Listen with the text
First read along while you listen. Matching sounds to written words trains your ear to break the stream of Russian into real words.
Russian Listening Practice
Russian Listening Practice
Train your ear with 115 Russian stories narrated by native speakers — every one shown with the full text so you can listen and read along. From slow, clear A0 narration to natural-speed B2, this is graded listening practice that grows with you, with key vocabulary and comprehension quizzes built in.
115stories115narrated with audio~4min average read
Listen to the openingAn Apple for Mom
▶ NarratedA01 minRelationships & Drama
An Apple for Mom
Open with podcast modeListen straight through — a narration playlist
- An Apple for MomA0 · 1m
- A Cup of WaterA0 · 1m
- The Ball in the WaterA0 · 1m
- The Red CupA0 · 1m
- The Red PaintingA0 · 1m
- Dad Eats an AppleA0 · 1m
How to practice Russian listening
Listening grows fastest when you pair audio with text and then gradually take the text away.
Listen without looking
Play the audio again with your eyes off the screen. See how much you can follow by ear alone — the real workout.
Shadow the narrator
Replay short sections and repeat out loud right after the narrator, copying rhythm and intonation. Shadowing builds listening and speaking at once.
Move up in speed
Start with slow A0–A1 narration, then climb toward natural-speed B1–B2 audio as your ear adjusts.
Narrated stories to listen to
All with native-speaker audioRelationships & Drama
An Apple for Mom
Masha gives her mother a red apple.
A01 min listenNarratedQuiz
Daily Life
A Cup of Water
This is a story about a girl named Masha who asks her mother for a cup of water.
A01 min listenNarratedQuiz
Sports
The Ball in the Water
A story about a friend who takes a red ball from the water.
A01 min listenNarratedQuiz
Mystery
The Red Cup
A mother looks for a red cup at home.
A01 min listenNarratedQuiz
Music & Arts
The Red Painting
Masha gives her mother a red painting.
A01 min listenNarratedQuiz
Food & Cuisine
Dad Eats an Apple
A father and child eat apples at home.
A01 min listenNarratedQuiz
Relationships & Drama
A Ball for a Friend
Anton gives a red ball to his friend Ivan.
A01 min listenNarratedQuiz
Daily Life
The Cat and the Ball
A story about a cat, a mother, and a red ball at home.
A01 min listenNarratedQuiz
Daily Life
The Cat on the Chair
A story about a cat sitting on a chair.
A01 min listenNarratedQuiz
Daily Life
The Bag by the Door
A story about Masha and a book in a bag.
A01 min listenNarratedQuiz
Nature & Adventure
The Cat and the Tree
A story about a cat, a child, and a ball in a tree.
A01 min listenNarratedQuiz
Relationships & Drama
A Friend's Book
A story about a friend and his book.
A01 min listenNarratedQuiz
Food & Cuisine
Two Apples
A story about a mother and child eating two apples.
A01 min listenNarratedQuiz
Food & Cuisine
Bread and Milk
A child eats bread and drinks milk at home.
A01 min listenNarratedQuiz
Culture & Travel
A Friend Goes Home
Ivan goes home, meets his mother, and enjoys water and bread.
A01 min listenNarratedQuiz
Sports
Сломанное весло на последнем километре
A determined rower faces an unexpected challenge during a boat race.
A11 min listenNarratedQuiz
Mystery
Монета на пустом подоконнике
A story about a girl named Masha who finds a mysterious golden coin on her windowsill.
A11 min listenNarratedQuiz
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.
A12 min listenNarratedQuiz
Myths & Legends
Птица, приносящая снег
A story about a beautiful white bird that brings snow to a little girl.
A12 min listenNarratedQuiz
Music & Arts
Пластинка в ящике комода
Masha discovers an old vinyl record in a drawer and listens to it with her mother.
A12 min listenNarratedQuiz
Sports
Последний выстрел на биатлоне
A young athlete named Anya focuses to win a biathlon race despite her fatigue.
A12 min listenNarratedQuiz
Daily Life
Зонт, который нашёл хозяина
A young girl named Lena discovers a lost blue umbrella in a cafe and helps its owner find it again.
A12 min listenNarratedQuiz
Culture & Travel
Электричка до конечной
A story about Masha's train journey to the final station.
A12 min listenNarratedQuiz
Music & Arts
Пианино у подъезда
A girl named Masha discovers a mysterious piano sitting alone in front of her apartment building.
A12 min listenNarratedQuiz
Listening practice by level
Russian StoriesA0 Russian listening
View all →An Apple for Mom
Masha gives her mother a red apple.
A Cup of Water
This is a story about a girl named Masha who asks her mother for a cup of water.
The Ball in the Water
A story about a friend who takes a red ball from the water.
The Red Cup
A mother looks for a red cup at home.
The Red Painting
Masha gives her mother a red painting.
Dad Eats an Apple
A father and child eat apples at home.
A Ball for a Friend
Anton gives a red ball to his friend Ivan.
The Cat and the Ball
A story about a cat, a mother, and a red ball at home.
A1 Russian listening
View all →Сломанное весло на последнем километре
A determined rower faces an unexpected challenge during a boat race.
Монета на пустом подоконнике
A story about a girl named Masha who finds a mysterious golden coin on her windowsill.
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.
Последний выстрел на биатлоне
A young athlete named Anya focuses to win a biathlon race despite her fatigue.
Зонт, который нашёл хозяина
A young girl named Lena discovers a lost blue umbrella in a cafe and helps its owner find it again.
Электричка до конечной
A story about Masha's train journey to the final station.
A2 Russian listening
View all →
Свисток, который прозвучал раньше времени
An exciting story about a football match where a player faces a confusing referee decision during a critical goal.
The Guardian Doll That Cannot Be Taken From The Hut
A young girl named Anya learns a special rule about a protective doll in her home.
Гейзер, который проснулся среди ночи
A young girl named Anya experiences the natural wonder of a geyser erupting in the middle of the night.
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.
Синяя лошадь на стене Витебска
This story tells how Marc Chagall painted a blue flying horse in Vitebsk and showed people that art can express a dream.
Фотофиниш, который пересчитали трижды
Two long-time friends test their bond when they compete for a single spot on the national team.
Значок октябрёнка, 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.
Квитанция из города, где никто не был
Marina receives a mysterious receipt that leads her to a forgotten box of her father's letters and a secret connected to an imaginary city.
B1 Russian listening
View all →
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 listening
View all →
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.
Последний день в доме перед сносом
A man returns to his childhood apartment before it is demolished, only to discover a series of letters from his deceased mother.
Listen anywhere with the app
The Inklingo app lets you listen to narrated Russian stories on the go, save the words you hear, and review them with spaced repetition so your listening keeps improving.
Russian listening practice FAQ
How can I practice Russian listening for free?
Start reading without an account. Guest translations are limited to 12 taps per day. A free account saves your progress and includes 5 completed stories; further access requires Pro.
What is the best way to improve Russian listening?
Combine listening with reading at your level, then gradually drop the text. Listening to graded stories you mostly understand, and shadowing the narrator out loud, beats passive listening.
Is the audio slow enough for beginners?
Yes. A0 and A1 stories are narrated slowly and clearly, while B1 and B2 use more natural speed. Because the collection is graded, you can step up gradually.
Can I read along while listening?
Yes — every narrated story shows the full Russian text alongside the audio, with tap-to-translate vocabulary.