Russian and East European StudiesREES Russian language program offers five years of immersive, culture-focused, experiential language instruction in two tracks: traditional (for students who began learning Russian in a classroom, virtual or real) and heritage track (for students who have learned or been exposed to Russian at home or in the community).
Why Learn Russian?
International Communication: Russian is one of the six official languages of the UN and is spoken by approximately 258 million people worldwide.In addition to the Russian Federation, the largest populations of native Russian speakers are found in Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and the Caucasus. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, there are 854,955 Russian speakers in the U.S. Russian is among the 15 most spoken languages in the U.S. and is one of the most spoken Slavic languages in the country.
Cultural Immersion: By understanding the language, you gain access to the culture. A student of Russian has an extensive verbal tradition to draw from, including rich folklore, as well as great realist and modernist literature. This encompasses the works of renowned 19th-century realists like Leo Tolstoy, Fyodor Dostoevsky, and Anton Chekhov, as well as the vast body of work by early 20th-century and contemporary masters. While translation is often a helpful shortcut to understanding foreign-language literature, it is never enough on its own to convey the depth, beauty, and richness of the original.
When you understand Russian, you open the door to various cultural phenomena, such as music, song, and dance traditions, opera and ballet, film and theatre, the wonders of religious and modernist architecture, art, chess, cuisine, and the mentality and culture of everyday life.
Job Market: Russian is listed as a critical language by the U.S. government, with prestigious language study scholarships and government-funded job opportunities available.
Program Philosophy
In the Russian program, we believe that to learn most effectively, you need to maximize your opportunities to experience how language is used in real-life contexts and to use it yourself. That’s why we create opportunities for you to speak the language and will frequently speak to you in Russian from day one.
In our classes, we learn and use language not for its own sake, but to explore and discuss its real-world contexts, cultures, and communities—helping us better understand both the world and ourselves. All our classes are highly interactive, incorporating games and playful activities, as well as Russian-language songs, films, and movie clips, along with a wide range of readings from literature and contemporary media.
Our goal is to make your time studying Russian meaningful and enjoyable while equipping you with the tools for continued learning beyond our classes and Penn.
Program Structure
Russian language program offers courses in two tracks: traditional (for students who began learning Russian as a foreign language in a classroom, virtual or real) and heritage track (for students who have learned or been exposed to Russian at home or in the community).
Advising
For more information about Russian language program, specific courses, Penn Foreign Language requirement and placement testing, study abroad and other language immersion opportunites, contact Dr. Djamilia Nazyrova at https://rees.sas.upenn.edu/people/mila-nazyrova.
Co-curricular programming
Students of Russian at Penn may take advantage of a wealth of co-curricular activities sponsored by the Department, the student-led Russian club, and by other units at Penn, including weekly informal conversation gatherings (Russian Tea), lectures, language competitions, film screenings, parties and more. Check our Events page for a list of specific events and dates.
Language Immersion and Study Abroad
Students at all levels of Russian are encouraged to consider language immersion programs as part of their language learning experience while at Penn. Check specific programs and requirements here.
