bad behavior. Usually mothers don’t allow their children to whistle even outside, because it’s considered to be a bit rude, especially when you are trying to call someone by whistling. Mostly just hooligans and bullies do that.

Which explanation do you like the most?

Leave your comment and share your ideas with us!

Find out more about Russian culture by living with Russian host families! Apply here

#EnjoyRussianNews 
What students of the "EnjoyRussian" Language School do in Petrozavodsk? They #studyRussianinRussia, live in Russian host families, know Russian way of life, meet Russian people and help them to improve English! 

Once a week there is a Language cafe in the School. This is a good chance for any of students to stop by, meet people from the community and to have a nice chat. And a great way to start feeling at home in Petrozavodsk.

NEVER SEEN DUTCH-STYLE HOUSES IN RUSSIA? COME TO PETROZAVODSK!

As you might’ve guessed today’s post is devoted to a non-traditional way of learning foreign languages. Getting acquainted with the Russian culture, expanding outlook, extracting spoken language phrases out of communication with well-educated Russians are among the advantages of this tool. We are talking about exhibitions. In a way “Enjoy Russian” school hometown Petrozavodsk can be given a status of “culturally friendly” city. Here are top 5 Karelian exhibitions you should definitely check out in autumn 2017.

Many of you remember the famous Rotterdam Cube houses and surreal streets next to Erasmus Bridge. On the opposite beautiful Delft attracts with its doll house architecture. But it is not a secret that there are plenty of abandoned houses and living blocks all over the country. Who could ever imagine that they can give a birth to a masterpiece? Dutch artist Roosmarijn ten Hoopen comes to Petrozavodsk to explore Russian architecture and depict the struggle between human and nature. In September the locals are given a unique chance to see the story of old buildings’ life from the Dutch perspective.

Modern art from Oslo has also caught the Petrozavodsk citizens’ fancy. Last year photographers and artists Käthe Øien and Lene Elisabeth Westerås presented their «Digtegning» exhibition in which text and paintings came together. Three components – a word, a picture and design – serve as a fundamental premise. In our city Norwegian name of the project was replaced by “Poetry in drawings” (Поэзия в картинках). This autumn our guests are back with a new exposition “Petrozavodsk windows”. The idea of an exhibition is kept “classified”. But that makes it even more interesting to see, doesn’t it?

And the “Art night”. It is not actually a one exhibition; it’s a whole package of them. On November 4 the museums and galleries of Petrozavodsk invite everybody to participate into art workshops and performances. You can not only enjoy the expositions but also design something by yourself and even get a professional feedback. By the way most of city exhibitions are free of charge to attend this day.

It goes without saying that above mentioned projects are followed by exiting New Years Eve exhibitions and many others that can also be of high interest for you. By joining “Enjoy Russian” language school (courses are here) you automatically gain the opportunity to visit all this cultural events. We are waiting for you! According to Harald and Ingeborg the stay in Petrozavodsk can be really interesting!

Here is the answer to one of the most frequently asked questions - What's the difference between И, А, НО in Russian and how to use them?

The most mistakes come up in usage of И and А, because they both are usually translates as "and" in English. The main idea that you need to understand is that И is like a +, it's used to sum up things, to put them together, to the same position.
А is used to show the difference and contrast between people or things.
НО is usually a contradiction, which is pretty similar to English "but".

Some examples

Маша и Саша любят яблоки. - Masha and Sasha like apples (they both have the same feeling towards apples, the sentence shows that two people are similar)
Маша любит яблоки, а Саша нет. - Masha likes apples, and Sasha doesn't. (Two people have different feelings, they are not similar, but different)
Маша и Саша любят яблоки, но не любят бананы. - Masha and Sasha like apples, but don't like bananas.

And finally the most frequent error the foreign students have when they learn Russian

If you want to ask "And you?" as a return question - use A, not И!!!!

• Как дела?
• Хорошо. А у тебя?
• Тоже хорошо. Как тебя зовут?
• Лена. А тебя?
• Костя.
• Ты из Москвы?
• Да. А ты?
• Я тоже

HOW TO LEARN RUSSIAN FAST?
Ask Enjoy Russian teachers!

