About AMC
We are a virtual community of learners and leaders, makers, ideators, and dreamers. Join us! We can’t wait to meet you!
Hello! We're glad you're here!
A little bit about us:
We may be old in “internet years”—our first website came online in 1998!—but we’re very young at heart. And we know a thing or two about providing free resources and opportunities for Russians who want to communicate better in English, study in the U.S., learn more about American history and culture, and participate in exchange programs that enhance their skills.
What we like to do:
We spend our days thinking of ways to help Russian English learners become more adept at sharing their thoughts and ideas with other English speakers. We enjoy connecting educators with professional development opportunities. And we especially love providing opportunities and support for people with big ideas. We also love scouring the internet for exchange programs that give Russians an opportunity to broaden their horizons in the U.S., connect with like-minded learners and leaders across Russia and in the U.S., and then bring what they’ve learned back to their own communities.
Who we’re looking for:
English learners, English language teachers, entrepreneurs (whether you have already started a business or just have a great business idea and a goal to pursue it), anyone interested in US history and culture, those looking to make connections with subject matter experts or a place to find support for community-enhancing ideas and initiatives …
It is our hope that you find a sense of community here. That you feel safe to share your knowledge and your ideas. That you get involved in a club, explore our archives for things that interest you, and embark on a journey that challenges you and changes you. There is a place for everyone here. And that includes you!
Our Values
We value knowledge.
More specifically, we value the act of knowledge sharing. At our core, we are a community of learners who believe that everyone has insight and experience to share. We learn from experts in their fields of study. We learn from engaging in new experiences. And we learn from each other.
We value connection.
Whether it’s leading others to new opportunities or joining forces to create something new, we believe that we are stronger together ... that partnerships forge lasting bonds ... and that those bonds hsave the power to facilitate understanding, empathy, and change.
We value ideas that can change the world!
We believe that positive change starts with a good idea. This is why we encourage our community to share their good ideas ... and work together to be the change they wish to see in the world. We are here to support you (and all your good ideas)!
Our History
October 2015
We moved to a bigger home!
We moved from Margarita Rudomino All-Russia State Library for Foreign Literature to a new welcoming space at the American Embassy on Novinsky Bulvar, 21. Despite a new location, our volunteer game continues to be strong as many young people and seasoned professionals from Russia and abroad join our community to share their expertise, knowledge, and passion with our audience through events that they host.
October 2016
We boast an impressive list of speakers!
After a year in our new space, our list of guest speakers, which includes astronauts, NASA directors, and Hollywood actors, is starting to become impressive! Today, we continue to host events where you can meet high level speakers, including Pulitzer Prize winning writers, Grammy award-winning musicians, architects, and more!
December 2017
We change our clothes!
We conducted a logo design contest and close to 80 amazing artists submitted their ideas. The winning submission depicts Russia’s signature matryoshka in the colors of the U.S. flag.
December 2018
Our 25th anniversary
We celebrated our 25th anniversary in a new space! Our bigger home allowed us to create dedicated areas like the AMC Media Lab, a great resource for anyone who wanted to develop better media literacy skills in this information-driven age. Today, via our virtual platform, we continue to provide resources and host events that can help you hone your ability to detect bias in the media.
March 2018
We hosted our first Makeathon!
Our first creative marathon brought participants and experienced professionals from different STEM fields together to design a chat bot. Since then, we’ve hosted six Makeathons, all focusing on finding better tech solutions to a wide range of social and environmental issues.
Our Community
The only way to serve a community is to be a community. Over the years, our speakers, partners, volunteers, and interns have created an energetic, versatile, and international community that is passionate about our mission to build bridges between Russia and the U.S.
The only thing missing is you! Will you join us?
Frequently Asked Questions
Nothing! Every event is free. As are all the resources in our library and throughout our site. Our goal is to eliminate barriers to entry, which means, all you have to do is sign-up and show up.
AMC is currently closed to public events; until further notice, all events will be held online.
Our events are open to all participants. Specific events and programs give information on recommended ages, language levels, etc., as a guide.
Most of the American Center’s events are held in English, but there are also events in Russian and even bilingual events. The language of the event can usually be understood from its announcement: If the announcement is in English, the event will be held in English; if it’s in Russian, it will be held in Russian. In other cases, the announcement will include information about the language of the event. Most of the online events live-streamed by the Center are held in English with automatic translation into Russian (subtitles).
Not per se, but one of the best ways to learn English is to practice! All of our events for English Learners give you an opportunity to learn by speaking English. We also offer many resources in our e-Library for English language learners.
As luck would have it, we’ve prepared a whole “Help Guide” on this subject! If you don’t find an answer to your specific question here, please contact us at [email protected].
Yes, we do! The American Center in Moscow regularly hosts programs designed for children and adolescents. See our Young Learners page for more information on current programming. And be sure to subscribe to our social networks and sign up to receive our newsletter so you can be among the first to learn about new events and programs for young learners and teens.
You can extend your lending period for a digital title by renewing it. You’ll see the “Renew” option for a title on your “Loans” page three days before it expires, as long as the American Center eBook Library still owns a copy and there are no holds. If someone else is waiting to read the title, you can’t renew it, but you can request it again. For information on how to renew titles in the Libby app, go to this help page.
We are so excited that you asked! Our volunteers are at the heart of what we do, which is teach, share knowledge, foster community, and build bridges between Russia and the U.S. Check out our VOLUNTEERS page and fill out a questionnaire. We will review your application and contact you.
At the moment, we do not have preparation programs for TOEFL and SAT exams. When we schedule new programs, we let our subscribers know about it on our website and social media pages, so … if you want to stay informed, subscribe to our social networks and/or sign up for our email newsletter for a weekly digest of upcoming events.
Unfortunately, no, we do not advise on U.S. visas. Any questions related to visas are handled by the visa section of the U.S. Embassy.
Unfortunately, we do not advise on exchange programs. Visit the Public Affairs Section of the US Embassy and they’ll have all the info you need!
