Written by a native speaker, Russian Basic-Intermediate is an illustrated guide into the world of Russian language and culture. It is filled with interesting Russian texts, clear grammatical explanations, numerous exercises, humor and asides with information about Russian history, culture, literature and art. This textbook consists of 18 lessons, each starting with text and vocabulary lists, grammar sections with explanations in English and various exercises combining both new and previously learned vocabulary and grammar. Every four lessons are followed by a revision section. Russian Basic-Intermediate's illustrated asides cover Russian history from the period of Kievan Russia up to the end of the Soviet era.The author, holding a Ph.D in Historical Linguistics, explains how theRussian alphabet was created, where Russian names came from and tells about derivation of some Russian words and expressions. This textbook also introduces Russian art with numerous pictures of famous paintings throughout the text and includes life stories of famous writers and historical anecdotes.