Archive for the year 2011
19 Memories of 1991 Russia – Part 2 Posted by yelena on Aug 22, 2011
Quick Reminder Yes, the secret GIVEAWAY is still going on. It will close in just a few days, at 11:59pm EST on August 26th. So there’s still time to enter by leaving a comment either on this post or on my previous post. Remember, you can leave more than one comment. The more you comment…
19-20-21 Soviet Pop Culture Memories From 1991 Posted by yelena on Aug 18, 2011
This Friday, August 19th, marks the 20th anniversary of the Soviet coup d’etat attempt. I’m not going to do a history post because there are lots of sites online that do a much better job of it, complete with detailed timeline and analysis. Besides, I was just 13 at the time and politics was the…
What 12 Chairs Got to Do With Learning Russian Posted by yelena on Aug 16, 2011
Have you read «12 стульев» [12 Chairs] yet? If not, don’t wait another second! There’s simply no excuse for not reading this «классика» [classic] especially since it is a) available online for free and b) available online in English. Just a few days ago Mosfilm uploaded both «первую и вторую серии» [Part 1 and Part…
What Makes Russians Happy Posted by yelena on Aug 9, 2011
I’d like to thank Jarrod for the inspiring comment on our Facebook page and to Bob for sending me the infographics that started it all. Guys, you rock! A while ago one of the blog readers, Bob, e-mailed me the infographics you see at the top of the post. Honestly, while I really liked the…
Social Networking – In Russian Posted by Natalie on Aug 8, 2011
In recent years, a new term has become popular on the internet: «социальная сеть» [social network]. Some of these sites seem to be «международный» [international], like «Фейсбук» [Facebook]. Others, like «В Контакте» [V Kontakte] are not. Not only are social networks fun, but they can also help you learn a language. How? Read on to…
When Russians Get Busy, They Say… Posted by yelena on Aug 5, 2011
On my «личный» [personal] blog I frequently start new posts with «извинение» [an apology]. It goes something like this: “Well, it’s been a while since my last post, but things have been crazy-busy here”. Until very recently I didn’t think much of the “crazy-busy” phrase, but how would I say something like that in Russian?…
How to Say “Default” in Russian Posted by yelena on Jul 30, 2011
Have you ever wished for a time machine? What would you use «машина времени» for if you did have it? The protagonists of Soviet «научная фантастика» [science fiction] were always using time machines for various noble deeds, such as dinosaur research or, say, trying to save «одно из семи чудес света» [one of the seven…