DON’T GO BACK HOME IF YOU FORGOT SOMETHING!

Russians are really superstitious, they believe in lots of different signs, and omens. Today, we’ll tell you one.

Why you shouldn’t turn back if you are halfway there

All Russians know since childhood that if on your way somewhere you realize that you’ve forgotten something at home, you shouldn’t go back. If you do, bad things will happen.

What’s the origin of this superstition?

Since long ago, crossing a threshold of a house was considered a sacred act, because people used to bury their ancestors’ ashes under the threshold of their house. When a person crosses the border between his home, and “strange”, not a home space, he/she is looses protection of his ancestors’ spirits. Also a threshold is a border between world, a doorway through some evil spirits might come into our world.

The spirits might get angry if you cross the threshold without fulfilling your plans. If so, they will confuse all your thoughts, and interfere negatively in the upcoming affairs. In addition, the guardian angel after returning can stay at home and not go with you on a second journey.

What to do?

Many people believe that it is possible to neutralize the effect of the omen if you look in a mirror or sit for a while, when you return home. They say that when you leave the house you are always “blessed” by a brownie (house spirit), and he does it only if you sit down before leaving. As for the mirror, looking at it, you “reflect” the evil spirits standing behind you, and at the same time multiplying your strength and energy.

But speaking the truth, not so many people believe in this omen, because is you forget something it only means that you are absent-minded:)

Learn Russian language and culture in Petrozavodsk! Enroll for a language course here

Russian in Russia for basic (A2) level next March: 

Study Russian effectively in a mini-group, practice Russian with Russians, reach your goals in the Russian language with EnjoyRussian School! 

Starting date: March, 05 
Duration: 4 weeks 
Tuition fee: 640 euro for 80 lessons 

Apply here: https://enjoyrussian.com/courses/standard/ 
Get more details: info@enjoyrussian.com 

Full Russian immersion course in February of 2018: 

- Intensive Russian course (from 4 lessons a day); 
- Professional, experienced and creative native speaking teachers; 
- Interesting and diverse lessons with games, videos, projects and lots more;
- Russian homestay with caring and talkative Russian families;
- Cultural activities – events, parties, excursions, trips, craft shops;
- Support of Russian volunteers, speaking practice.

Duration: 2-4 weeks
Starting date: Feb, 05
Cost: from 320 euro (2-week tuition fee for 40 group lessons)

Apply here: https://enjoyrussian.com/courses/standard/
Get more details: info@enjoyrussian.com 

10 reasons to participate in a 3-month Russian immersion program in spring 2018: 

1. You’ll have 240 Russian lessons. You’ll significantly improve your vocabulary, grammar, listening, speaking, reading and writing skills. Thant’s what you need if you really want to reach the best results in Russian for a short period of time. By the end of the course you’ll be surprised by the progress you’ll have made; 

2. You’ll taste all kinds of traditional Russian and Karelian food while staying with a Russian host family and hear all interesting stories about Russian history, life in Russia and Soviet Union, amazing or weird Russian traditions firsthand from your hosts;

3. You’ll have a chance to visit the Kizhi island twice: in March by snowmobiles to see the silent beauty of snowbound Kizhi Pogost and in May by hydrofoil to take a relaxing walk along the green island under the sun;

4. You’ll have enough time to visit all repertoire of the Musical theatre (opera, ballet, operetta), concerts of the Philharmonic Hall and modern performances of Creative Workshop Drama Theatre;

5. You’ll celebrate all spring Russian holidays with Russians: eat “blini” for the whole week, burn the scarecrow of winter and dance in a round during Maslenitsa, cook an Easter bread “kylitch”, color the boiled eggs and toll a bell on a bell tower at Easter and participate in celebratory parades dedicated to the Labor day and Victory day during the May holidays;

6. You’ll visit all speaking clubs arranged by EnjoyRussian School: game club to remember lots of new Russian words in a fun way, literature club to read Russian classic literature, movie club to watch Soviet and Russian movies and cartoons, discussion club to learn a lot about Russian culture, traditions and superstitions;

7. You’ll see full-flowing Kivach waterfall;

8. You’ll meet all the Russian volunteers of EnjoyRussian School with whom you’ll visit all must-see and must-eat places in Petrozavodsk;

9. You’ll participate in all kinds of cultural activities from winter sports and theater backstage excursion in March to horse-riding and picnics in May;

10. You’ll see beautiful nature of Karelia in all its views: from snowbound fairy-tale sceneries and northern lights, icebreaking and snow melting to green and blossoming sceneries and white nights.

