Pick the right level
Choose a story you understand most of on the first read. Looking up every other word? Drop a level. Effortless? Move up.
Russian Reading Practice
Russian Reading Practice
Reading is the fastest way to grow your Russian, but only if the text is at the right level. These 74 graded stories run from absolute-beginner A0 to upper-intermediate B2, so you can always read something you understand about 90% of — the sweet spot for comprehensible input. Each has audio, tap-to-translate vocabulary, and a quick comprehension check.
74verhalen74verteld met audio~5min gemiddelde leestijd
Probeer een begripscontrole
Антон в лодке. Лодка на реке. Река синяя и широкая.
What is Anton doing at the beginning?
How to practice Russian reading the right way
Effective reading practice keeps you in the comprehension zone — understood enough to follow, stretched enough to learn.
Read in meaningful chunks
Read a full paragraph before stopping. Guessing from context is the skill that makes you a fluent reader.
Use tap-to-translate sparingly
Look up only the words that block understanding. The goal is flow, not a perfect glossary.
Confirm with the quiz
Finish with the comprehension quiz, then re-read once to lock in new words and phrasing.
Reading practice for every level
A0 through B2
Sports
Сломанное весло на последнем километре
A determined rower faces an unexpected challenge during a boat race.
A0128 words1 min leestijdBegripsquiz
Mystery
vertaalde titel
vertaalde beschrijving
A0146 words1 min leestijdBegripsquiz
Culture & Travel
Электричка с рассадой в мае
A young girl named Anya and her mother take a train ride to their garden during a beautiful spring day in May.
A0162 words2 min leestijdBegripsquiz
Myths & Legends
Птица, приносящая снег
A story about a beautiful white bird that brings snow to a little girl.
A0164 words2 min leestijdBegripsquiz
Music & Arts
Пластинка в ящике комода
Masha discovers an old vinyl record in a drawer and listens to it with her mother.
A0172 words2 min leestijdBegripsquiz
Sports
Свисток, который прозвучал раньше времени
Een spannend verhaal over een voetbalwedstrijd waarbij een speler geconfronteerd wordt met een verwarrende scheidsrechtersbeslissing tijdens een cruciale goal.
A0178 words2 min leestijdBegripsquiz
Sports
Het laatste schot bij het biatlon
Hier staat de beschrijving van het verhaal.
A1190 words2 min leestijdBegripsquiz
Myths & Legends
Кукла-берегиня, которую нельзя выносить из избы
Een jong meisje genaamd Anya leert een speciale regel over een beschermende pop in haar huis.
A0192 words2 min leestijdBegripsquiz
Daily Life
De paraplu die zijn baasje vond
A young girl named Lena discovers a lost blue umbrella in a cafe and helps its owner find it again.
A0200 words2 min leestijdBegripsquiz
Culture & Travel
Электричка до конечной
Een verhaal over Masha's treinreis naar het eindstation.
A0202 words2 min leestijdBegripsquiz
Music & Arts
Piano bij de ingang
A girl named Masha discovers a mysterious piano sitting alone in front of her apartment building.
A1208 words2 min leestijdBegripsquiz
Nature & Adventure
Лиса, которая шла за санями
Een verhaal over een man genaamd Anton die door de stille wintertaiga reist en ontdekt dat hij niet alleen is.
A1216 words2 min leestijdBegripsquiz
Food & Cuisine
Два рецепта и старая обида
Two sisters overcome a long-standing grudge while preparing their grandmother's traditional beet soup.
A1226 words2 min leestijdBegripsquiz
Mystery
Voetsporen naar de deur en terug
A short story about a girl who finds mysterious footprints and a surprise gift on a winter morning.
A0228 words2 min leestijdBegripsquiz
Relationships & Drama
Варенье у чужой двери
Anya vindt een mysterieus potje jam voor haar deur en probeert erachter te komen wie het voor haar heeft achtergelaten.
A0230 words2 min leestijdBegripsquiz
Music & Arts
Хор, который замолчал на полуслове
A story about a choir that follows a special tradition of silence to remember someone important.
