Frequently Asked Questions About Our Russian Classes

If you are attending Russian language courses at our St. Petersburg or Moscow locations, arrive at 9:00.
If you are studying at our school in Irkutsk, arrive at 9:30.
If you are studying at our school in Riga, arrive at 8:30.

Complete beginners should arrive 30 minutes later than the above listed times.

On the very first day of classes, a member of your host family will bring you to the school. If you are living in a shared apartment, follow the instructions provided to you before your departure.

The Standard Group Course timetable is:

10:00 to 11:40 – Two 50-minute lessons, followed by a 20 minute break

12:00 to 13:40 – Two 50-minute lessons

Afternoon shifts for Intensive Course Supplement, Language Plus or Additional One-on-One Modules start between 14:00 and 15:00, but will be confirmed on your first day of school.

The Standard Group Course timetable:

10:00 to 13:50 – Four 50-minute lessons, each followed by a 10-minute break

Afternoon shifts for Intensive Course Supplement, Language Plus or Additional One-on-One Modules start between 14:30 and 15:00, but will be confirmed on your first day of school.

Standard Group Course:
10.00 – 11.40 (2 lessons of 50 minutes, followed by a short break of 20 min)
12.00 – 13.40 (2 lessons of 50 minutes)

Afternoon shift (Intensive Course Supplement, Language Plus or Additional One-to-One Modules) starts at 14.00-15.00 – to be confirmed on your first day at school.

The Standard Group Course timetable:

9:00 to 10:40 – Two 50-minute lessons, followed by a 10 minute break

10:50 to 12:30 – Two 50-minute lessons

Afternoon shifts for Intensive Course Supplement, Language Plus or Additional One-on-One Modules start after a one-hour break at 13:30.

If you take a one-on-one course, you may schedule classes in the afternoon. However, all group classes occur in the morning.

Yes. If you feel like your group is not the right fit or is the wrong level, you should speak with your teacher. After consulting with the Director of Studies, your teacher will suggest how you should continue your studies and if you should be a part of a group at a different level. If there is no group suited to your needs, Liden & Denz will offer you an individual course with 75% of your booked group lessons.

At Liden & Denz, we believe being immersed in the Russian culture and language will help you progress in your Russian language studies more quickly. Thus, all our lessons are only taught in Russian. However, our teachers are dedicated to your success and will speak slowly to ensure you understand the tasks. If you feel you need specialized assistance, we can arrange individual lessons to meet your special requirements.

Yes. All our campus locations are equipped with wireless internet you can access for free.

Textbooks and copies are included in the course fees. Any additional materials you may need can be purchased at specialised bookshops.

Every student will receive a graded certificate in Russian from Liden & Denz which states the course type, course dates, number of hours studied, and level of Russian abilities.

You are not required to download any software. Liden & Denz uses Zoom, so the only things you need to be able to participate in online calluses are a browser, microphone, and speakers.

Our calendar indicates available lessons slots, and you are free to choose from those as you wish.

No. Liden & Denz always ensures that you have the same teacher no matter which days and times you have selected.

Like our residential individual courses, we assign your teacher based on information you provide on the signup form about the reason you are learning Russian and your specifics needs.

All of our teachers are thoroughly trained to teach in online classrooms. However, if you want to change your teacher, Liden & Denz will assign you a new teacher.

As long as you advise Liden & Denz in writing at least 24 hours before your scheduled lesson that you need to reschedule, your lesson will not be lost and you will receive a credit.

Yes. You can choose to “pay offline”, and you will be able to download a paper invoice with Liden & Denz’ banking details. Once we receive your payment, we will credit you the amount of booked lessons.

Yes. Students in online Russian language courses receive the same certificates. You will receive your certificate in the format of a stamped and signed PDF. If you prefer, we can airmail your original certificate upon request.

On request, alternate class times can be arranged. Please send your preferences to bookings@lidenz.ru.

If you require a visa to study at one of Liden & Denz’ centres, you must obtain your visa from your nearest consulate in advance. Authorities will not let you enter Russia or Latvia without the appropriate documents.

By air: Several international airlines offer regular service to Moscow’s international airports, including Sheremetievo (SVO), Domodedovo (DME), and Vnukovo (VKO), to St. Petersburg’s airport, Pulkovo (LED) and Irkutsk (IKT). When you arrive at the airport, you will pass through passport control and customs. If you do not have a valid visa, you will be denied entry and possibly fined.

If you need currency upon arrival, it is possible to exchange your money at the airport. There are also ATM machines that accept most major credit cards.

By train: Students can travel to both St. Petersburg and Moscow by train. Please be advised that if you are travelling from Europe through Belarus, you will need a valid transit Byelorussian visa to be allowed to pass through. It is also possible to get to Irkutsk by train from Moscow or Vladivostok but by airlines from Moscow, Vladivostok, Seoul or Beijing is much faster.

