Just Russian

…Just learn it!

Just Russian Testimonials

The lessons have been incredibly fun.

I really appreciate all the lessons I've had with Just Russian, with many thanks to Liliya, Julia and Vlada. Learning the language has helped me build better bonds with my Russian-speaking colleagues, get to know the culture and keep my mind sharp. The lessons have been incredibly fun. I have been very lucky to have you all as my teachers.
Girish Kamath
London, 2022

I had a great experience with Just Russian overall!

I booked lessons with Just Russian to help me with my university studies. My initial meeting with Vlada allowed me to express my particular goals and interests concerning lessons. My teacher, Lilia, tailored each lesson to these specific needs; not only did I learn lots of vocabulary, consolidate my grammar, and gain insight into the culture, I also learnt new techniques that I can use in the long term to improve my Russian. Lilia was an exceptional teacher and I had a great experience with Just Russian overall
Mandeep
London (lessons online), 2021

I highly recommend Just Russian!

After having tried to learn Russian using various apps / websites / text books; my use of grammar and vocabulary has increased dramatically since learning with Just Russian. My teacher has been incredibly patient with me and explains the various grammar rules clearly and concisely whilst providing relevant examples and practice tasks. Although we started with in-person lessons, the move to sessions over Skype has been seamless allowing us to continue quick progress. I highly recommend Just Russian!.
Phil Thomas
London 2020

My teacher is excellent

I can highly recommend Just Russian. My teacher, Liliya is excellent. Her understanding of the English language means she can easily explain the complications of Russian and as someone who has never been very good at languages I have been amazed at how much I have learnt in a relatively short time.
Melanie Sanders
Richmond Gymnastics Association 2019

Tutorials are both fun and productive

Having originally resolved to try to learn some basic Russian for tourism purposes, I am delighted to have discovered a much more enjoyable and interesting adventure than I had ever imagined. Through regular lessons with Vlada’s colleague Lily, I have discovered both the challenges and the pleasures of this fascinating language and culture. Some 18 months after starting with zero understanding of the language, through a programme of individual tuition with a flexible but structured approach, I am now confident in being able to effectively communicate in simple everyday conversation. The friendly and supportive approach have encouraged me to continue materially beyond my original goal. There is a real sense that my tutor is eager to support my progress and tutorials are both fun and productive whilst maintaining a clear structure to the learning process. If you are contemplating taking up the Russian language, I would highly recommend Just Russian as a wonderful partner to support you and make the process fun and effective.
Simon Hughes
London 2019

Language Wizardry

Meeting Vlada has been the best thing that has ever happened for my Russian. Vlada has a magical touch that makes sure I never get blocked or fail to progress. The lessons are always well structured, varied and individually tailored to my needs. A balance of humour, hard work and positivity has lead to a more thorough understanding of Russian alongside improving my native English Language structure. Vlada couldn’t be more helpful or accommodating. She is very highly skilled at improving confidence alongside accessing parts of my memory recall that other tutors have been unable to reach. Studying this highly complex language with Vlada is highly recommended if you wish to be successful in Russian.
Barry Potts
London 2018

Simply the best

I will be forever grateful that I came across Just Russian, Vlada and my tutor, Liliya, as they are simply the best. Liliya is highly experienced and the teaching methods she deploys are incredibly effective and enjoyable. My circumstances were highly unusual in that from being fluent in Russian, through not practising it for a number of years, and having focussed on another language meanwhile, I found myself in need of lessons. However, Liliya was able to devise lessons which suited my requirements, identified any gaps and ensured those gaps were swiftly filled. Liliya’s passion for the Russian language is infectious, which combined with the fast progress her lessons deliver, represents a recipe for success. Thank you Liliya and Vlada!
Kerry Martin
London 2017

