Liden & Denz Irkutsk

Home stay

The advantage of Home stay accommodation option is that you can improve your language skills by communicating with your host family, who are all natives. Another plus is that you are getting in touch with the Russian culture. Our hosts are all very communicative, patient, understanding and caring. Liden & Denz offers single rooms and 2 meal plans: only breakfast or also breakfast and dinner.

The city of Irkutsk was founded in 1661 as a fortress to colonise Siberia. The city became a focal point for trade in gold and furs, and in 1760 a road was built to connect Irkutsk with Europe. After the failed Decembrist uprising against Tsar Nicholas I, many of the aristocratic putschists were exiled to Irkutsk and consequently shaped the social and intellectual life of the city.

The Siberian city delights with its large number of unique wooden houses with decorative carved patterns on walls and window frames. Similar buildings in other large Russian cities were destroyed during the industrialisation. In Irkutsk, one can still catch a glimpse of what Russian buildings looked like centuries ago.

Lake Baikal is a huge freshwater lake that spreads out near Irkutsk over a length of 636 km and a maximum width of 79 km. This is roughly equivalent to the area of Belgium. The lake is very deep (up to 1600 m), very old (25 million years) and unusually clean. The lovely mountainous landscape surrounding the lake is also unique and truly breathtaking.

Exam options TRKI exam is an official state testing system created in the 1990s to assess foreign students’ command of Russian. Ever since it has been mandatory for international students who aim at being enrolled in Russian universities. The TBU/TEU/TRKI certificates are also widely recognised by major Russian employers and will enhance your CV should you be pursuing a career in Russia. The six levels (ТЭУ, ТБУ, ТРКИ-1, ТРКИ-2, ТРКИ-3, ТРКИ-4) correspond to CEFR. The language skills are tested in all aspects, e.g. Grammar and Vocabulary, Speaking, Listening, Reading, and Writing. TRKI exams are challenging and tend to be more academic than communicative and thus require specific preparation. Booking at least 1 preparation module (5 individual lessons) is compulsory for all candidates taking the exam with Liden & Denz. The exact number of modules required in order to pass a certain level is jointly determined by the student and the teacher. The preparation course includes going over the mock exam with your tutor, eliciting the strong and weak points and targeting the latter. Statistically, the most challenging part of the exam is writing. There are techniques and methods to adjust the student’s language skills to the exam requirements and make a student aware of the exam structure, procedure, and other pragmatic issues. The exam can be passed online or in our campus in St. Petersburg. The exam (both in-house and online) can be booked in advance or last-minute but not later than 5 working days prior to the examination date.

Learning Russian in the classroom is just one part of the experience, living is Russia is the other one. It is important to see a lot from the country and the culture. That is why we designed a wide variety of free or inexpensive activities that will help to broaden your knowledge of Irkutsk, discover the amazing Baikal area and make you talk in real life situations. From cooking classes and museum visits to weekend trips to Baikal, there is something for everyone!