By bus or boat: Students travelling to St. Petersburg may also be able to travel by bus or boat from Helsinki, Finland, or the Baltic States.

When you first arrive in Russia, you will receive an immigration card that you must keep until you leave the country. If you are carrying less than 10,000 USD or the equivalent, you will not need to complete a customs declaration form. Any additional information like details about artwork, paintings, musical instruments, and cash are available upon request.

By air: There are plenty of reasonably priced flights between St. Petersburg and Moscow every day.

By train: Trains from St. Petersburg to Moscow depart from the Moscow Railway Terminal near the Ploschad Vosstanya/Moskovsky Vokzal metro station. Trains from Moscow to St. Petersburg depart from the Leningradsky Vokzal terminal near the Komsomolskaya metro station. There are several night trains available. During the day, you can choose to travel on high-speed trains to lessen the trip by four hours. Trains in Russia are safe and comfortable, and some even offer business class services.

By air: Flights are offered to Riga Airport (RIX) from most major European hubs. Latvia’s low-cost airline carrier, Air Baltic, has a fairly expansive flight network in Europe.

By ferry: Tallink operates a reasonably priced ferry service to Riga from Stockholm.

By train: Latvian Railways offers service to several cities in Russia, Belarus, and Estonia. Daily overnight trains run to St. Petersburg and Moscow, as well as frequent trains to Tartu, Estonia.

By bus: It is easy to access Latvia from other cities by bus, most frequently from Lithuania and Estonia.

Because Latvia is a member of the European Union and Schengen Area, the same rules apply for entry as for most countries in Europe. Members of the European Economic Area (EEA), and visitors from the USA, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand do not require a visa for tourism purposes. Those not belonging to the EEA are allowed up to 90 days within a 180-day period in the entire Schengen Area. Those who wish to stay longer must apply for a visa.

The St. Petersburg climate is similar to Scandinavia. In the short summer (mid-June to mid-August), temperatures can reach 30° C. The winters are generally cold and temperatures can fall below minus 20º C. The position of St. Petersburg on the Gulf of Finland tempers the summer heat a little, and in autumn and winter produces a cool breeze. Moscow and Irkutsk’s climate is continental: cold in winter and hot in summer.

Riga’s weather is similar to Stockholm’s, but milder as the Riga Bay shields the city from the Baltic Sea. The coldest months in Riga are January and February, as temperatures dip to an average of negative five degree Celsius or lower. During the summer months, Riga is warm and humid with an average temperature of 18 degrees Celsius.

St. Petersburg and Moscow, Russia: Both cities are located within the Moscow Time Zone (MSK): UTC plus three hours.

Irkutsk, Russia: Irkutsk Time Zone (IRKT): UTC plus eight hours.

Riga, Latvia: Eastern European Time Zone: UTC plus three hours in the summer and UTC plus two hours in the winter.

In Russia and Latvia, the standard voltage is 220 volts. Western European plugs with two narrow plugs will fit into local sockets. For Swiss three-point plugs and German earth contact plugs, an adaptor is required.

All modern conveniences you would find in other European countries are available, so pack what you would normally for travel in Europe.

In Russia and Latvia, it is customary to take off your shoes and change into slippers when entering someone’s home. Thus, packing slippers is a good idea.

It is also a good idea to bring souvenirs from your home country as gifts for your hosts.

If you book a home stay or shared flat through Liden & Denz, we offer free transportation from the airport, railway terminal, or bus station. You will be met by a representative from the school holding a “Liden & Denz” sign. They will take you directly to your host family or accommodation. If there is no one to receive you upon your arrival, you should immediately call Liden & Denz using an emergency number.

To purchase lunch you will need about €5 to €10, and our planned excursions generally cost between €7 and €35 for full day trips. Depending on your lifestyle, weekly personal expenses may range from €50 to €250. We advise students to avoid carrying large amounts of cash, as they are plenty of ATMs available.

Latvia is a very bike-friendly city. However, Russian cities require more care, as they do not have bike lanes and Russian drivers can be aggressive.

Our accommodation officers visit each host family and fill out a check-list assessing the suitability of the placement. We have a transparent and thorough selection system that assesses geographic location, cleanliness, room size, bathrooms, and more. The officer will interview each family member and inspect the apartment. The maximum allowable travel time between the home and school is 30 minutes for Irkutsk, 50 minutes for St. Petersburg and Riga, and 70 minutes for Moscow. If a host family is approved, their apartment will be inspected on a yearly basis to ensure it is still a comfortable and safe place for our students to live during their Russian language studies.

While living centrally is convenient, it is important to note that many Russian buildings in the city centres have not been renovated for a long time. Accommodations in residential areas are often newer and offer more green space with fresher air. With that being said, if you book early, we will try to accommodate your accommodation location requests.

