How hard is it for a native English speaker to learn Russian?

I believe, if a person is interested in learning Russian, it’s best not to focus on how hard it is or how long it might take to “learn” it, but, rather, to focus on the reasons for learning it and how great it will be to gain this new skill.

Адский! If you are a native English speaker and your only significant exposure to a foreign language is Spanish, I am confident you will find Russian to be as I say (which shouldn't stop you, of course :)

According to the American government organization Foreign Service Institute, it is a 4/5 in difficulty for a native English speaker. They allocate 44 weeks or 1100 hours for their Russian course. How “hard” it will be for an individual person depends on many factors, including the person’s motivation for learning, the methods of study, and the amount of time spent on it.

It’s frustrating sometimes but the feeling I get when I have written something or read something in Russian, no matter how tiny, is worth it, I become motivated once more! I am constantly learning, always reading Russian as I walk down the street, understanding what they mean by this writing.