My Russian has improved dramatically

I would highly recommend Just Russian to anyone looking to learn the language. My tutor Liliya is experienced, knowledgeable and patient, and her lessons utilise material from many different sources in order to help expand vocabulary and provide exposure to a variety of subjects and writing styles. I have been studying with Liliya for four years - three years of face-to-face lessons in London; the last year over Skype, now that I have moved abroad. My Russian has improved dramatically and I look forward to continuing with Liliya and Just Russian for many more years.
James A
Stockholm 2017 (lessons on Skype)

Vlada allows students to learn in the way that suits them best

Vlada taught Russian to a number of students at GM&T over a period of several years, many of whom were complete beginners. The beginners made good progress quick quickly and those with previous knowledge of Russian, like myself, rekindled our love of the language with Vlada's support. Vlada allows students to learn in the way that suits them best, employing traditional language teaching and drills, if required, with audio-visual media and topical materials. My own Russian lessons were a mixture of modern conversational subjects, formal grammar, cultural interludes of Pushkin of Dostoevsky and a good blend of humour. On the business side of things (I was in charge of language training at GM&T), Vlada is very efficient, organised and responsive. I recommend Vlada to those who wish to study Russian one to one or in a group. She will work with you to find a fun way to learn the language that works for you.
Sally Glover
Gazprom Marketing and Trading, London 2017

Language courses with Just Russian are a pure pleasure

Language courses with 'Just Russian' are a pure pleasure and I would recommend them to students of all age and skill levels! Over the past 8 years as a student of Just Russian I've experienced only the highest level of tutoring thanks to the excellent staff employed by Vlada. My teacher, Liliya, has made the classes incredibly interesting incorporating press articles, grammar exercises, videos but also music into our course but importantly she is a wonderful and inspiring person enriching the experience even further. The great organisation of the school, especially high quality replacement teachers, ensures the continuity of learning so crucial in successfully learning any foreign language! I highly recommend Just Russian to anyone willing to start their adventure with Russian!
Zuzanna Pusz
London 2017

I thoroughly enjoyed my lessons

I thoroughly enjoyed my lessons with Julia, an excellent teacher whose fluent English enabled her to convey the complications of Russian in simple terms. I would highly recommend her for those seeking a solid grounding in this fascinating language.
Stanley Slaughter
London 2017

A high-quality service we strongly recommend to anyone looking for good quality Russian-language teaching

We have been using Just Russian’s services for over two years now, renewing each February with pleasure. We have not only found the lessons to be excellent – matching our employees needs to the appropriate materials for their learning of Russian – they are given within a context of helping students better understand Russian culture and society as well. Additionally, Just Russian’s flexibility with regards to changes and ad hoc requests have all been met with equanimity and resourcefulness, which has made working with them a stress-free experience. A high-quality service we strongly recommend to anyone looking for good quality Russian-language teaching combined with a friendly approach.
Senior HR Manager UK & Ireland
Kaspersky Lab, London 2017

Fantastic tutors

I have been having Russian lessons with one of Vlada's tutors, and my teacher has gone above and beyond to keep me motivated and to explain challenging grammar concepts. I can recommend Just Russian without any hesitation.
Anna A.
London 2017

A great teacher

Vlada is a great teacher. Her depth of knowledge and flexible approach to teaching helps to bring the Russian language and its culture to life.
Richard Pugh
London 2017

The quality of the teaching is excellent

I was very lucky to find Just Russian this easily when I made the New Year's resolution to learn Russian. Vlada's prompt response and assistance allowed me to start classes within a week from my initial e-mail despite being in the middle of the holiday season. I'm now four years into this amazing journey (which is the longest I have kept a resolution!) and many more to come. Vlada found me the perfect tutor, whom has now become a friend. She is lovely, incredibly flexible and accommodating, which is priceless for a working person who studies Russian in the evenings. It goes without saying that the quality of the teaching is excellent, and they somehow find a way to make even the grammar fun to learn. You can clearly tell they are passionate about teaching, not only the language but also the Russian culture. It's a 360 degrees experience, whether you are doing this for fun or for work, you'll be looking forward to your Russian class! Definitely highly recommended.
Raffaella Maisto
London 2017

