Regions at a glance
Russia’s eight federal districts, each with a main city and the thing every Russian associates with it. Tap a name to hear it.
Main city: Москва́ The historic heart: birch forests, old towns of the Golden Ring, and the capital. Золото́е кольцо́the Golden Ring of old towns
Main city: Санкт-Петербу́рг Lakes, the Baltic coast and summer white nights, when it barely gets dark. бе́лые но́чиwhite nights
Main city: Каза́нь Along Europe’s longest river; home to Tatars and many other peoples. Во́лга-ма́тушка“Mother Volga”
Main city: Екатеринбу́рг The mountain chain that divides Europe from Asia, and an old mining heartland. грани́ца Евро́пы и А́зииthe Europe–Asia border
Main city: Новосиби́рск Vast taiga, deep cold and Lake Baikal, the oldest and deepest lake on earth. Байка́лLake Baikal
Main city: Краснода́р The Black Sea coast, wheat fields and the warmest climate in the country. Чёрное мо́реthe Black Sea
Main city: Пятиго́рск Russia’s highest mountains, including Elbrus, and dozens of peoples with their own languages. Эльбру́сElbrus, Europe’s highest peak
Main city: Владивосто́к Pacific shores, volcanoes on Kamchatka, and the end of the Trans-Siberian line. Транссиби́рская магистра́льthe Trans-Siberian Railway
Talking about time zones
Trains, flights and TV schedules across Russia are often given in Moscow time, so Russians say “by Moscow time” and “by local time” constantly.
SKOL’-ka si-CHAS VRYE-mi-ni va vla-di-vas-TO-kye Ско́лькоhow muchсейча́сnowвре́мениtimeвоinВладивосто́кеVladivostok What time is it in Vladivostok now? во before В: an extra о makes it easier to say.
PO-ist at-prav-LYA-it-sa f VO-sim’ pa mas-KOF-ska-mu VRYE-mi-ni По́ездtrainотправля́етсяdepartsвat8:00eightпоbyмоско́вскомуMoscowвре́мениtime The train leaves at 8:00 Moscow time. Long-distance tickets once showed only Moscow time; now both are common.
u nas raz-NEE-tsa va VRYE-mi-ni syem’ chi-SOF Уatнасusразни́цаdifferenceвоinвре́мениtimeсемьsevenчасо́вhours There’s a seven-hour time difference between us. разни́ца во вре́мени: the time difference.
pa MYES-na-mu VRYE-mi-ni u-ZHE VYE-chir Поbyме́стномуlocalвре́мениtimeуже́alreadyве́черevening It’s already evening, local time. ме́стный: local.
Moscow or Petersburg?
The two capitals use different words for the same everyday things. Both are correct; using the local one marks you as someone who knows the city. Tap a row to hear both.
| English | Moscow | St Petersburg |
|---|---|---|
| entrance, stairwell | подъе́здpad-YEST | пара́днаяpa-RAD-na-ya |
| kerb | бордю́рbar-DYUR | поребри́кpa-ri-BREEK |
| shawarma, kebab wrap | шаурма́sha-ur-MA | шаве́рмаsha-VYER-ma |
| white loaf | бато́нba-TON | бу́лкаBUL-ka |
| a fried doughnut | по́нчикPON-chik | пы́шкаPYSH-ka |
| a chicken (to eat) | ку́рицаKU-ri-tsa | кура́ku-RA |
| travel card | проездно́йpra-yiz-NOY | ка́рточкаKAR-tach-ka |
Regional accents
Standard Russian is based on the speech of Moscow. Three regional features are easy to hear and worth knowing about, even though you should learn the standard form.
- North and VolgaО́канье: saying every о as оIn standard Russian an unstressed о sounds like а. In the north and along the upper Volga, many older speakers pronounce every о fully. Standardмолоко́ma-la-KO Regionalмолоко́mo-lo-KO
- SouthA soft, breathy гIn southern Russia, г is often pronounced as a breathy sound close to the h in English “ahead”, rather than a hard g. Standardго́родGO-rat Regionalго́родHO-rat (breathy h)
- Siberia and the UralsQuick, clipped speechUral and Siberian speech is often faster, with shortened vowels and endings swallowed, so words run together. Standardзна́ешьZNA-yish Regionalзна́ешьZNAsh
Names for locals
Russian has a word for a person from almost every city and region, with masculine and feminine forms. The suffixes vary, so learn them one by one.