American students learn Russian in Estonia after Ukraine war halts study in Russia

Although global interest in the Russian language is often viewed through a political lens, Tallinn University continues to welcome students from the United States who consciously choose to study Russian. Some are also learning Estonian.

According to Natalia Chuikina, an associate professor at Tallinn University, the organization American Councils, which facilitates international student exchanges, used to send students to Russia. But after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, this became impossible, and the organization sought new contacts. As a result, students began coming to Estonia, where a Russian-speaking environment still partially exists.

Students usually arrive in the summer. In the previous two summers, groups of 15 came each year. This year, 27 students have arrived, divided into five study groups for intensive Russian language instruction.

Simon Lee from the University of Utah has been studying Russian for nearly three years. He previously studied French but decided to take on a more challenging language. Simon admits he likes Alla Pugacheva and initially listened to her songs, but that is not his only motivation. He finds the case system the hardest part of Russian, as English has no cases.

Claire Kinderwater from Indiana University has been studying Russian for two years. She studied Spanish for 12 years in school but wanted to try something different at university. Claire believes Russian will open career opportunities; she was motivated by both interest and career potential. She finds Russian phonetics the most difficult, noting many "secret rules" related to pronunciation.

Claire has also taken an interest in Estonian. She finds it harder than Russian, with more exceptions, but considers it a very beautiful language.

Simon, who comes from Utah where temperatures reach 40°C, noted that he finds Estonia very cold.