Archive for the year 2011
Putin vs. Medvedev Posted by Natalie on May 16, 2011
Well, «дорогие читатели» [dear readers], I owe you an apology for abandoning you for so long. I was delayed in returning to England and «в результате» [as a result], I had to do extra work to catch up. «Весь день» [All day], I would be reading. However, now I seem to have caught up, so…
Russian Gestures – Silence is Golden Posted by yelena on May 13, 2011
And now I’m thinking of a Russian 4-letter word that starts with «ж»… Nope, not that one! The word I’m thinking about is «жест». As so many Russian words it has more than one meaning. «В переносном значении» [Figuratively], it means “an act intended for external effect”: «Его решение жениться на Марии было лишь благородным…
Let’s Celebrate Something or Other Posted by yelena on May 10, 2011
A lot can be said on the subject of Russian immigrant experience. But one thing is for sure – Russians here in the US celebrate a lot more holidays than average Americans. We eagerly adopt many American holidays, especially the ones that guarantee an extra day off. But we never abandon «свои праздники» [our own…
May in Russia – Celebrate, Study, and Plan for Summer Posted by yelena on May 6, 2011
«Май» [May] is my second «самый любимый месяц» [most favorite month] to be in Russia. The first one is «август» [August], «по личным причинам» [for personal reasons]. «Весна в разгаре» [Spring is in full force] or to recall the famous line of a fairly obscure poet: «Это май-баловник, это май-чародей» [It is May the…
Walking Around Moscow Posted by yelena on May 3, 2011
I’ve got good news and more good news so which one do you want to hear first? If you chose good news, here it is. You can now watch some of the iconic Russian movies online for free at Mosfilm’s official YouTube channel. Even better, many movies are digitally restored and subtitled in English. More…
Bottles Under Table and Other Rules of Marital Bliss Posted by yelena on Apr 28, 2011
I disagree with the classic who once wrote «Все счастливые семьи счастливы одинаково» [All happy families are alike]. Do you know who wrote this? How about the book that starts with this famous opening line? Back to business, however. As the saying goes, «браки заключаются на небесах» [marriages are made in heaven] meaning that you…
The Polish Air Crash of 2010 Posted by Natalie on Apr 25, 2011
Well, «дорогие читатели» [dear readers], this is going to be a depressing post. It is about «авиакатастрофа в Смоленске 10 (десятого) апреля 2010 (две тысячи десятого) года» [the plane crash in Smolensk on April 10, 2010]. It made headlines at the time and a year later, people are still talking about it. Why? Read on…