«План мой был таков:» [My plan was like this:] to write at least one post before «я уехала из России» [I left Russia] on Friday morning, but this plan proved impossible to carry out during my «последняя неделя в России» [last week in Russia]. During my last week at Ural State University I had to make a try at passing as many «зачёты» as I could (plural from the word «зачёт» meaning [‘credit’], but here it is used the context of classes for which there are only two possible grades you can receive: «зачтено» [‘passed’] or «незачтено» [‘not passed’]. This word comes from the verb «зачесть» [‘to consider something done’, ‘to give credit for something’]). This had to be done already now «в декабре» [in December] because I will return to Russia only «в январе» [in January] and by then the fall semester will be long gone. I tried hard but failed at being completely successful in this – «я сдала только три из пяти зачётов» [I only received three out of five credits]. But I say as the Russians would: «Ладно!» [all right, okay, fine, good; fair enough!].  My last week in the country coincided with my first week after recovering from sickness, thus involved seeing «большое количество друзей» [a large quantity of friends] as well as consuming «большое количество питья» [a large quantity of drinks, quencher, beverages] – yes, occasionally people in Russia (and not merely Russians!) drink. In other words, during my last week «я была занята важными делами» [I was busy/occupied with important things] and incapable to get around to blogging about grammar (this said doesn’t mean I don’t have lots of ideas for such posts!).

I took this picture «в подъезде» [porch; entrance; driveway, access; approach – here used in the context of ‘main staircase’] while visiting my friend the week before leaving. I asked her in concern: «Вы получаете почту?» [Do you (plural) get mail?]. She answered with a smile: «Наверно, не всё…» [Most likely not all…].

Yesterday I woke up – «в Швеции» [in Sweden], mind you – and thought to myself: «Написать бы мне пост про какую-нибудь новость из России сегодня!» [Why not write a post about some kind of news story from Russia today!] Already last week did I start thinking about writing a few words here about this interesting piece of news from Saint Petersburg: «В Санкт-Петербурге открылся тематический отель по Ф. Достоевскому» [In Saint Petersburg a Dostoevsky-themed hotel has opened]. But as I was browsing through Russian news sites on Sunday morning, I came across another news story that touched me to tears both because is it a great tragedy, but also it hit close to home for me (I have lived so many years «на Урале» [in the Urals] now that I consider it home): «Пожар в ночном клубе в Перми: 112 (сто двенадцать) погибших, более 130 (ста тридцати) раненых» [A fire in a night club in Perm: 112 lost, more than 130 wounded]. This is an indeed a very «печальное происшествие» [grievous incident] and my heart goes out to all the people in the city of Perm who lost family members and friends this Saturday night. However, I was both relieved and glad when I saw how fast and firm high officials in the Russian government reacted to this terrible accident. Almost straight away you could read that «Президент объявил 7 (седьмого) декабря днём траура» [The president declared the 7^th of December a national day of mourning].

«траур» – [mourning; sables].

«день траура» – [national day of mourning].

Today I woke up – «всё ещё в Швеции» [still in Sweden] – and looked out my window to see the Russian flag outside «консульство Российской федерации в Гётеборге» [the Russian Federation’s consulate in Gothenburg] looking like this:

 «Даже в Швеции я живу в двух шагах от русской территории!» [Even in Sweden I live ‘two steps’ away from Russian territory!]. I’m sorry that it is almost impossible to make out the tricolor on this photograph, but I am not to blame for «недостаток ветра» [the lack of wind] that occurred today…