I highly recommend Just Russian

I highly recommend Just Russian. Vlada is an excellent teacher who is able to tailor the lesson plan to suit the requirements and capabilities of her students. She has made learning a difficult language fun and informative and we all look forward to her lessons.
Vivienne Bervoets
Chief Administration Officer, MATCH Hospitality, London 2017

Vlada and her colleagues are inspirational

Whew it is a difficult language! But Vlada and her colleagues are inspirational and not only do you cover ground quickly, but the lessons are fun and stimulating. I really feel I understand the culture more as well as the language...but I have missed out on the Red October chocolates so far...!
Francis Ellison
London 2017

Vlada is a brilliant communicator, she understands the needs of her students perfectly

If you are interested in learning Russian, ‘Just Russian’ is the only place to go – Vlada and her colleagues make it a joy to learn the Russian language. Vlada is a brilliant communicator, she understands the needs of her students perfectly and sets the right pace accordingly. The professionalism of the organisation in terms of how they work alongside Vlada’s perfect understanding of Russian and English makes it very easy to grasp the intricacies of the language. Advice to anyone just starting to learn Russian is - don’t worry, Vlada’s easy going personality and sense of humour makes learning Russian less daunting. I remember getting excited and learning something new at every lesson. I warmly recommend Vlada and Just Russian.
Company Director
London 2017

Outstanding and capable tutors

I would highly recommend Just Russian for anyone who is keen to learn the Russian language. My teacher Maria was fantastic. She was wonderful, energetic and patient with a great command of the language and grammar. She is also very diligent and tailored the course specifically to my needs, allowing us to progress much faster than I ever thought we could. Thank you to Vlada for organising the lessons and for finding such outstanding and capable tutors.
Aron Balas
London

Outstanding and capable tutors

I would highly recommend Just Russian for anyone who is keen to learn the Russian language. My teacher Maria was fantastic. She was wonderful, energetic and patient with a great command of the language and grammar. She is also very diligent and tailored the course specifically to my needs, allowing us to progress much faster than I ever thought we could. Thank you to Vlada for organising the lessons and for finding such outstanding and capable tutors.
Aron Balas
London

One of the best language teachers I've met

I've been learning languages since I was a child, but never enjoyed my classes as much as I did with Vlada. She is a great teacher with an exceptional knowledge of both English and Russian languages. Vlada is always ready to answer any questions about grammar or meaning of words, using examples that are easy to relate to, which helps understand the language much better.

Vlada always surprised me with the variety of different teaching techniques she used, including custom-made exercises to practice the vocabulary or grammar I needed to improve, useful tables grouping similar cases for easier learning, articles, stories, videos etc.

Therefore I strongly agree with all the positive comments below and would highly recommend Vlada as a teacher. Additionally, I also had a few classes with some members of her team and I was equally satisfied with the outcome. Even though their approaches were slightly different, the classes were very effective and enjoyable at the same time so would trust in Vlada's recommendation again.
Zuzana Kolibarova
London

A highly qualified and experienced teacher

Vlada is a highly qualified and experienced teacher with the unique ability to tailor courses to the need of every specific individual. What makes Vlada stand out is her natural skill to balance between a friendly and at the same time professional approach towards her clients. The learning process is very dynamic and interesting, but also challenging and demanding. I am really pleased with the way she presents the material and I would highly recommend her to anyone wishing to take Russian lessons.
Emil Manchev
London

I had a great experience with Just Russian overall!

I booked lessons with Just Russian to help me with my university studies. My initial meeting with Vlada allowed me to express my particular goals and interests concerning lessons. My teacher, Lilia, tailored each lesson to these specific needs; not only did I learn lots of vocabulary, consolidate my grammar, and gain insight into the culture, I also learnt new techniques that I can use in the long term to improve my Russian. Lilia was an exceptional teacher and I had a great experience with Just Russian overall
Mandeep
London (lessons online), 2021

