MBBS in Kursk, Russia: University, Safety, Airport Status and Cost of Living
Kursk is a city of 440,052 people in a region on the border with Ukraine, 460 km from Moscow. It has one university on this site that teaches medicine to foreign students, Kursk State Medical University (KSMU), with a published first-year price of 240,000 roubles, about ₹2.7 lakh. Kursk airport has been closed to civilian flights since 24 February 2022, and the Indian Embassy advised Indians in the Kursk region in August 2024 to take precautions and relocate. This page puts safety first, then fees, FMGE results, the train from Moscow and the questions to ask.
In short: Kursk is a border region. The Kursk Vostochny airport has been closed to commercial flights since 24 February 2022, so students reach Kursk by train from Moscow, a Lastochka train of about 5.5 hours. In August 2024 the Indian Embassy in Moscow advised Indians in the Bryansk, Belgorod and Kursk regions to take precautions and temporarily relocate, and drone strikes on Kursk city were reported in 2025. KSMU is cheap, about ₹2.7 lakh in year one, and its FMGE pass rate is 21.6% over 2022 to 2025, below the Russian average of about 25%. Decide on safety first.
Is Kursk safe for Indian students? Read this first
Border region. The Kursk region borders Ukraine. In August 2024 the Embassy of India in Moscow advised Indian nationals in the Bryansk, Belgorod and Kursk regions to take precautions and temporarily move out of them, after a Ukrainian cross-border offensive into the Kursk region that began on 6 August 2024. We found no 2026 advisory that withdraws it. Russia said in April 2025 that it had pushed Ukrainian forces out of the region, but drone attacks have continued, and media reports from 2025 describe deaths and injuries in Kursk city, including a strike on a city beach in July 2025 and on an apartment block in August 2025.
We cannot tell you that Kursk is safe, and we cannot tell you that it is unsafe. We can tell you what is known and what to ask. We know of no published report of KSMU students being harmed, but that says nothing certain about the future. Read the latest text of the advisory yourself at mea.gov.in and on the Embassy of India in Moscow website, not a summary from an agent, and again before every trip.
- The advisory names this region. Only the MEA and the Embassy can tell you whether it has been withdrawn or repeated.
- The course must stay in one place. The NMC rules require training in one institution, in person for the clinical years. If students are moved to another city or taught online for long, the degree may fail the NMC conditions. Ask KSMU in writing what it does if the situation worsens.
- Shelter and warnings. Ask what warning and shelter arrangements the hostel and the hospital have, and how the university tells parents about an incident.
- Insurance. Medical insurance is compulsory for foreign students. Ask whether it covers evacuation and return to India, and whether it excludes events connected with military action.
- Register with the Indian Embassy in Moscow after arrival, keep its numbers in your phone and keep copies of your documents with your parents.
- Never accept a job or contract offer connected with the Russian military.
A low fee is not a reason to accept a risk the family is not comfortable with. If in doubt, choose a city without an advisory: Kazan, Orenburg and Tver are among the options, and the cities page compares all 43. See also is MBBS in Russia safe.
Ask us about Kursk State Medical University
We tell you honestly what is known about the situation in Kursk and send the current fee list.
Medical university in Kursk, Russia
Kursk State Medical University (KSMU, founded 1935) is the only medical university in the city on this site. Its price list for 2025/26, approved by the academic council on 23 June 2025 and effective from 1 September 2025, gives General Medicine at 240,000 roubles for the first year, about ₹2.7 lakh at the Central Bank of Russia rate of 15 October 2026. This is a general list for all fee-paying students, not a separate list for foreigners or an English group, so the real fee for an Indian student may differ. The same list gives 236,720, 202,390 and 172,680 roubles for later years, but those are prices for students admitted in earlier years and should not be added into a six-year total. We found no official page stating an English-medium General Medicine track. The university runs an International Medical Institute, but the language of instruction is not confirmed; since the NMC requires English, ask for it in writing.
FMGE: KSMU is one of the largest sources of Indian candidates, with 1,706 sitting in 2022 to 2025. The pass rate was 24.7% in 2022 (83 of 336), 16.5% in 2023 (61 of 370), 22.3% in 2024 (109 of 489), 20.2% in June 2025 (50 of 247) and 25.0% in December 2025 (66 of 264). Over those sessions, 369 of 1,706 passed (21.6%), sixteenth among the 24 universities with at least 300 candidates in our ranking and below the Russian average of about 25%. Compare it on the FMGE pass rate page. We found no hostel fee, so ask for it.
