School of Languages and Cultures

hallway view of old russian building

Russian

Explore Russian literature, linguistics, history and civilization and discover a rich culture that is notably different from that of Western Europe. With a focus on the modern world and globalization, the program connects classroom learning to real-world contexts.

Students currently enrolled in the Russian major, as well as those entering in Fall 2026, will earn a BA in Russian. Beginning in Fall 2027, new students will pursue Russian as a concentration within the World Languages and Cultures major.

PLEASE NOTE: Students applying for Fall 2027, the plan of study for the World Languages and Cultures BA concentration is still being finalized, but it is expected to closely resemble the current Russian plan of study, which provides a helpful preview of the curriculum. 

Welcome to the Purdue Russian Program Website

Russian is an important world language and Russia has a rich culture which is notably different from that of Western Europe.  The Russian Program offers courses in the Russian language from the first through fourth year, as well as courses in Russian literature, Russian linguistics, and Russian civilization and culture.  

It is highly recommended that students taking the basic first- and second-year Russian courses (RUSS 101, 102, 201, 202)  also take the corresponding one-credit conversation courses (RUSS 111, 112, 211, 212) which are coordinated with them, and which provide practice and reinforcement of the material in the base course.  Students who take both together usually are more successful at learning Russian.

Continue your Russian study at Purdue, or start Russian now and begin an exciting and challenging language that can open doors for the future!

Career Enhancement

Students with a good working knowledge of the Russian language and Russian culture have an advantage in applying for many types of jobs in the modern world. 

Prospective employers take note of Russian on a resume.  Students who have studied Russian along with another major report that they often get asked about their Russian studies during job interviews.  Some have felt that having Russian listed on their transcript or resume was an important factor that helped them to get the interview.  

Knowledge of Russian can form an important pillar of support for an interesting career and can greatly enhance the possibilities for entering and advancing in a wide variety of occupations.  Graduates from the Purdue Russian Program have gotten jobs in government agencies, and also in business, marketing, banking, accounting, teaching, journalism, and advertising.  One graduate of the Russian Program is an administrator with the U.S. Olympic Committee and was the Team Leader for the U.S. team at the 2014 Paralympics in Sochi.  (Now, that’s the way to make use of your Russian!)  Other graduates are also making direct use of their Russian, and some are even employed in Russia.  

Beyond the Classroom

The Purdue Russian Program extends outside the classroom as well.  

  • We hold a weekly tea hour that allows students from all levels of Russian to meet, play games and practice their Russian in informal conversation. Sometimes international students from Russia or other Russian-speaking countries come too, which provides an opportunity for wider cultural contact. 
  • There is also the Russian Club (a student organization), which holds a variety of different activities of interest.
  • The School of Languages and Cultures is excited to host STARTALK a Russian Summer Camp at Purdue University! More information to come.

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  • Many world politicians and business leaders have stated, Russia does matter.
  • Russia is the largest country in the world, almost twice the size of the U.S.A., and covers eleven time zones.
  • Russia is the world's largest supplier of natural gas and second largest supplier of oil.
  • Russia holds the world's second-largest nuclear stockpile.
  • Russia has enormous reserves of strategic minerals and an extremely well-educated populace-in other words, it has great potential for economic growth.
  • Russian offers a key to the parts of Europe which will be most changed by economic development during this century.
  • Russia is a land of fascinating art, literature, music, and architecture.
  • Russian and English are the official languages on the International Space Station; American astronauts study Russian.
  • Russia is a permanent member of the U. N. Security Council, and Russian is one of the official languages of the United Nations.
  • With the globalization of business, employers are interested in hiring graduates who show that they are familiar with a culture well beyond their own.
  • "Multinational companies need leaders who are internationally adept" (Sally Adamson Taylor, Culture Shock!)
  • There are, and will be for a long time to come, jobs for those individuals who know Russian and understand Russian culture and who can effectively translate them to the world markets.

The Department of Russians offers the following courses in Languages for Specific Purposes:

  • LC 101: Russian for Rocket Scientists: LC 101 is an introductory Russian language course themed around space exploration and space technologies. The course features working with authentic Russian space program materials, including texts, documents, videos, anecdotes, and other cultural resources. The learning objectives include: i) developing basic Russian language skills: speaking, reading, writing, and listening; ii) building scientific and technical vocabulary.
  • RUSS 424 - Business Russian: RUSS 424 deals with various aspects of Business Russian and Russian Business. The course is aimed at acquiring the skills and knowledge necessary for successful communication with Russian business partners. The course covers major business concepts, in particular, transactions regularly conducted in business offices, including business letters, inquiries, offers, and contracts. Students will also discuss Russian etiquette and ethics in business. Instructor: Dr. Olga Lyanda-Geller
  • RUSS 498 - Technical Russian: Russian for Scientists and engineers: While continuing to work on their proficiency in the Russian language, students taking this multidisciplinary course will learn about history of Russian science and current scientific and engineering technologies. Russia continues to be one of the leading powers in mathematics and many areas of natural sciences, and the ability to foster collaboration with Russian partners and to have a direct access to authentic materials in Russian can spur significant scientific and technological breakthroughs. The course is designed for students with an intermediate to advanced level of Russian and will introduce a wide range of historical and technological topics and the associated Russian language vocabulary.

For more information or questions about the Russian for specific purposes courses, please contact Dr. Olga Lyanda-Geller ().