Study & Live with your own Private Teacher in the Russia Region: a unique way to learn Russian.

We offer this unique way to learn a language, studying and living in the home of your own personal teacher. We offer a choice of 10, 15, 20, 25 or 30 hours of personal teaching per week plus 3 meals daily. Programs are suitable for any age of student and all levels of language skills.


Russia is over 17 million km2 making it the largest country the world covering more than a ninth of the Earth’s land. Russia extends all across Asia and nearly halfway into Europe, spanning 9 different time zones. With 142 million people, Russia is the ninth most populous nation in the world. This vast territory and population had its beginnings with the East Slavs who formed the Kievan Rus’, the first Eastern Slavic state in the 9th century. The adoption of Orthodox Christianity from the Byzantine Empire shaped Russia for the next millennium. While the state was overrun by the Mongol invasions, the Grand Duchy of Moscow finally managed to unify the nearby territories and Moscow became the major center of Russia in the modern era. The Russian Empire was an enormous power and, with the creation of the Soviet Union, Russia became the world’s first constitutional socialist state and the most prominent example of communism in history. Russia suffered greatly during WWII but it was ultimately victorious and played an enormous role in the defeat of Hitler. After the war, Soviet Russia had several decades as a major superpower and managed incredible advancements in science and technology. Today Russia has become a capitalist state but retains a great pride in its achievements and history.


The historical center of Russia for the past six centuries has been Central Russia (or European Russia) which contains Moscow, St Petersburg, the Golden Ring and all our Live & Learn placements. Although it is less than a quarter of the total land area, almost 80% of all Russians live in Central Russia. It is known as Central Russia only for being the center of government and the nation’s development. It is actually the westernmost portion of Russia that border upon the European states to the east, the Ural Mountains to the west and Kazakhstan to the south. While this area is as diverse and as large as many European countries there are two urban centers the area is organized around: Moscow and St Petersburg.


Moscow is the financial and political hub of Russia and has been for most of the nation’s history. About 1 in 10 of all Russians live within Metropolitan Moscow which makes it the major cultural center of the country and the most influential area in the country. An overnight train ride away is St Petersburg which, although only being about half the size of Moscow, is an incredibly influential and important city. St Petersburg had the all important access to the Baltic Sea making it very important for trade and the major site of the Russian Navy. Its proximity to Europe has also influenced its character making the city an important place throughout history for the meeting of European and Slavic cultures. Between these two major cities is the Golden Ring, a series of historically significant Russian cities. All were established close enough to be a day’s ride from the other by horse. The main site to visit in the Golden Ring is Sergiev Posad which has the Troitse-Sergeeva Monastery, the major institution of the Russian Orthodox Church. It is considered the most beautiful monastery in Russia. Suzdal was a capital for several principalities and is a splendid example of early Russian architecture. Meanwhile, Yaroslavl’s historical city center, situated where the Volga and Kotorosl rivers meet, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. There are many more cities in the Golden Ring and exciting places to visit nearby during your Live & Learn adventure!


What we like about Russia in the Russia Region:

  • It As the most historically significant region of Russia you will be close to all the major tourist destinations.
  • It With the vast majority or Russians living in the region you will be exposed to the most Russian culture and people and experience the most typical lifestyle of the Russians.
  • Rail and other transportation is particularly dense here making it the perfect place to take daytrips to any destination that appeals to you.