🪿 I found some great YouTube channels with Russian fairy tales like 'The Swan Geese,' 'The Little Humpbacked Horse,' and 'Twelve Months.' They come with both English and Russian subnoscripts, so I can always double-check if I don’t understand something.

Honestly, I’ve noticed that older films are easier to follow because the actors speak much slower 🗣

I once spent ages looking up what 'сонные тетери' (sleepy blackcocks) meant. I found out 'тетерев' is a bird, but I still don’t get how it relates to sleep. Then there are phrases like "ливмя льет" (literally 'rainily rains') or "криком кричит" ('shouting with their scream') — they really throw me off. My teacher explained they’re used for emphasis, but a literal translation sounds like nonsense! 🤯🤯🤯

📖 I started learning Russian in my freshman year. Mostly, I read classics — my Russian girlfriend gave me my first book in high school: 'Crime and Punishment' by Dostoevsky.

🤓I remember even reading it in English took forever, but it left such a strong impression that I asked her to send more. That’s how I ended up reading 'The Brothers Karamazov' and 'Demons.' Then she decided I was ready for the 'heavy artillery' and handed me 'War and Peace,' but I couldn’t get through it.

Once I began learning Russian, I fell in love with Chekhov’s short stories — they’re easy to read, concise, and written in simple language. I also adored Bulgakov. 'The Master and Margarita' is fascinating not just for its plot but for phrases that often stump foreigners. Still, I love surprising Russians by casually dropping quotes like 'They were corrupted by the housing problem' or 'second-fresh sturgeon' 😁