Russian Graded Readers

Read Russian with a dictionary beside the text and vocabulary exercises.

5.00 from 40 reviews
13 books
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13 books

Cover of Алиса в Стране чудес – Russian B2 graded reader
E-BookPaperback

Алиса в Стране чудес in Russian at level B2 with dictionary

B2 Russian Glossary: English

by Lewis Carroll 5.0(2)

Imagine falling into a world where logic bends, cats grin, and queens demand heads for tea. Master B2 Russian vocabulary and grammar effortlessly, immersed in Alice's bewildering journey through a world gone mad. A margin dictionary means you never break your reading flow....

Buy E-Book $2.99
Cover of Алиса в Стране чудес – Russian B1 graded reader
E-BookPaperback

Алиса в Стране чудес in Russian at level B1 with dictionary

B1 Russian Glossary: English

by Lewis Carroll 5.0(5)

Imagine tumbling down a rabbit hole into a world where logic bends and queens demand heads. Absorb hundreds of real-world Russian words and phrases naturally, building your B1 vocabulary and comprehension effortlessly. A margin dictionary means you never break your reading flow....

Buy E-Book $2.99
Cover of Алиса в Стране чудес – Russian A2 graded reader
E-BookPaperback

Алиса в Стране чудес in Russian at level A2 with dictionary

A2 Russian Glossary: English

by Lewis Carroll 5.0(4)

Imagine falling into a world where logic bends and queens scream "Off with their heads!" Absorb hundreds of real-world Russian words and phrases effortlessly as you navigate Wonderland's chaos. A margin dictionary means you never break your reading flow....

Buy E-Book $2.99
Cover of Алиса в Стране чудес – Russian A1 graded reader
E-BookPaperback

Алиса в Стране чудес in Russian at level A1 with dictionary

A1 Russian Glossary: English

by Lewis Carroll 5.0(5)

Imagine tumbling into a world where logic is upside down and a queen screams "Off with their heads!" Get lost in Alice's whimsical Russian adventure and effortlessly absorb hundreds of new words and phrases. A margin dictionary keeps you immersed without ever breaking your reading flow....

Buy E-Book $2.99
Cover of Вокруг света за 80 дней – Russian B1 graded reader
E-BookPaperback

Вокруг света за 80 дней in Russian at level B1 with dictionary

B1 Russian Glossary: English

by Jules Verne 5.0(3)

The clock is ticking. Your fortune, and freedom, depend on circumnavigating the world in just 80 days, with a detective convinced you're a thief. Unlock B1 Russian fluency as you follow Fogg's epic journey, absorbing hundreds of real-world words without a textbook. A margin dictionary means you never break your reading flow....

Buy E-Book $2.99
Cover of Вокруг света за 80 дней – Russian A2 graded reader
E-BookPaperback

Вокруг света за 80 дней in Russian at level A2 with dictionary

A2 Russian Glossary: English

by Jules Verne 5.0(1)

The clock is ticking. A fortune hangs in the balance as you race across continents, pursued by a relentless detective. Absorb hundreds of real-world Russian words and phrases naturally, building A2 vocabulary that truly sticks. Contextual glossaries on every page keep you immersed in the story, not a dictionary....

Buy E-Book $2.99
Cover of Вокруг света за 80 дней – Russian A1 graded reader
E-BookPaperbackAudiobook

Вокруг света за 80 дней in Russian at level A1 with dictionary

A1 Russian Glossary: English

by Jules Verne 5.0(3)

The clock is ticking. Can you outrun a detective, rescue a princess, and circle the globe in just 80 days? Master beginner Russian naturally, immersed in this thrilling adventure, building vocabulary that sticks effortlessly....

Buy E-Book $2.99
Cover of Вокруг света за 80 дней – Russian B2 graded reader
E-BookPaperback

Вокруг света за 80 дней in Russian at level B2 with dictionary

B2 Russian Glossary: English

by Jules Verne 5.0(4)

The clock is ticking. Your fortune, and freedom, hang in the balance as you race across continents, pursued by a relentless detective. Absorb B2 Russian naturally, building vocabulary that sticks, as you get lost in Fogg's thrilling journey....

