Hi All,<o:p></o:p>

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I’m currently spend two to three hours a day commuting to and from work, and I have decided I need to utilise that time in the car to my advantage. I was wondering if anyone could recommend any good language learning audio cd’s. I’ll still continue my usual study at home and my lessons, but I have this long commute and rather than listen to the same monotonous song on the radio, I want to take advantage of this time.<o:p></o:p>

I welcome and appreciate all your recommendations, thanks.<o:p></o:p>

Hello All,<o:p></o:p>

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I have booked a holiday to Russia ( refundable tickets) and I am in the process of applying for a visa. However I have some questions that I would like ask  everyone, particularly British Citizens because the process will be exactly the same for us, but all feedback is most welcome.<o:p></o:p>

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So, I understand to get a visa I must have an official invitation from a licensed Tourist agency or from the hotel, and in some cases both.  I have booked the Raddison blue in Moscow , due to a friend getting very good rates. However, I would like to use AirBNB when I visit St Petersburg so I can reduce costs a little, but I have heard it can be difficult getting a visa invitation if they are not properly authorised to. I have looked at getting a tourist invitation through  <a href="https://www.visitrussia.org.uk">https://www.visitrussia.org.uk</a>. They ask you to say what place you will be visiting and the place you will be staying at, but they do not ask how long for. Perhaps I can just give the hotel for Moscow only, and then when I go to Saint Petersburg I can check in at the Post Office and stay in a place from Air BNB, or do I have to have addresses for everywhere I am staying, and also an invitation from both place. <o:p></o:p>

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I really appreciate all the help!<o:p></o:p>

Hi all,

I am looking to visit Russia in July and I have a few question for those who have visited Russia from the UK.

My first question is did you have to book flights and a hotel before you applied for the visa? Secondly how long did the visa take? Also could anyone recommend me some decent places to stay in Moscow and Saint Petersburg? Do you think 4 days in Moscow and 5/6 days in Saint Petursburg will be enough time to see things? This will exclude days used for travelling. 

Thanks all for the help.

Hi all,

One of my favourite Russian Tv shows is the Kitchen. However, you can't find it anywhere with English subtitles...so I though. You can find Season 1 and now season 2 on Amazon TV with English subtitles. I thought I would share this with everyone, since it's a great series, and so hard to find a subtitled copy. 

Since meeting my girlfriend over 2 years ago and having been learning Russian for just over a year, I have started to understand the Russian culture and mentality a lot more, and it leads me to ponder the question: Was I  born in the wrong country? The reason I ask myself this, is because I find that I share more values with Russians than I do with Brits. Their mentality is closer to mine , and also the way they look at life. I have met a lot of Russians, and I live with three. I find myself arguing with colleagues and friends as I agree with the Russian stance on most things, and I care more about what happens to Russia than that of the UK .Now, I know you’re probably thinking. That I  could just up and move, but it’s not always that simple, because you have to leave everything behind, find work, and also my girlfriend wouldn’t go with me.<o:p></o:p>

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I am wondering does anybody else feel like this? And also, what country do you feel you identify with more than your own. This isn’t a question where the answer is I believe we are all one people etc etc. <o:p></o:p>

Hi all,

I am looking to have a short Skype conversation on Sunday with someone, in which I wan't to practice introducing myself, being asked questions about my family, likes and dislikes etc, very basic stuff, so I can assess my level and what I need to brush up on.

I am more than happy to also focus on the areas of English you wish to test or improve, it's good to sometimes set some predefined goals to the conversation. 

So please drop me a line and we can arrange a time. I'm afraid it might not be possible to chat to all the people who leave a message, but I will make sure to contact you for later.

Hi,

Can anyone recommend some decent textbooks for learning Russian? I like to use textbooks as a reference, so any with decent exercises, or phrases would be great.

Thank you all :). 

Hi, <o:p></o:p>

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Does anybody know of any language qualifications you can get for Russian, to show what level you are at. I am looking to take a few tests, to have proof of my level of Russian, for when I interview for potential jobs. I also want to do it for personal reasons as well.<o:p></o:p>

Hey all,

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I was wondering if anyone could recommend some good Russian TV series to watch, and if so, do you know where I can stream them with English subtitles? <o:p></o:p>

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Thank you everyone J.<o:p></o:p>