Discussed is the problem of effectiveness of using potentials of mobile applications in developing lexical skills of Iranian students philologists at initial stages of training in Russian language during their self-reliant learning activities. The experiment is conducted, focused on learning vocabulary by the use of mobile applications FunEasyLearn Russian words, Rosetta stone and Memrise. Analysis of the results confirmed that the use of mobile applications is conductive to activization and intensification of self-studing activities of students, resulting in raising of the level of speech activity, orthoepic and spelling literacy of students, and also noticeable widening of their words vocabulary. All students in the experimental group positively evaluated effectiveness of using of mobile applications for possession of vocabulary of Russian language.