Buy E-Book $2.99
Cover of Приключения Шерлока Холмса – Russian B2 graded reader
E-Book

Приключения Шерлока Холмса in Russian at level B2 with dictionary

B2 Russian Glossary: English

by Arthur Conan Doyle 5.0(4)

A baffling case lands on Baker Street's doorstep, challenging even the sharpest minds. Absorb hundreds of real-world Russian words and complex B2 grammar naturally, lost in Holmes's brilliant deductions. Contextual notes and a margin dictionary keep you immersed, never breaking your reading flow....

Buy E-Book $2.99
Cover of Приключения Шерлока Холмса – Russian B1 graded reader
E-BookAudiobook

Приключения Шерлока Холмса in Russian at level B1 with dictionary

B1 Russian Glossary: English

by Arthur Conan Doyle 5.0(2)

Step into foggy Baker Street, where every shadow hides a secret and only one mind can unravel the truth. Master intermediate Russian naturally, immersed in Holmes's brilliant deductions and thrilling cases. Contextual notes clarify tricky grammar, keeping you immersed in the mystery....

Buy E-Book $2.99
Cover of Приключения Шерлока Холмса – Russian A2 graded reader
E-BookAudiobook

Приключения Шерлока Холмса in Russian at level A2 with dictionary

A2 Russian Glossary: English

by Arthur Conan Doyle 5.0(5)

The gaslight flickers, a shadow falls, and a baffling mystery lands on Baker Street. Master A2 Russian vocabulary and grammar effortlessly as you help Holmes crack the case, absorbing hundreds of real-world words. A margin dictionary means you never break your reading flow....

Buy E-Book $2.99
Cover of Приключения Шерлока Холмса – Russian A1 graded reader
E-BookAudiobook

Приключения Шерлока Холмса in Russian at level A1 with dictionary

A1 Russian Glossary: English

by Arthur Conan Doyle 5.0(2)

Can you outwit the criminal mastermind before Sherlock Holmes does? Absorb hundreds of real-world Russian words and phrases effortlessly as you follow Holmes's deductions. A margin dictionary keeps you immersed, never breaking your reading flow....

Buy E-Book $2.99
Cover of Маленький принц – Russian A1 graded reader
E-BookPaperbackAudiobook

Маленький принц in Russian at level A1 with dictionary

A1 Russian Glossary: English

by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

A stranded pilot, a mysterious prince, and a rose that teaches the meaning of love. Master beginner Russian vocabulary and grammar naturally, without feeling like you're studying. A margin dictionary means you never break your reading flow....

Buy E-Book $2.99

Learn Russian Through Extensive Reading

Extensive reading is one of the most effective ways to build vocabulary and improve fluency. Our Russian graded readers apply the comprehensible input principle: you read stories written just above your current CEFR level, picking up new words naturally from context. Every page features a glossary beside the text so you never break your reading flow to look up a word. After each chapter, comprehension and vocabulary exercises reinforce what you've read, and QR codes link directly to online flashcards and matching games for spaced repetition practice. From A1 beginner to C2 proficiency, every Russian book is available as an ebook or paperback — choose the format that fits your learning style.

About Russian

Where Russian is spoken

Russian is an official language of Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan, and is widely used in Ukraine, Central Asia, and the Baltic states. It remains a lingua franca in much of the post-Soviet space.

How many people speak it

Russian has roughly 150 million native speakers and on the order of 250 million total users, including second-language speakers across the former Soviet sphere and diaspora.

Grammar and structure

Russian is a Slavic language with three genders, six cases, and aspectual verb pairs. Flexible word order expresses information structure; verbs agree with the subject in person and number. Motion verbs with prefixes and palatalization patterns are notable learning areas.