«New tasks are always a positive thing – you can rather solve them and open up new horizons or fail and gain new experience. I’m in the constant process of learning languages. English, German, Finnish as well. I’d love to explore the world and visit some exotic countries like India. Students always make me work on myself. Only this professional growth may add a sparkle into the studying process. So many remarkable moments on my experience and all of them are connected to the breakthrough my students make hopefully thanks to my lessons» – Olga Yartseva, “EnjoyRussian School” teacher.

When it comes to teaching someone you should be 100% confident on what you are talking about, the way you act, all your methods should be tested beforehand, activities measured by people outside the process. Everyone expects your lessons to be as interactive as possible. You should stay focused, should be energized… And plenty of other “should’s”

But only a professional teacher understands that it is not teaching as it should be. You are not a robot that always entertains students and takes all of them to the same point in terms of results within the same period of time. Believe us or not, many of our teachers say “I can’t put this “teaching label” on what I do”. Because firstly, teaching is a way of life. And secondly they also study a lot. And this also means that the teachers are human beings like us. Just to clarify:  studying process is a fire kept alive by both a teacher and a student.

And now take a look at what our students think about “EnjoyRussian” school teachers and  lessons. All of them were participating EnjoyRussian Summer Immersion course

HAPPY HOUR AT “ENJOY RUSSIAN” LANGUAGE SCHOOL

Russian language is fun and we can prove it! If you come to learn Russian to our language school you will not have a single boring class! In the lessons we play games, watch videos, have discussions and role plays. On Fridays we go out from time to time for a “happy hour”. We have a lesson outside in a park, playing charades, mafia or other  games to improve students’ speaking skills and increase their vocabulary.

Lessons like that are useful because the words you learn with emotions, are the words you memorize immediately and forever. That’s why nowadays there are so many new teaching methods and techniques that try to make the study process as natural and as fun as possible.

If you want to enjoy your Russian learning, come to us and you’ll feel the difference! Apply for the course here

HOW TO MAKE A RUSSIAN GIRL LIKE YOU? THE POST IS ONLY FOR GUYS!!!:)

Russian girls are slightly different

Most of the Russian women think that their weakness is their strength (Их сила в слабости), which means that they really like to be weak and they want their man to be strong, to take care of them, to protect them and solve all their problems. This position is quite different from the modern feminist ideas. Well, we don’t understand what’s bad about being weaker. We like the feeling of being protected by a strong man. The Russian word for “to get married” (for women) is ВЫЙТИ ЗАМУЖ, which literally means “to go behind husband’s back”. And it doesn’t mean that a man is superior to a woman, no. It means that a woman feels like she is behind a brick wall when she is married, and this brick wall is a protection and safeness, it’s the feeling of being a woman itself.

What do Russian women want?

Most of them want a family. And their family will always be the most important thing for them in their life. Russian women really want a husband and many children, their biggest happiness is to keep the family hearth, to take care about their husband and kids.

Of course we hope our husband to be kind and generous, and a good father. But the problem is that it’s not that easy to find nowadays. And the whole tragedy of Russian women is that they must be strong to bring up their children without a husband, but in their soul they always dream to find a man with whom they can be weak again.

How to make a Russian girl like you?

Well first, you must be a gentleman. Open doors for her, let her go first, help her hold her jacket when she is putting it on, help her carry heavy stuff is she is carring some. These are small things that show that you care about her, and that are really important for most of the Russian girls.

If you take her to a restaurant you should pay for her. It’s not the matter of money. Again, it’s just important for a girl to feel that you’re the one who cares about her.

Listen to her. If she tells you about some stupid things still listen to her. It’s important for every woman, not only Russian;)

If she is in trouble, don’t stand aside, try to help. Try to be the one she can trust and rely on.

Be a “prince on a white horse”. But the real one!;)

LEO TOLSTOY, AC/DC OR THE AMERICAN JAZZ?

Usually Enjoy Russian School students say Petrozavodsk is a beneficial  place for learning Russian language in many respects. Green, eco-friendly, spacious, tasty, picturesque, lovely  – these are the adjectives they usually describe our city with. But let us be real, sometimes people literally make themselves to come to Petrozavodsk  thinking in advance that they could get bored in a couple of days. Enjoy Russian team strongly believes this hesitation is nothing more than just a shot in the dark.  And here is why.