Incredible teacher

Incredible teacher with a great knowledge of the Russian language and the history of the origins of words plus the occasional amusing social insight into the culture of this large country and its people. She has great patience and has not failed yet to provide explanations for linguistic challenges that this demanding student has engineered from time to time. Thank you.
Alan Mulligan
London

A great teacher indeed

I would highly recommend Vlada if you are interested in taking Russian lessons, whether you are a novice or a proficient speaker who wants further improve his Russian language skills. I have thoroughly enjoyed my lessons with Vlada and have learned a lot during our classes. She is very patient and engaging. She is very flexible and tailors the lessons to the best way the student can learn. A great teacher indeed.
Janet Blas

Vlada made learning a difficult language much easier than it could have been

Lessons with Vlada were never dull. She used a wide variety of methods to bring clarity to the language and encouraged us to engage fully with the texts. Her gentle and persistent methods made learning a difficult language much easier than it could have been, and we were frequently rewarded with cultural insights, including sampling the delicious "Red October" chocolates. I recommend her highly to anyone wanting to understand and speak Russian.
Victoria Penrice

Vlada and her team are excellent teachers

I greatly enjoy my Russian lessons, Vlada and her team are excellent teachers. Learning Russian is excellent ‘brain exercise’, fun and is very helpful for getting to know people better in my workplace. Vlada is a very encouraging, positive teacher who make lessons fun and engaging.
Michelle Witton

A new approach to learning Russian

I have had many Russian teachers over the past 30 years. Some were good, some were just ok. A common problem with a number of them was that THEY would do all the talking, rather than making the students talk. And then came Vlada… I have taken lessons with Vlada on several occasions during the last 10 years and I can say that I made real progress with her. Suddenly, my classmates and me were the ones doing the talking; Vlada would always find ways to make us speak confidently, using role plays and talk-shows to make it more entertaining. Another striking feature of Vlada’s classes is that when it comes to grammar she can always explain the rules in a way that is accessible to foreigners. And God knows that these rules are impossible in many cases! To make a long story short, I would rate Vlada my best Russian teacher ever and would recommend her to anyone willing to learn Russian.
Michel
Chief Counsel, EBRD

Lessons were always engaging and never dull

Having abandoned all attempts to learn another language upon leaving school, the prospect of learning Russian, a language so far removed from my native English, was certainly a daunting task. Vlada achieved the impossible - she managed to cut through any initial apprehension I had with an engaging and informative introduction to the Russian alphabet and the evolution of the language itself, and succeeded in making the process of learning the vocabulary and grammar of the Russian language both interesting and thoroughly enjoyable. By employing a variety of teaching tools, lessons were always engaging and never dull – I shall always have fond memories of singing along in Russian to well-known tunes, as well as reading a variety of famous texts in Russian for the first time. Our lessons were always peppered with insights into how Russian has evolved over time, and Vlada’s obvious passion for all things linguistic enabled her to demonstrate shared origins with a number of other languages.

I cannot recommend Vlada enough, and consider her to be nothing short of a miracle worker when it comes to teaching Russian.
Lindsay Gallagher

Unique way of grasping what works best

Vlada has introduced me to the rewarding experience of learning Russian. I commend her patience and her unique way of grasping what works best for each student in order to get results. I particularly enjoyed the bits of history and culture in each lesson. I hope I can work with her in honing my Russian language skills again soon.
Silvana Glibota-Vigo

Highly trained professional

Russian lessons with Vlada are a treat at the quality end of the market. She is a language teacher of consummate skill. Her grammatical explanations and help sheets stand out for their clarity. Vlada’s grasp of English language teaching makes her an excellent guide to the features of Russian most baffling to English learners. It is an enormous help to discover a teacher who is unafraid to teach Russian making full use of the student’s mother tongue and we have relished her English to Russian exercises which are a rarity in current language teaching.