Best-rated Russian graded readers

Ranked by average customer rating and number of reviews on our site. Every title below is a Pentecost graded reader: a simplified story at CEFR level with learning supports built in.

  1. 1. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (5.0 ★, 5)

    Browse also: Russian A1 (Beginner) · Russian A2 (Elementary) · Russian B1 (Intermediate) · Russian B2 (Upper Intermediate)

    Imagine tumbling down a rabbit hole into a world where logic bends and queens demand heads. Absorb hundreds of real-world Russian words and phrases naturally, building your B1 vocabulary and comprehension effortlessly. A margin dictionary means you never break your reading flow.

    Side glossary · In-book and online exercises

  2. 2. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (5.0 ★, 5)

    Imagine tumbling into a world where logic is upside down and a queen screams "Off with their heads!" Get lost in Alice's whimsical Russian adventure and effortlessly absorb hundreds of new words and phrases. A margin dictionary keeps you immersed without ever breaking your reading flow.

    Side glossary · In-book and online exercises

  3. 3. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (5.0 ★, 5)

    The gaslight flickers, a shadow falls, and a baffling mystery lands on Baker Street. Master A2 Russian vocabulary and grammar effortlessly as you help Holmes crack the case, absorbing hundreds of real-world words. A margin dictionary means you never break your reading flow.

    Side glossary · In-book and online exercises

  4. 4. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (5.0 ★, 4)

    Imagine falling into a world where logic bends and queens scream "Off with their heads!" Absorb hundreds of real-world Russian words and phrases effortlessly as you navigate Wonderland's chaos. A margin dictionary means you never break your reading flow.

    Side glossary · In-book and online exercises

  5. 5. Around the World in 80 Days (5.0 ★, 4)

    The clock is ticking. Your fortune, and freedom, hang in the balance as you race across continents, pursued by a relentless detective. Absorb B2 Russian naturally, building vocabulary that sticks, as you get lost in Fogg's thrilling journey.

    Side glossary · In-book and online exercises

  6. 6. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (5.0 ★, 4)

    A baffling case lands on Baker Street's doorstep, challenging even the sharpest minds. Absorb hundreds of real-world Russian words and complex B2 grammar naturally, lost in Holmes's brilliant deductions. Contextual notes and a margin dictionary keep you immersed, never breaking your reading flow.

    Side glossary · In-book and online exercises

  7. 7. Around the World in 80 Days (5.0 ★, 3)

    The clock is ticking. Your fortune, and freedom, depend on circumnavigating the world in just 80 days, with a detective convinced you're a thief. Unlock B1 Russian fluency as you follow Fogg's epic journey, absorbing hundreds of real-world words without a textbook. A margin dictionary means you never break your reading flow.

    Side glossary · In-book and online exercises

  8. 8. Around the World in 80 Days (5.0 ★, 3)

    The clock is ticking. Can you outrun a detective, rescue a princess, and circle the globe in just 80 days? Master beginner Russian naturally, immersed in this thrilling adventure, building vocabulary that sticks effortlessly.

    Side glossary · In-book and online exercises

  9. 9. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (5.0 ★, 2)

    Imagine falling into a world where logic bends, cats grin, and queens demand heads for tea. Master B2 Russian vocabulary and grammar effortlessly, immersed in Alice's bewildering journey through a world gone mad. A margin dictionary means you never break your reading flow.

    Side glossary · In-book and online exercises

  10. 10. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (5.0 ★, 2)

    Step into foggy Baker Street, where every shadow hides a secret and only one mind can unravel the truth. Master intermediate Russian naturally, immersed in Holmes's brilliant deductions and thrilling cases. Contextual notes clarify tricky grammar, keeping you immersed in the mystery.

    Side glossary · In-book and online exercises

  11. 11. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (5.0 ★, 2)

    Can you outwit the criminal mastermind before Sherlock Holmes does? Absorb hundreds of real-world Russian words and phrases effortlessly as you follow Holmes's deductions. A margin dictionary keeps you immersed, never breaking your reading flow.