While living in Russia or Latvia, you will be fully immersed in the local culture, which means eating like locals.

In Russia, you will likely find most of the food to be familiar. However, Russians eat large amounts of potatoes, beetroot, and cabbage. In general, Russians do not eat a lot of green salads or fruits as they are expensive, especially in the winter and spring months.

In Latvia, you will eat plenty of vegetables, fruit, meat, and bread.

When living with a host family, make sure to inform them if you will not be home for meals or you will be eating out. You may also tell them what you like or do not like, so they can make sure that there is always something that you can eat.

Yes. You can choose to only have breakfast with your host family. If you would like to prepare your own dinners, please inform us when submitting your reservation. It is common for students to prefer to eat out, and our hosts ask that we provide this information when assigning students.

The tap water in Russia is not drinkable and must be boiled before drinking, or you can purchase bottled water from the store. In Riga, tap water is fine for drinking.

If you are staying with a host family, you may ask them to do your laundry for an extra fee if they have the facilities. Otherwise, you may take your laundry to a launderette or dry cleaning service in the city. If you are staying in a shared flat provided by Liden & Denz, each one is equipped with a washing machine for your convenience.

Local calls are free. However, for international phone calls you are required to use IP calling cards or the internet.

In most cases, yes, however, if not, you can buy local USB modem sticks which provide inexpensive access to internet wherever you go.

We always encourage our students to stay with the same host family for the entire length of their stay. However, if you have a serious reason for wanting to change, our accommodations manager will try to find an alternative family as soon as possible. Please be advised host family changes can only be done on the weekends.

While there is no specific rule for when shops open and close, most shops open around 10:00 and close later in the evening. Many restaurants and food establishments are open 24/7. It is important to note that alcohol cannot be purchased after 22:00.

While students do not need to exchange currency because there are plenty of ATMs available, Euro and US dollars can be exchanged at most banks and exchange offices. Be aware that you cannot exchange money without a passport or a passport copy stamped by the Department of Visas and Registration in most currency exchange offices.

The only currency accepted in Russia is the Rouble (RUB). Ensure that any bills are clean, unmarked, and in good conditions, or they may be rejected when you try to make a purchase.

In 2014, Latvia switched to using the Euro as their accepted form of currency. If you have a form of currency other than Euros, a bank should be able to make a currency exchange for you. In addition, ATMs are widely available across the city.

Travelling in Russia is very safe, as the country’s crime rate is extremely low. Like travelling in any European destination, though, it is always best to use common sense and caution in certain situations. Some general safety tips are to not carry too much cash, always carry your passport with you in Moscow, keep your eyes on your belongings at all times, and be aware of pickpockets. The telephone number for fire, medical, or police emergencies is 112.

Riga is as safe as many other major European destinations. Like always when travelling, it is best to steer clear of troublesome parts of town, watch out for pickpockets and bar scams, be wary of people initiating conversations out of the blue, and determine prices at bars and restaurants before you order.

Buying a local SIM card is a great way to avoid high roaming fees. Prepaid SIM cards are widely available at kiosks nearby any of our school’s locations.

In order to allow boats to pass from the Volga region to Moscow, all bridges over the river are raised from 1:30 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. from the beginning of May until the middle of November.

We recommend avoiding walking alone at night and calling a taxi instead.

Yes. However, in Russia police officers are not guaranteed to speak English or another language besides Russian. In Latvia, on the other hand, officers can speak at least three languages including Latvian, Russian, and English.

As long as you do not mix vodka with other alcoholic drinks, you should be able to avoid a nasty hangover! Also, never drink beer after vodka.

To book a volunteering placement with Russian language training through Liden & Denz, the placement fee is 250 Euros. If you are booking a group course, it must be a minimum of four weeks, and if it is a one-on-one, it must be at least two weeks.

If you are not booking a language course, the placement fee is 500 Euros.

We do not charge a fee for in-house internship placements at Liden & Denz.

For legal reasons, any work experience assignments in Russia are unpaid. You are responsible for covering your own accommodation and insurance costs.

Liden & Denz offers affordable rooms in shared flats with other Liden & Denz students. However, if you are participating in a work placement, you are not obligated to book your accommodation with us.

In order to qualify for a placement, you must speak a sufficient level of Russian. Upon arriving in Russia or Latvia, you must speak Russian at least at an A2 level. Language requirements will vary depending on the host company.

While it will vary depending on the host company, most placements last between one and three months.

You must be a minimum of 21 years old to complete an internship and 18 to volunteer, but no older than 30 years old. However, host organisations may have a different age requirement.

Once the placement has been made based on the requirements and profile of the student and host organization, the student cannot change their programme or placement.