Apply for the 12-week program starting from March, 05: https://enjoyrussian.com/courses/long-term/
For more information, please contact info@enjoyrussian.com 

HOW TO PACK FOR YOUR RUSSIAN WINTER TRIP

Essentials you need to spend perfect Russian holiday

For those of you who prefer a real trip to Russia instead of taking Russian lessons by Skype (that are also possible to sign up for) we made up a list of things you should definitely pack into your bag before you are on your way to Russia.

• Warm clothing. Be ready to dress warmly and put on 3-4 layers. Do not forget earmuffs or hat and mittens, winter boots (waterproof are more preferable) that would not be slippery and grab maybe a blanket scarf. The temperature might be close to -25C. But anyways check the weather forecast before you go.
• Don’t forget about some dressy outfits especially if you are going to be here during the festive season (ссылка на программу праздничную). You can be invited at Christmas or New Year dinner by your host family or Russian friends, or go to theatre performance one day. So be sure you have something beside your super-cozy winter essentials.
• Your camera. 100% – you will see many cool places during your trip. At least you should take a picture of snowy landscapes and Russians eating icecream outsideJ
• Prepare a list of commonly used phrases – even if you are a total beginner in learning the language make sure you know some words to find your way even before you start you Russian language lessons: Здравствуйте – Zdrastvooyte – Hello, Извините – Eezveeneete –  Excuse me, Как добраться до_____ ? (kak dabratsya do) How do I get to _____ ? Спасибо – Spaseeba –  Thank you
• Dostoevsky, Tolstoy and Chekhov novels. Or anything you would love to read in Russian. In comparison to Europe where distances are not that small and you can cross several countries in a day in Russia it will take you hours to get to another city. That is why it’s better to have something to read.

What to do in Russia during winter time?

Enjoy Russian language school organizes some exciting winter activities for the students depending on their interests and recklessness!

• Ice fishing
• Snowmobile driving
• Dog sledding
• Skiing, skating and snowboarding, outdoor winter games
• Annual festival of ice and snow (Hyperborea)
• Cooking class “New Year traditional dishes in Russia”
• Moreover: Russian banya any time you want, street festivals, Nothern lights!

Join us in winter! Choose individual or group courses and the dates you want to come to Petrozavodsk and spend magic holiday in Russia! And if you are not ready to wait for the program starts, feel free to sign up for our Skype course!

HOW TO ASK PEOPLE THEIR NAMES IN RUSSIAN?

Enjoy Russian language school video lesson 5!

Recently our school set a tradition on making weekly lessons about  Russian language grammar and Russian way of life. We’ve already covered such topics as weather,  greetings in Russian, “How are you” vocabulary and the difference between verbs LEARN and STUDY.

This time school’s tutor Alina and our guest from the USA Jack are talking about asking people their names. After watching the video you’ll learn some  useful vocabulary and will be able to ask Russian President about his name!:)

If you want take part in this video project choose one of our courses and come to Petrozavodsk! And you are going to be our next guest!

10 REASONS TO COME TO PETROZAVODSK IN WINTER

What is the Russian language and Russian winter you will know in Petrozavodsk.

Northern part of Russia is an amazing region with unique atmosphere and sights. Visiting northern cities allows you to take part in very special activities you won’t find in other places. And Northern nature will dazzle you with its unique beauty even in winter.

Let’s find out why you should come to study Russian in Petrozavodsk this winter?

1. To enjoy snowy and frosty Russian winter. In Petrozavodsk you may easily take a walk through a forest to relax and you don’t even have to leave the city.