    Side glossary · In-book and online exercises

  12. 12. Around the World in 80 Days (5.0 ★, 1)

    The clock is ticking. A fortune hangs in the balance as you race across continents, pursued by a relentless detective. Absorb hundreds of real-world Russian words and phrases naturally, building A2 vocabulary that truly sticks. Contextual glossaries on every page keep you immersed in the story, not a dictionary.

    Side glossary · In-book and online exercises

Formats: e-book, paperback and super audiobook

Our graded readers come in several formats. The text, the CEFR level and the glossary are the same in each — only the way you read changes. Pick whatever suits your day: the e-book on your phone on the way to work, paper and pencil at your desk, or the super audiobook when you want to read and listen at the same time.

E-book (EPUB and PDF). You can download both files right after purchase and read on an e-reader, phone, tablet or computer. Difficult words have their translation in a pop-up note: one tap and you are back in the story, no dictionary needed. Each chapter ends with vocabulary exercises, and a link takes you to free online practice with the same words.

Paperback. A classic softcover book, printed to order and sent by post. The glossary sits in the margin, right next to the word it explains, so you never have to flip pages. Chapters end with crosswords and vocabulary exercises, and QR codes take you to online practice on your phone. A good choice if you like writing in your books or want a break from screens.

Formats on this list (13 books): E-Book: 13 · Paperback: 9 · Super audiobook: 5.

The super audiobook: read, listen and check meanings at the same time

A super audiobook is an audiobook in karaoke form. A narrator reads the book aloud while the same text is in front of you, with a marker moving along it word by word. You always know which word you are hearing, so you never lose your place — even when the narrator speaks faster than you read. Your ears tell your eyes how a written word sounds, your eyes tell your ears how to spell what you hear, and both routes reinforce the same words at once.

The real difference shows when you meet a word you don't know. In an ordinary audiobook it is gone in a second; in a super audiobook it stays within reach: glossary words are marked in colour, and pressing and holding one shows its translation in your language. You check the meaning, keep listening and never lose the thread. A slider sets the narrator's speed from 0.5× to 1.5× — slow down at first to catch every syllable, then speed up towards natural speech. The words you meet while reading come back later in short exercises in the app, such as a mini crossword or building a word from its letters.

Reading while listening is well supported by research. In a Canadian programme described by Lightbown and colleagues (2002), children who for three years learned English only this way — reading books while listening to their recordings — understood the language as well as or better than peers taught in regular classes. Waring and Takaki (2003) showed that you need to meet a word at least eight times to have even a 50% chance of recognising it three months later. Listening to a chapter again gives you exactly those extra encounters with the same words — without needing a new text.

At A1 and A2 the super audiobook helps you connect spelling with pronunciation — especially valuable in languages that are not read the way they are written, or that use a different alphabet. At B1 and B2 it carries you along at the pace of real speech, so you get used to fluent listening and stop pausing at every sentence. Advanced readers often don't need a narrator at all — which is why you decide when to switch it on and when to read silently.

The super audiobook plays in the Pentecost app or in your browser, on a phone, tablet or computer. You can add it to an e-book: on the book page, tick “Add the audiobook” in the e-book box; if you already own the e-book, you can buy the recording on its own. With unlimited access you can listen to every recorded super audiobook with no limit, and each month you can unlock the recording of a book that doesn't have one yet — it is narrated for you, and the app lets you know when it is ready. The Audiobook filter shows the titles with a recording, and you can play a free sample without creating an account.

What Our Readers Say

Our Russian graded readers consistently receive outstanding reviews — 40 people have rated them 5.00 out of 5 on average. Readers highlight the dictionary beside the text, end-of-chapter exercises, and online vocabulary games as features that set our books apart from any other graded reader series.

