Potemkin stairs in Odessa

Russian church

On the edge of the Black Sea, Odessa is a charming high-spirited Ukrainian city of about one million inhabitants with a fascinating history. Opened to the world thanks to an active port, its inhabitants (the Odessites) are known for they great sense of humor and their freedom towards the central power, whichever it is. Cultivating a cosmopolitan culture and a vivid Russian language (Odessite usually do not speak Ukrainian), the city has a rich cultural life thanks to its opera, philharmonic orchestra and several theaters. Welcoming many students in its universities, Odessa offers also plenty of various activities for young and less young people.

In one word, with its nice old classical streets dating back to its foundation years in the XIXth century, its charming public gardens and several beaches along the seashore, Odessa is an ideal place to study Russian while being in holidays.

It is also good to know that the everyday life has eased since the end of the nineties, offering foreign visitors all what they need.

You can go to Odessa all year round and the city is very well linked to the rest of the world, thanks to its international airport, train station and port.

A classroom

The meeting room

School director and Mr. Ziegler

Courses take place at our partner school in Odessa, the Odessa Language Study Center, which is a privately run language school with teachers from Odessa Polytechnical State University and other teaching institutions in Odessa. It is located in a beautiful XIXth century building recently restored. At a walking distance of the city center, the Black Sea seashore and the main public garden of the city, it is the ideal place to explore Odessa.

All teachers have a long experience in teaching Russian to foreigners and speak all at least one foreign language (mainly English, but also French or German). The teaching method is based on total immersion, i.e., only Russian is spoken during the course.

Classrooms are bright and luminous and equipped with modern infrastructure. A small cafeteria and a meeting room are at the disposal of all students.

You can follow standard courses of 20 lessons per week or intensive courses of 30 lessons per week. The school also offers Russian courses for businessmen (20 lessons per week) at the same price as the standard and intensive courses. Lessons are 45 minutes each.

For each category of courses, students can apply for individual or group lessons, the possibility to follow group lessons depending on the number of students and their level of Russian. We recommend from our own experience to take individual courses: the professor can concentrate on your specific needs, which allows you to make quick progress and focus on your areas of interest.

At the first lesson, you will be asked to complete an assessment in order to determine your level of knowledge. A second test is offered at the last lesson, allowing you to measure your progress. At the end of the course, each student receives a certificate with the kind of course he followed and his level of Russian.

Duration of your stay

From numerous experiences we have learnt that the minimal time you will need to get acquainted with the new environment is two weeks. However, if time permits, we strongly recommend you to stay for at least four weeks. The longer you stay, the more progress you will make, obviously. Beginners will need six to twelve weeks in order to develop the language skills necessary to communicate in an every-day-situation, and to be able to read and understand texts.

Keep in mind: Russian is a complicated and difficult language to learn for foreigners and you will need to work hard on your progress. We require that you are familiar with the Russian alphabet prior to departure. This will facilitate your immersion into the Russian culture, and is, in fact, an easy task. Study material is available in any bookshop (check out also our own online bookshop).

Excursions in Odessa or in its surroundings are regularly offered to our students (as a rule, tours are in English). These excursions will allow you to discover the rich history and the architecture of the region. They are lead by a authentic native Odessite guide who is able to explain the fate of every stone and every great figure of her city.