“All the variety, all the charm, all the beauty of life is made up of light and shadow”

Does it ring a bell? Yes, this quote can be found in the world famous novel Anna Karenina written by Leo Tolstoy. This fall you have a chance to enjoy a ballet performance in Karelian Musical theatre in Petrozavodsk. The performance has already gained a stunning success and continues to be highly relevant. Expressive dancing and existential issues of human being are harmonically combined in the adaptation by the choreographers from St-Petersburg.

Not only ballet performances but also opera evenings are going to take place in the Musical Theatre. It is already a tradition for famous Russian director Yury Alexandrov to bring “Evgeny Onegin”  to Petrozavodsk. What should be mentioned is that Alexandrov’s adaptation is something special. According to his idea Tatyana should be put in the center of storytelling. And this masterpiece is a must see if only because the  play has already received an excellent feedback. “The Storm” by Ostrovsky and “The Nutcracker” are also to be present on the Petrozavodsk’s theater stage.

If you are more into musical concerts then the upcoming Jazz or rock music festivals should be given your attention. In September Karelian Philharmonic Hall holds a large scale “Rock hits” concert. «Queen», «Led Zeppelin», «The Beatles», «The Rolling stones» and many other legendary bands’ adaptations are already widely discussed among Petrozavodsk music addicts! And gorgeous Sharon Clark from the USA in October throws a jazz-soul-blues concert in October.

And beside all these above mentioned events Petrozavodsk has many local occasions worth visiting. Do not hesitate. Just choose a course and come to learn Russian in culturally rich Petrozavodsk.

Is it possible to learn Russian in a fun and easy way? 🇷🇺

Sure, if you study with EnjoyRussian School!
We invite you to join the group Russian course starting from October, 02 to prove you that Russian is not that difficult or scary! Playing board games, watching Russian movies, reading Russian literature, entertaining topics for discussions, individual projects and various creative teaching methods - that's what will help you to reach real progress in your Russian language skills!

And our Russian host families and volunteers will be glad to spend time with you, show you the most interesting spots in the town, provide you with any support you need!

We're waiting for you!
Starting date: October, 02
Duration: 2-8 weeks
Levels: A0+, A1+

APPLY: http://enjoyrussian.com/apply-standart/
Ask a question: info@enjoyrussian.com

Here is some Russian language you’d never find in a dictionary

ЧЁ – a colloquial version of ЧТО (what?), which is used everywhere by everyone, who is just too lazy to pronounce the word correctly and wants to shorten it.

БЛИН – when said emotionally as a reaction to something bad, means “Damn it”, and not a pancake!

ПРИКОЛЬНО – synonym to ХОРОШО and ИНТЕРЕСНО that is mostly used by young people.

ОФИГЕТЬ – the word shows surprise, usually positive, could be translated into English as “Oh my God”, but it has nothing to do with God and sounds ruder.

ТУСИТЬ – that’s a nice word for people, who like parties, it means “To hang out”, “To party”.

Here are some examples of how you can use these words

• Чё ты хочешь? Отвали от меня! – What do you want? Fuc* off!
• Блин! Я уронила телефон в унитаз! – Damn it! I dropped the phone into the toilet bowl!
• Он прикольно танцует. Хочу с ним познакомиться. – He dances quite well. I want to get to know him.
• Офигеть! Посмотри на его селфи! Просто супер! – Wow! Look at his selfie! It’s just great!
• Я тусила всю ночь. Спать хочу ужасно! – I partied all night. I really want to sleep!

And some advice on when and where you should use the Russian slang

• Don’t use it with elderly people, better with young people
• Use it with people you know quite well, otherwise you’ll sound too informal
• Try to sound natural when you are saying these words. Russians will definitely be surprised to hear such colloquial vocab from a foreigner, so just be confident and cool;)

Wanna speak Russian as a native speaker? Come to our Russian courses in Petrozavodsk!

3 reasons students feel like home in Petrozavodsk

Enjoy Russian School stands on 4 pillars: our open-minded and easygoing students, our professional and loyal teachers, our super-flexible and understanding management team. And one of the most important –  our volunteers. “Don’t let them go!” said Victor d’Anethan  from Belgium (stayed with us in July). What does it imply and what is the reason for that?

