Fewer Russians speak English than other countries Unraveling the authentic culture of any foreign destination can be challenging, but it's much easier to find your place among the locals if you learn their lingo.
English is the language spoken in Russia, but all Russians do not speak it. Russian is the official language of Russia and many other countries. For example, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. Only 10% of people can speak English in Russia.
According to the rating of the most English speaking cities in Russia, the leading positions belong to Moscow and St. Peterburg, followed by Novosibirsk, Kazan, Vladivostok, Nizhniy Novgorod, Omsk, Kaliningrad, Perm, and Ufa.
Travelling in Russia can be challenging for non-Russian speakers. Migration cards may be in Cyrillic only, and immigration officials may only speak Russian. At train stations, most signs are in Cyrillic and ticket sellers usually do not speak English. Moscow metro signs use an inconsistent alphabet.
Russians do not smile at strangers
If you smile at a stranger in Russia, he/she can smile back, but it can already mean an invitation to come and talk. Russians take smiling as a sign that the person cares about them. To smile at a stranger can raise the question:” Do we know each other?”
In general, Russia is a safe country, especially if you're traveling as a tourist to large cities (such as Moscow, St. Petersburg, Vladivostok, etc.) or if you are making the Trans-Siberian route. However, there are a number of risk areas in Russia, which is advisable not to travel to: The border with Ukraine.
As a British national, you may also obtain a temporary or permanent residence permit to live in Russia.
Once again, big cities like Moscow and St. Petersburg are more accustomed to English speakers. According to 2002 census data, 7 million out of 145 million people speak English in Russia, and the majority of those people live in Moscow.
Of all the European languages a native English speaker can learn, Russian is among the most difficult. The Germanic and Romance languages have a lot of the same core because they both have roots in Latin. Russian is from a completely different language branch called the Slavonic branch, which includes Czech and Polish.
The Russian and English alphabets are very different. While Russians learning English may become accustomed to seeing the new alphabet, the lettering systems are different, making it challenging to decipher. It is a small challenge that can be overcome, but it may take some readers and writers a while to master.
The United States and India have the most total English speakers, with 283 million and 125 million, respectively. There are also 108 million in Pakistan, 79 million in Nigeria, and 64 million in the Philippines.
During secondary education, students have the right to study in their native language, or choose from a variety of other language, including Russian. In addition to the language of instruction, students should choose a foreign language. Almost all students choose English as their first foreign language (c.f. Figure 1).
South Africa
Possibly the cheapest English-speaking country to live in is South Africa. Not only can you get by without having to go to language school, but most South African cities also have a high standard of living, similar to Western cities, which will make the transition much easier.
Only about 6% of the world's population are native English speakers, and 75% of people don't speak English at all. Many people do not have access to high-quality health information, because it is not available in a language that they understand.
While we have already discussed that Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Finland are some of the top English speaking countries, we shouldn't forget that Germany and Belgium are very high up the list, with over 62% of the population in Germany being English speakers and 61% in Belgium!
Life in Russia can be quite challenging. The climate is harsh and many cities have high levels of pollution. There is also a relatively high crime rate and a number of security issues to take into consideration.
For nearly 30 years, Russian citizens have had the freedom to travel internationally without government permission, a departure from strict Soviet-era policies lifted in the early 1990s.
In the period from 2005 to 2008, Freedom House rated Russia as "not free" with scores of 6 for political rights and 5 for civil liberties according to its Freedom in the World reports.
Russia is an affordable destination. The cost depends on various factors like local transportation, the type of hotels you choose, the number of days you spend, and the number of local attractions you wish to experience.
The Moscow city center is typically safe. In general, the closer you are to the Kremlin, the better. Travelers mainly need to be aware of their surroundings and look out for petty crime. Be especially careful in tourist areas such as Arbat Street and crowded places like the Moscow Metro transit system.