A1234 words2 min leestijdBegripsquiz
Relationships & Drama
Ansichtkaart zonder handtekening
A young girl sends a secret note to her neighbor to show appreciation for her kindness.
A1236 words2 min leestijdBegripsquiz
Daily Life
Briefje onder de deur van een vreemde
Anton discovers a mysterious note under his door and discovers a surprising truth.
A1236 words2 min leestijdBegripsquiz
Daily Life
Соседка, которая стучит три раза
A young woman named Anya shares a special ritual with her neighbor, Maria Ivanovna, involving three knocks on the door.
A1238 words2 min leestijdBegripsquiz
Nature & Adventure
Гейзер, который проснулся среди ночи
A young girl named Anya experiences the natural wonder of a geyser erupting in the middle of the night.
A0240 words2 min leestijdBegripsquiz
History
Ёлка, которую разрешили снова
A young girl and her parents celebrate the holiday by finally getting a beautiful Christmas tree.
A0240 words2 min leestijdBegripsquiz
Mystery
Часы, которые спешат на пять минут
A young girl discovers the special meaning behind her grandmother's clocks that are set five minutes fast.
A1244 words2 min leestijdBegripsquiz
Nature & Adventure
Ёж у ночного костра
A little hedgehog searches for warmth on a cold, dark night and finds a cozy campfire.
A0246 words2 min leestijdBegripsquiz
Food & Cuisine
Кулич, который не поднялся
Nina is making a traditional Easter cake, but she runs into a problem when her dough fails to rise.
A1246 words2 min leestijdBegripsquiz
Reading practice by level
Russian StoriesA0 Russian reading
Alles bekijken →Сломанное весло на последнем километре
A determined rower faces an unexpected challenge during a boat race.
vertaalde titel
vertaalde beschrijving
Электричка с рассадой в мае
A young girl named Anya and her mother take a train ride to their garden during a beautiful spring day in May.
Птица, приносящая снег
A story about a beautiful white bird that brings snow to a little girl.
Пластинка в ящике комода
Masha discovers an old vinyl record in a drawer and listens to it with her mother.
Свисток, который прозвучал раньше времени
Een spannend verhaal over een voetbalwedstrijd waarbij een speler geconfronteerd wordt met een verwarrende scheidsrechtersbeslissing tijdens een cruciale goal.
Кукла-берегиня, которую нельзя выносить из избы
Een jong meisje genaamd Anya leert een speciale regel over een beschermende pop in haar huis.
De paraplu die zijn baasje vond
A young girl named Lena discovers a lost blue umbrella in a cafe and helps its owner find it again.
A1 Russian reading
Alles bekijken →Het laatste schot bij het biatlon
Hier staat de beschrijving van het verhaal.
Piano bij de ingang
A girl named Masha discovers a mysterious piano sitting alone in front of her apartment building.
Лиса, которая шла за санями
Een verhaal over een man genaamd Anton die door de stille wintertaiga reist en ontdekt dat hij niet alleen is.
Два рецепта и старая обида
Two sisters overcome a long-standing grudge while preparing their grandmother's traditional beet soup.
Хор, который замолчал на полуслове
A story about a choir that follows a special tradition of silence to remember someone important.
Ansichtkaart zonder handtekening
A young girl sends a secret note to her neighbor to show appreciation for her kindness.
Briefje onder de deur van een vreemde
Anton discovers a mysterious note under his door and discovers a surprising truth.
Соседка, которая стучит три раза
A young woman named Anya shares a special ritual with her neighbor, Maria Ivanovna, involving three knocks on the door.
A2 Russian reading
Alles bekijken →
Ночёвка без палатки на карельских скалах
Two friends go on a nature trip to Karelia and experience an unforgettable night under the open sky after a mistake.
Fotofinish die driemaal werd herberekend
Two long-time friends test their bond when they compete for a single spot on the national team.
Значок октябрёнокa, который потеряли в первый день
A young girl named Tanya feels sad when she loses her special school badge but learns a lesson about responsibility.