Our Russian graded readers collection includes titles such as Алиса в Стране чудес, Вокруг света за 80 дней, Приключения Шерлока Холмса and Маленький принц. Every book comes with a dictionary beside the text (in the margin in print, a pop-up in EPUB), chapter exercises, and interactive online games.

Why Graded Readers Work

Research confirms that extensive reading is one of the most effective methods for building vocabulary, improving reading fluency, and developing overall language proficiency. Graded readers make this approach accessible by matching text difficulty to your CEFR level, so you stay in the optimal learning zone. Learn more about the science behind our approach on the Pentecost Method page.

About the writers and translators

Classic writers from this list come first; the Pentecost editors who adapted these readers follow in the next block.

  • Antoine de Saint-Exupéry: Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (1900–1944) was a French writer and aviator who drew on his own flying adventures. In 1944 his plane vanished over the Mediterranean during a reconnaissance flight, and the wreckage was only found more than half a century later.
  • Arthur Conan Doyle: Arthur Conan Doyle (1859–1930) was a Scottish physician and writer, the creator of Sherlock Holmes. The brilliant detective was modelled on his university teacher, Dr. Joseph Bell, famous for his razor-sharp powers of observation.
  • Jules Verne: Jules Verne (1828–1905) was a French writer known as the father of science fiction and one of the most translated authors in the world. In his novels he foresaw submarines and space travel long before they existed.
  • Lewis Carroll: Lewis Carroll (1832–1898) was the pen name of Charles Dodgson, an Oxford mathematician and logician. He invented the story of Alice during a boat trip, to entertain a real little girl named Alice Liddell.

Translators and editors

Pentecost editors adapt vocabulary and notes so the story stays clear at your level.

  • Sophie Stay-Maggot: Sophie Stay-Maggot works on English notes for Russian fiction in the graded series. She balances literary archaism with the labelled CEFR level, sometimes marking a form as “recognition only” so readers are not asked to produce it too early. She pays extra attention to names, patronymics, and diminutives that carry social information.

Every book is available as an e-book (EPUB and PDF) and as a paperback. Many titles also come as an audiobook: a narrator reads in the app while each word lights up, karaoke-style.

Frequently Asked Questions

Start by identifying your CEFR level (A1–C2). You can take our free online placement test to determine your reading level in Russian. Then use the filters on this page to browse books at your exact level. Each of our books is calibrated so that you understand about 95% of the vocabulary, which research shows is the sweet spot for natural language acquisition. If you are unsure, start one level below your estimate — you will build confidence and move up quickly.
The most effective way to learn to read in Russian is simply by reading — a lot, and at the right level. Linguist Stephen Krashen's research on extensive reading shows that reading for pleasure at a comprehensible level is the single most powerful method for language acquisition. Graded readers like ours are designed for exactly this: they offer engaging stories calibrated to your level, with built-in glossaries so you never need to stop and look up words. The more you read, the more vocabulary and grammar you absorb naturally.
The quickest way is our free CEFR placement test, which estimates your reading level in just a few minutes. For an official certification, consider internationally recognized exams such as IELTS, TOEFL, Cambridge English (FCE, CAE, CPE). These tests assess reading, writing, listening, and speaking and map to CEFR levels (A1–C2) that correspond directly to our book levels, so you will always know which books suit you.
Graded readers work because they apply the principles behind the Pentecost Method. The 95% Rule ensures you encounter roughly 5 new words per 100 — the optimal rate for acquisition according to Hu & Nation's research. The Retention Loop uses strategic vocabulary recycling and end-of-chapter exercises to beat the forgetting curve. And Motivation First means you read compelling stories instead of textbook drills, which keeps your brain's Affective Filter low and makes learning effortless.
Yes — many of our titles come with a karaoke-style audiobook. A narrator reads the book in the Pentecost app or in your browser while each word lights up as it is spoken, so you train listening and reading at the same time and never lose your place. You can add the audiobook to any e-book that has a recording; use the Format filter on this page to see the titles with audio.