Abstract: The subject of the research is the prefaces to Russian language study books written by American authors for the US audience. The author of the article analyzes these prefaces for motivational information the authors of study books decided to include in order to encourage American students to study Russian. The object of the research is motivation or factors that may form interest in studying Russian. The author of the article divides these factors into categories depending on language peculiarities and countries where Russian is an official language. The research methods used by the author include the continuous sampling method, analysis of information from prefaces, synthesis and classification. The novelty of the research is caused by the fact that the author analyzes prefaces to Russian study books written by American authors for American students and examines motivational factors for studying Russian in the USA. The author concludes that all these factors can be divided into culturological, linguistical, geopolitical, social and scientific. The author of the article also suggests that at this stage of relationship between our countries, these factors must play the key role in promotion of studies of Russian in the USA.