Vlada is not simply a highly trained professional. She has the additional gift of tailoring her lessons to the interests, capabilities and needs of her individual students. In our case, Vlada laid a reassuring, firm foundation under our floundering, recreational Russian and found texts and exercises that held our interest or puzzled us enough to keep us engrossed. We would recommend her kind and encouraging tuition to other leisure-time learners of Russian who are beginning to doubt their capabilities.
Christopher and Evelyn

Enjoyable and extremely fruitful

As someone who had studied Russian for a number of years, I needed help to improve my level of conversation and put all that I had previously learnt into practical use. Just Russian provided me with a tutor (Tatiana), who did exactly that. My lessons were a good balance of conversation and written exercises, and my tutor’s friendly yet disciplined approach made my Russian lessons enjoyable and extremely fruitful.
Elisabetta Bianco

Thoroughly recommended

Working for a Russian company I felt it was necessary to at least understand and be able to read basic Russian phrases and speak to our counterparts in Moscow. Just Russian gave a very clear and precise learning environment and was excellent in their approach to what I wanted to learn. Vlada tailored the lessons in a way that was very practical to what I had requested and ensured that we not only learnt this difficult language but had fun along the way. Thoroughly recommended.
Chris Alexander

Very patient teacher

As a large group of beginners and almost-beginners, we possessed varying basic understanding levels in terms of the Russian language. Vlada was a very patient teacher and was able to pace our group lessons so that everyone was able to pick up the basics and we were all then able to develop our language skills at a good pace. As the course progressed, we had leavers and new joiners, and Vlada coped very well with the challenges of introducing the new joiners to the course and integrating them into our group. Vlada was able to bring the language to life and encourage us to keep our weekly lessons going for over two years – I for one had tried many teach-yourself Russian language courses over the years and never been able to keep it going, but with Vlada’s help I kept up my motivation to learn the language over an extended period. I look forward to continuing the lessons with Vlada in the future.
Adrian Hoggarth

Engaging, patient and very knowledgeable

Just Russian was exactly what I needed to get a hang of the Russian language. My tutor was engaging, patient, very knowledgeable about the language and literature and kept my interest in the subject. I would recommend Just Russian to anyone studying the language.
John McRoberts

I cannot recommend Vlada warmly enough

I cannot recommend Vlada warmly enough. Not just for help with navigating Russian grammar, but also for learning about Russian culture, history, literature, outlook and humour. Her lessons are highly tailored to the student’s interests – for example, if I mention something I have read or seen, that often forms the basis of the next lesson’s reading material. It helps that her English is excellent too.
Tatiana Kruse

Good for building confidence

Vlada is an excellent Russian teacher. I’ve been having weekly lessons with her since January 2008. Vlada uses a variety of sources in her lessons – textbooks, newspaper articles, extracts from literature and sometimes we just alight on a topic of interest in the lesson and chat about that. This means her lessons are always fun, interesting and stimulating. Vlada is very encouraging and corrects mistakes gently, which is good for building confidence, especially with a complex, intricate language like Russian. I would definitely recommend Vlada as a teacher.
Sophie Palmer

Exceptional teacher by any standard

I once was an English language teacher for the British Council in Finland, so I can comment on Vlada’s abilities with a degree of knowledge. She is an exceptional teacher by any standard and her seemingly effortless methods have given me, at least, the confidence to speak and to write with a degree of fluency I could only have achieved in such a remarkably short space of time by living in Russia.
Ian Jones

I felt motivated from her teaching style

Vlada is an amazing teacher that has helped me get up to speed with the language within a short timeline. She tailored the learning approach to my work schedule that involved a lot of travel abroad and long breaks between lessons. I felt motivated from her teaching style and have been able to readily apply the knowledge learnt in the classroom.
Agis Petrovits

Best teacher I have ever had

I have been having lessons with Vlada for 2 years from August 2006 to August 2008 and have thoroughly enjoyed it! As most people will agree it is not easy to find a good teacher – Vlada’s optimism and exceptional knowledge of the history of both languages made it a great experience and I used to look forward to our weekly lessons.

I started as a beginner and can now hold a fluent conversation, write and feel comfortable when speaking to native Russian speakers which helped me a tremendous deal when working in our Moscow office.