They know what it’s like to be available 24/7 without asking anything back
Our volunteer Lilit Manutsyan:
“Volunteer is a person who does something especially helping the people willingly and without being forced or paid to do it. I always enjoy helping people in any kind of situations. It gives me joy and inspiration.”
And our students believe her. When she meets them her eyes are wide open and she always comes up with new ideas!

Volunteering for them is a breath of fresh airMaria Medvedeva:
“For me this experience is a way to blend something exciting in my weekly schedule. I get to help others, practice foreign languages, meet new people. It is also an opportunity to learn more about myself and add a magic sparkle to my life. I would compare it to using magic wand to cast Lumos spell in a dark room!”

They make you feel alive and energizedAlyona Isaeva:
” The life with students is so much fun! Once we went to a canteen with a student. He thought it was a kind of restaurant and someone should give him a menu. But after no one came he grabbed as many plates as could. “Are you that hungry?” I asked. “No, I thought it’s for free! I am lucky to meet only positive people:)

And moreover they loke volunteering because:
– They like making friends
– It is never ending language practice
– It is about positive emotions and being on the bright side
And finally, they want to spread Russian culture to the world!

ROMANCE IN PETROZAVODSK

Russia – uniting people

Mattia and Veronica came to Petrozavodsk for the Russian language course at “Enjoy Russian” language school two weeks ago. For them it was an extremely diverse experience: starting from immersing into Russian language and experiencing real Russia, finishing with a huge step forward in their relationship.

Russian is the right choice for your career

They met in Verona two years ago. They both took the same course at the University of Verona – Tourism and International Commerce. Apart from English they both chose Russian as their second language, because as Mattia said, “The Russian language can really bring you lots of opportunities in business, it really might help”.

To improve their Russian and spend a nice holiday they came to Petrozavodsk and for the first time started living together (with the Russian host family of course;) “I couldn’t imagine it would be so nice” – Mattia says.

Here you’ll finally start speaking Russian!

Veronica’s teacher said, she amazingly improved her spoken Russian in two weeks. “I was very quiet on the first days of the course, because at university we don’t speak! And so I though I couldn’t start speaking Russian in Petrozavodsk right away, but I managed” – Veronica says. Though both Veronica and Mattia admit that if they could stay here longer, their progress would be enormous.

If you have a boyfriend/girlfriend who is learning Russian the same as you maybe you should come to Petrozavodsk together and try if Russia will make you even closer:)

Some say it looks like Iceland

Karelia is a unique place. Even if you live here for a long time you never stop admiring its nature and beauty. You fall in love with it immediately. Let’s travel with us to the North of Karelia and take a look at mysterious landscapes.

Stones

You’ve probably heard about trolls in Norway – the mysterious creatures living in the forests and hiding from the sun. Karelian people believe their ancestors way of life also had something to do with magic stones. So called idol stones are located all over the Republic and only some people know how to find them. These rocks are believed to cure severe diseases and give prosperity as well as to protect from bad creatures. They played a significant role in ritual life.

Water. Ladoga lake

Karelia is known as a land of lakes and rivers. Just imagine – we have more than 60 000 lakes. And water is the main place for legends to come out. There is our own Loch Ness monster living in Karelian Ladoga lake probably brother or sister to Scottish one. “Long neck and massive silver body”. The description from locals attracts not only tourists but also groups of scientists ready to come here and study the lake in depth.

And the White Sea. Our final destination for today. We leave you here in tranquility and peace. Just take a look at the pictures and forget about everything for a while.

Some say Karelia looks like Iceland. Other people think it reminds of Finland. One thing is undeniable – you should come here to see the difference. Choose one of our courses and explore mysterious Karelia with Enjoy Russian School!

CULTURAL ACTIVITIES FOR STUDENTS

Study Russian in Russia and have fun

In the “EnjoyRussian” Language School we offer cultural activities program for our students. So they can practice Russian in relaxed atmosphere, travel and know more about Russians and their way of life. What did the students do last week?

Cooked Russian food and knew Russians better

Cooking class is one of the most favourite workshops in the School. Usually students choose class on traditional Karelian pies (Калитки) with a Russian hostess Nastya. She is fond of cooking and can tell you so many traditional recipes. During the class they cook Karelian pies with various fillings: mashed potatoe, farmer cheese (творог), carrot, communicate with each other and drink Russian samovar tea!

