The Simple Russian Method

Learn Russian with a real method.

Hi, I'm Liza. My method starts with real conversations, then brings in grammar only when it helps you understand what you just said.

Free: read Cyrillic in an afternoon, plus a little Russian each week. No spam.

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Liza
with Liza
Conversations firstGrammar when it helpsSpeaking from day oneTaught by a real Russian teacherConversations firstGrammar when it helpsSpeaking from day oneTaught by a real Russian teacher

Sound familiar?

Russian feels impossible when you are taught it backwards.

Cyrillic looks like a secret code you'll never crack.

Grammar tables and six cases make you want to quit on day two.

You can read a few words - but you freeze the second you try to speak.

You hear Russian around real people and still have to wait for translation.

You probably started on an app like Duolingo. The problem is apps drill tapping and never stop to explain the WHY, so the moment Russian throws cases and genders at you, you hit a wall and quit. That is exactly where the Simple Russian Method starts: with a real person, real sentences, and the simple why behind them.

Liza teaching

The Simple Russian Method

Conversations first. Grammar when it helps. Speaking from day one.

Most courses bury you in grammar tables. I do the opposite: you meet Russian in a short real sentence, understand what it means, say it out loud, and then the grammar has a job. After 5+ years teaching foreigners, I know exactly where beginners get stuck, and how to make the next step feel simple.

  • Real dialogues before grammar tables
  • Meaning before memorizing endings
  • Russian around your real life
LizaLiza with the book

Who's teaching you

Hi, I'm Liza - your Russian teacher and friend.

I grew up speaking Russian in Belarus. Teaching took me from Minsk to Bali to Dubai, and along the way every student asked me the same questions - about the language, and about the culture. So I started writing the answers down in plain English. That's how Simple Russian was born: a real person, not a textbook.

And I mean it when I say a real person. Every book and guide here was written by me, by hand, from real lessons. No AI wrote a word of it.

5+ yrs
teaching Russian
172
books sold
YouTube
Simple Russian with Liza

What you'll get

Small wins first, then the language starts to open.

1

Start with real conversations

You meet Russian in short useful lines first, before grammar turns into a wall.

2

Understand the meaning first

You learn what the sentence is doing before you memorize a table of endings.

3

Speak before you feel ready

Small sentences come out early, then Liza helps you polish them.

4

Learn the Russian around your life

People, family, culture, travel, heritage: the reason you cared in the first place.

Why it works

Russian gets easier when it starts with a real person.

I made the Simple Russian Method for beginners who want to speak to someone, understand a family, follow a joke, or finally stop feeling blocked by grammar.

A real method, not another app loop.

A real method, not another app loop.

Short dialogues first, meaning second, grammar only when it finally helps.

Start with something you can actually say.

start small

Start with something you can actually say.

No giant grammar wall. One useful sentence, spoken out loud, then the next one.

Understand the people behind the words.

real life

Understand the people behind the words.

The goal is not to sound academic. The goal is to feel less outside the room.

You do not need to feel ready before you begin.

Start with a small phrase, understand why it works, and let the grammar come after the language feels human.

the goal

Actually use Russian with the people and culture you care about.

Not someday, when your grammar is perfect. Start with small real conversations, then build the reading, words and confidence around them. That is what this is really about.

Start free today

The books

Start with the piece of the method that fits you.

Learn Russian - the e-bookBestseller

Learn Russian - the e-book

The first step into Liza's Simple Russian Method: conversations first, grammar when it helps.

$19 promoRead more
Simple Dating with LizaReader favourite

Simple Dating with Liza

Dating a Russian: the stereotypes, the secrets and the reality - from a Russian.

from $19Read more
Simple Russian DictionaryBeginner friendly

Simple Russian Dictionary

1,000 words & phrases across 10 real-life themes, with Latin transcription.

from $19Read more

The courses

From first letters to first conversations.

Two focused courses. Start where you are.

Liza teaching the Read Cyrillic video course

Video course with Liza

Read Cyrillic today.

-74% today

Read Cyrillic in an Afternoon

Those strange letters are not a wall. Liza walks you through the whole alphabet in one sitting - you read and say your first Russian words tonight.

21-Day Speak Russian Challenge21 days

21-Day Speak Russian Challenge

One mission a day with Liza. Speak basic Russian in 21 days - or your money back. The fastest path from zero to your first real conversation.

Peek inside

Real pages. Real Russian you'll actually use.

A few things from inside Liza's world - phrases, culture, the simple way.

Compliments
  • Ты очень красивая
    Ty ochen' krasivaya
    You're very beautiful
  • У тебя красивые глаза
    U tebya krasivyye glaza
    You have beautiful eyes
  • Мне нравится твоя улыбка
    Mnye nravitsa tvaya ulybka
    I like your smile
with Liza
Greetings
  • Здравствуйте
    Zdravstvuite
    Hello (formal)
  • Привет
    Privet
    Hi (casual)
  • Пока-пока
    Paka-paka
    Bye-bye
with Liza
Culture note

Bringing flowers? Always an odd number - an even number is for funerals. Small things like this are what actually win her family over.

with Liza
The method

Conversations first. Grammar when it helps. Speaking from day one. Understand the meaning, say it out loud, then let the rules make sense.

with Liza

Real readers, real words

What readers say about Liza's books

5.0 from 8 verified readers, and 172 books sold so far.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars
I’d had two or three teachers before, and nothing really stuck. With Liza it finally clicked, now I can actually hold a conversation, and she makes it fun. Honestly, the best teacher I’ve had.
Jim, Scotland · learning Russian with Liza for about a year and a half Filmed interview
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
The second book I have purchased from Liza, and this one does NOT disappoint. Dating and relationships is the thing that is never really spoken about anywhere, and this book reveals everything. If you want to learn about Slavic culture in a way you cannot anywhere else on the internet, buy this book.
Verified reader Verified
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Another amazing work made by Liza. You learn many interesting things about dating a Russian girl, for example what you should not do, or even more important, who pays the bill. The part about stereotypes shows the big difference between what we hear and real life. Waiting for the next book.
Verified reader Verified
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
An excellent cultural lesson, valuable to anyone with limited or even advanced exposure to Russian culture. I highly recommend this book because it provides in-depth and accurate cultural explanations.
Verified reader, USA Verified
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
A very engaging and interesting language study resource. I never got to learn Russian at school all those years ago, and this is the next best way for me. An excellent, comprehensive and very enjoyable self-study book.
John A., Scotland Verified
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
I am learning Russian with Duolingo, but I am glad to accept Liza’s help through this book to improve my Russian too. As a fellow Scot, I am proud to support her.
Verified reader, Scotland Verified
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Excellent buy.
L. M. Solomon Verified