I love studying languages and Russian was my 4th language to learn but I must admit Vlada was by far the best teacher I have ever had and I would gladly recommend her to anyone.
Hana Beard

Understands her language through and through

I could not have hoped for a better Russian teacher than Vlada. She combines the natural advantages of a native speaker with the skills of a trained linguist who understands her language through and through. In addition to this, she is an excellent pedagogue, anticipating my needs as a learner and providing an abundance of interesting material to meet them.

She would always go above and beyond the call of duty in order to tailor the course to my particular interests, and to give help and guidance whenever I needed it, even outside our actual lesson time. As an individual pupil, I felt that Vlada really cared about my progress and was doing everything possible to further it. Her attitude is in all respects conscientious and professional.
Natasha Goldberg

Not only the most professional, but also the most fun

I already know Russian quite well and have been interested in keeping it at a good level for many years. I have tried all types of Russian classes in and around London and I can say the tuition I received from Vlada was not only the most professional, but also the most fun and wide-ranging. I really experienced myself enjoying speaking Russian and re-found my love of the language
Richard Hunt

The most gifted language instructor I have encountered

Vlada’s Russian is extremely effective and rewarding. Within ten minutes after she introduced me to my first Russian words, I was already learning basic conversation. With her keen ear for progress, she swiftly increased my Russian abilities over our six month course. She is a master of language learning and skillfully adapted our course to my goals, abilities and time restraints. Vlada is simply the most gifted language instructor I have encountered, constantly challenging my conversational skill, while supporting it with a solid and clear grammatical foundation.
Alexander Dean Lemke

I progressed quickly under Vlada’s teaching

Having to learn Russian? I would definitely recommend Vlada. She is the best Russian teacher I’ve ever had, and I must confess, I tried several in my bank before meeting Vlada. I enjoyed the lessons so much that even when I moved job I decided to continue private tuitions with Vlada.

What I particularly liked in Vlada’s teaching is her way to simply make the Russian grammar understandable. For beginners, having lessons well-structured is unvaluable, and I progressed quickly under Vlada’s teaching: she helped me prepare the GCSE in Russian and I got a A*! Vlada has always some more “home-made” homework to give you if you’re asking, and new interesting teaching material to use like Russian newspapers. What I also like with Vlada is her ability to give the history of some Russian words, which makes lessons more fun. Despite my mother tongue being French, I did not have any problem in learning in English, as Vlada excels in English, and knows Spanish and some French. Thanks Vlada!
Caroline Cerruti

Remarkable communication skills

Vlada is an exceptional teacher having not only an in-depth knowledge of both English and of course Russian, but also remarkable communication skills which are so important for a teacher. Above all she has a great sensitivity for the particular needs of her students.
Verena Smith

Fun, varied and rewarding

Learn Russian? That should be fun I thought. Initially, I only wanted conversational Russian, not thinking it would be necessary to read, write or understand the grammar. This, I was told was not the way to learn a language! How very true, I now realise!

Learning the Cyrillic alphabet and beginning to read and write in Russian within the first few weeks was incredibly satisfying. Learning should be, and is, fun, varied and rewarding.

To be a good language teacher requires many skills, not least of which is the mastery of two languages. Vlada’s depth of knowledge in both Russian and English is, I think, exceptional. Fifteen months and two visits to Russia later, I have never enjoyed it more!
Jonathan Quy

Vlada is the consummate professional

Vlada is the consummate professional. Structured, patient (for mature beginners that is an important quality!) and empathetic. She has an eye for precision and will not allow you the learner to escape with a casual approach to what is a sometimes demanding and specific language system. To make the learning enjoyable and relevant she integrates interesting and useful cultural information into lessons.

Learning to pronounce Russian words is always challenging for a beginner. Vlada has excellent diction and clarity of speech, so that you can master both the tone and pronunciation of words easily. You will be worked hard, but that is what is required to master Russian. For business people she also helpfully understands managing lessons around busy schedules; something many teachers are not interested in doing. I thoroughly commend her as a Russian teacher.
Steven Pritchard