From: Sergejus Tarasovas

/o/, /a/: [a] next to the stressed syllable, [ъ] in other unstressed positions.

/е/, /и/, /ä/: [и] next to the stressed syllable, [ь] in other unstressed positions.

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(could comebody help me with IPA symbols for [ъ] and [ь]?).

[ъ] = [ǝ], [ь] = [ɪ].

[a] is the symbol for the sound of stressed <a>. The sound of the <a>, <o> in syllables immediately before the stress or word-initially is generally written [ʌ]: <гoрод> [ˈgorǝt̪], <города> [gǝrʌˈd̪а]. And stressed <и> = [i].

Urban