Kursk weather for Kerala students
The January mean in Kursk is −5.9 °C and the July mean is 20.3 °C (1991 to 2020). That is one of the milder winters among Russian university cities, similar to Moscow and Smolensk, but still far colder than anything in Kerala. Expect snow and temperatures below zero from about November to March. Buy a winter jacket, boots with grip and thermal layers in Russia after arrival; the winter packing list has details.
How to reach Kursk from Kerala: the airport is closed
Kursk Vostochny Airport (URS) has been closed to all commercial flights since 24 February 2022, and we found no reopening date in sources up to September 2026. The nearest working airports are the Moscow airports (SVO, DME, VKO), 460 km away in a straight line. From Moscow the Lastochka train to Kursk takes about 5.5 hours (an aggregator gives 5 h 27 min).
The route from Kerala is therefore: Kochi (COK), Thiruvananthapuram (TRV) or Kozhikode (CCJ) to Dubai, Sharjah, Abu Dhabi, Doha or Delhi, then to Moscow, then the train. There is no direct flight to Russia. Moscow airports have had repeated short suspensions during drone alerts in 2026, so keep a buffer before the train. Ask KSMU which station and train its students use and whether it meets the first-year group in Moscow. Do not buy a non-refundable ticket on the final leg until you know the route works. Kursk keeps Moscow time, 2.5 hours behind India. The Russian consulate for the visa is in Chennai; see admission.
Cost of living in Kursk
We found no usable price data for Kursk and no official student budget, so we do not give a monthly figure. It is a city of 440,052 people, where food and transport are likely to cost less than in Moscow, and tuition of about ₹2.7 lakh is among the lowest in our list. Ask senior Indian students at KSMU what they spend each month, including food, mobile plan and winter clothing in year one. Budget for the extra train fare from Moscow on every trip home and back. See cost of living in Russia.
Indian students and food in Kursk
With 1,706 KSMU graduates sitting FMGE in 2022 to 2025, Indian students have been a large group in Kursk. We found no published count of students from Kerala and no verified Indian restaurants. Because of the situation described above, ask KSMU how many Indian students are in Kursk today and whether classes are held in person, then ask those students where they buy rice and spices. See Indian food in Russia.
Talk to us about Kursk
We tell you honestly whether Kursk fits your family's comfort with the border-region situation, and show lower-risk options at a similar fee.
MBBS in Kursk: Frequently Asked Questions
Is Kursk safe for Indian students?
Kursk is a border region. In August 2024 the Embassy of India in Moscow advised Indians in the Kursk, Belgorod and Bryansk regions to take precautions and relocate temporarily, and drone attacks on Kursk city were reported in 2025. Check the current advisory at mea.gov.in and get written answers from the university before deciding.
Is there an airport in Kursk?
Kursk Vostochny Airport has been closed to commercial flights since 24 February 2022, with no reopening date found. Students fly to Moscow and take the Lastochka train, about 5.5 hours.
What is the MBBS fee at Kursk State Medical University in INR?
The 2025/26 general price list gives 240,000 roubles for the first year, about ₹2.7 lakh. It is not a separate foreigner or English-group list, so the real fee may differ. Ask for your contract.
What is the FMGE pass rate of Kursk State Medical University?
369 of 1,706 candidates passed in 2022 to 2025 (21.6%), below the Russian average of about 25%. Results by session ranged from 16.5% to 25.0%.
How cold is Kursk?
The January mean is −5.9 °C and the July mean is 20.3 °C. Winters are milder than in the Urals or Siberia but you still need a proper winter jacket and boots.
Sources: climate (Kursk 1991–2020), population (2021 census) and airport status from Wikipedia and Russian aviation press; Embassy of India in Moscow advisory of August 2024 (reported by All India Radio, 14 August 2024); The Moscow Times (9 July 2025) and Novaya Gazeta Europe (15 August 2025) on drone strikes in Kursk; KSMU price list for 2025/26 (archived August 2025); NBEMS FMGE reports 2022–2025; Central Bank of Russia rate of 15 October 2026.