Кошки Эрмитажа в войну
A moving story about a woman named Nina who cares for the cats at the Hermitage Museum during and after the Leningrad blockade.
Ноты, найденные в старой печи
A young woman discovers a hidden piece of music in her grandmother's old house that brings back long-lost memories.
Автобус, который не останавливается в дождь
A story about a bus driver who refuses to stop at a dangerous bridge during the rain to ensure the safety of his passengers.
Ключ соседа и чужая дверь
A woman accidentally enters her neighbor's apartment using the wrong key.
Пятый сет на рассвете
A story about two childhood friends facing each other in a tense, final tennis match at dawn.
B1 Russian reading
Alles bekijken →
Звонок из телефонной будки, которой больше нет
A woman receives mysterious phone calls from a telephone booth that has long since been removed.
Боксёр, которого не выпустили на ринг
A boxer faces a difficult decision when he is told he cannot participate in the most important fight of his career due to a medical condition.
Трещина на байкальском льду
A local girl guides a tourist across the beautiful but dangerous, shifting ice of Lake Baikal.
Виолончель у Белого дома в августе 1991-го
A famous cellist returns to Moscow during the 1991 coup attempt to support the defenders of democracy with his music.
Этюд, который Скрябин сжёг
A young pianist visits Scriabin, only to witness him burn a musical masterpiece he deems insufficient to change the world.
Пельмени, которые лепили молча
A mother and daughter find a way to reconcile while preparing a meal together after a long silence.
Вагон-ресторан на третий день пути
A young woman named Katya, traveling by train to reconcile with her father, meets a stranger in the dining car who helps her find the courage to reconnect.
Приказ об эвакуации, который не подписали
A story about a worker in Pripyat who experiences the slow and fearful delay in the evacuation decision-making process after the Chernobyl disaster.
B2 Russian reading
Alles bekijken →
Вечер в коммунальной квартире на Петроградской
A young woman living in a historic communal apartment on Petrograd Side contemplates moving to Moscow while sharing a quiet evening with her elderly neighbor.
Три секунды в Мюнхене
A recount of the legendary 1972 Olympic basketball final between the USA and the USSR, where three seconds changed history.
Паводок на Лене и чужая лодка
A man takes his neighbor's boat during a flood to rescue his mother, leading to a difficult conversation about loss.
Невеста, которую ждут на дне озера
A man living in a small village discovers that a legendary water spirit named Agata still haunts the lake where she died centuries ago.
Звонок Пастернаку из Кремля
A historical account of the tense 1934 telephone conversation between Boris Pasternak and Joseph Stalin concerning the fate of the poet Osip Mandelstam.
Выставка, которую закрыли на третий день
A young artist faces the harsh reality of Soviet censorship when his abstract work is deemed unacceptable during a 1962 Moscow exhibition.
Дневник без дат в комнате дворника
A woman finds a mysterious diary left behind by her building's vanished janitor that reveals someone has been watching her apartment.
Laatste dag in het huis voor de sloop
A man returns to his childhood apartment before it is demolished, only to discover a series of letters from his deceased mother.
Turn reading into real progress
In the Inklingo app, every word you tap while reading is saved and reviewed with spaced repetition, and your level adjusts as you improve — so reading practice compounds.
Russian reading practice FAQ
How can I practice reading Russian for free?
Pick a story at your level and read it with the audio. Every text is free, graded by CEFR level, and includes tap-to-translate vocabulary and a comprehension quiz — no sign-up.
What is comprehensible input?
Comprehensible input is language you understand about 90% of, with a little that is new. Reading graded stories at your level is one of the best sources, because you absorb grammar and vocabulary in context.
How much Russian reading should I do?
Even 10–15 minutes a day helps. Consistency beats length — one short story a day builds vocabulary and reading speed faster than an occasional long session.
How do I choose the right level?
Start one level below where you think you are. If you understand most of a story without stopping, you are in the right zone; if it feels easy, move up.