Spoke Russian as much as they can while discussing Russian superstitious beliefs

Why are they so popular in Russia? What do they mean? Last week our students talked about that on the Discussion club with Russian language teacher and Russian volunteers.

DO RUSSIANS WANT TO FEED ME TO DEATH?

“They give me too much food” – that’s what our students say about the Russian host families – “Breakfasts are crazy! There is so much on the table: porridge, eggs, sandwiches, pancakes, toast… And they want me to eat all of it!!!”

We really feel sorry for our poor students, but there is hardly anything we can do about that. No, the hosts do not want you dead. They are just being hospitable. Yes, this is real Russian hospitality – to give the guest all the food from the fridge. And if the guest doesn’t eat the hosts really feel bad about it. So, you probably are going to gain some weight if you are planning on staying with a host family in Russia. But on the other hand – big breakfasts and dinners are a great opportunity to have a long chat with your Russian family, practice your Russian, and find out more about these unusual interesting people.

Russia might give you lots of suprises, and food is one of the best among them. Enjoy your family meals and don’t think much about staying fit;)

This time “Enjoy Russian” school tells you about sport events you can be involved into during your autumn stay in Petrozavodsk. As you already know our city is famous not only for bright festivals or unique markets (the one we told you last week is coming soon!) but also for active people participating and organizing plenty of incredible outdoor activities you should not miss.  

A cycling tradition

It’s a widespread opinion in Petrozavodsk that bicycle is freedom and health. Every fall thousands of people get their bikes ready to become a part of VELODAY. Traditionally it consists of a bicycle race for people of different ages, concerts and open-air exhibitions. But the  most exciting part here is a fancy parade on the main streets. Every time VELODAY organizers pick certain style all the  participants should follow: superheroes, the 90-es, professions, vintage. The more time you spend on preparation the better. And our bikes fans do spent a lot of time! This year the show should be spectacular too.

Set your goals high. Somewhere to the mountain top!

Looking for something more extreme? Then challenge yourself with vertical hiking in center Yalgorah in September. UpHill hike is A great opportunity not only to enjoy the breathtaking views of forests and downhills but also to try  250, 500, 1000 m mountain trails. Non-athletes shouldn’t be stressed out because the center also suggests Nordic walking competition that became very popular recently.  In parallel with building-your-muscles part guests are welcome to enjoy the musical program and sport fair as well. So this day proves itself to be a full-scale  autumn holiday!  

Come to Petrozavodsk to work out in the biggest open air gym in Europe

Many people believe that your body and mind wellness do not necessarily depend on participating some major sport events. To stay active and motivated you can simply take a walk to one of exercise machine sets. There are many places in Petrozavodsk where you can work out for free. For example the newest open air gym is situated right next to the Onego lake close to embankment. Ab crunch machines, elliptical trainers, so called squat chairs… Not every professional gym can provide you with that equipment! And what is more important you can simply meet… the President! Like “Enjoy Russian” students did on 26 of  July. They were jogging on the embankment when Vladimir Putin came to check this open air gym, by the way the biggest in Europe.

This fall might be a time for experiencing something new. Become Enjoy Russian student and take part in Petrozavodsk sport events! Who knows may be you’ll meet the PresidentJ

Can’t choose the right time to study Russian in Russia? 

We are sure: this Autumn is a great chance for you to join EnjoyRussian School, because: 

1. There will be groups of different levels from A0 (beginner) to A2+ (basic). 
Studying Russian language in a group is a fun and effective way to master your Russian level as there are a lot of options to practice Russian: dialogs, games, discussions. 

2. You will study in a small group from 5 to 6 people. 
Learning Russian in a small group means that you will enjoy individual approach and friendly atmosphere, you will feel comfortable in a group of your level without any noise or rush, your teacher will be able to answer all questions and explain the rules if you have any difficulties. 

3. We offer a new unique study program so you won’t ever feel bored: our teachers use creative and original teaching methods such as presenting projects, watching videos, discussing news, giving lessons outside the classrooms (in parks, cafes, shops, in the streets), in the form of quests and games and lots more. 

Come and see!
Starting dates: September 04 and 18; October 02 and 30. 

Pass online test https://enjoyrussian.com/test/
APPLY: http://enjoyrussian.com/apply-standart/
Ask a question: info@enjoyrussian.com