2. To relax in Russian banya and know what Russian proverb means: “В бане помылся – заново родился” (Washing up in the banya is like being born again). Banya is one of the most favourite Russian experience.

3. To bathe in an ice-hole and improve immunity.

4. To make a trip to Winter Kizhi. Open Air Museum Kizhi is “must see” place all year round.

5. To visit Hasky Dog farm and have dog-sleigh ride. Exciting active leisure and positive emotions.

6. To play outdoor winter games, to go skating and skiing.

7. To visit the International Winter festival of ice and snow sculptures “Hyperborea”. So many talented masters from Russia, Belarus, Finland etc. come to Petrozavodsk and share their art and ideas.

8. To celebrate Russian Maslenitsa and eat as many blinis as you can. The whole week you can try blinis with various fillings and have fun.

9. To participate in new cultutral activities – cooking and dancing class.

10. To take the best Russian language course starting from February 5 and make good progress in Russian!

Experience unforgettable Russian immersion program this autumn! 

Fast results in Russian, speaking practice with natives, cozy evenings in a Russian host family with homemade traditional Russian meals, lots of October events in Petrozavodsk (fests, art exhibitions, handy crafts, musical theatre, ballet and classical Russian plays and orchestra and lots more!)

Welcome to our Russian language course in Russia in October 2017:
Starting date: October, 16
Levels: A1 (elementary), A2+ (basic)
Duration: 2-6 weeks
Cost: from 470 euro (2-week course and homestay with breakfast)
Deadline to apply: Sep, 15

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

#enjoyrussian #bestrussiancourse #learnrussianfast #russianinrussia #languageschool#karelia #petrozavodsk #studyrussian #yearabroad

10 PICTURES PROVING ENJOY RUSSIAN SCHOOL HAD A GREAT SUMMER

During these three months we had an enormous amount of cool guys and hardworking students. Our teachers can’t stop recalling some funny moments they had during classes. Host families keep saying they had built really close bonds with students and they would love to see them again in the near future. Our volunteers miss the days they were able to text someone from the USA or Italy “let’s go outside and have a picnic”. By this short statistics review we can only give you a fragment of Enjoy Russian summertime. But to experience that to the whole measure, choose a course and join us! So let’s go. For these 3 monts we:

see more

 Intensive Russian course in Russia in October! 

Learn Russian fun and effectively and enjoy your results!

Starting levels: elementary, basic. 

Starting date: October, 02

Course includes:

- Intensive course in a group (2-8 weeks)

- Russian homestay with meals

- Language practice in cafes, shops, streets, etc

- Lots of fun and entertaining cultural activities

- Support of Russian volunteers

- information and document support from the moment of enrollment

Tuition fee for 2 weeks (40 Russian lessons in a group) - 320 euro

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

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

#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.

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

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

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 

If you have elementary (A1) level in Russian, you’re the one we’re looking for! 

Start your journey to speaking Russian  fluently from September, 04 and achieve fast results in your Russian language this autumn already: 

- if you take the 2-week course, you’ll achieve A1+ level. You’ll refresh and expand your knowledge, review the grammar of A1 level and expand your vocabulary. By the end of the course, you’ll be able to speak about your family, your house / apartment, describe your work day, discuss a television program, take part in a discussion about marriage and family relationships. 

- if you take the 4-week course, you’ll have enough communicative skills to travel in Russia. During the course you will learn to describe cities, to discuss the advantages of different types of transport, professions, and careers. The course will also help you understand Russian traditions, customs and holidays better. 

- if you take the 12-week course, you’ll achieve A2+ (basic) level of Russian. You will be able to speak about various serious topics in Russian: politics, economics, society and etc. You will have lots of Russian language practice with native speakers which will bring your understanding of Russian speech up to a higher level and help you speak without mistakes and shyness.  

 Dates: September,04-November,24 
Cost: from 470 euro (2-week group course + homestay with breakfast)
APPLY: http://enjoyrussian.com/apply-standart/ 
Ask a question: info@enjoyrussian.com