A good textbook often reads just like a novel. One excellent example of this is Helen Yakobson’s “Conversational Russian: An Intermediate Course” from 1985 [при The George Washington University]. Earlier this summer I found it in a box up in my mother’s attic marked “Russian books”, this pale orange and tattered little book of no more than 223 pages. I bought it in a used bookstore in Key West back in 2003, and brought it with me as a constant companion during my first two years in Russia. It never failed me, not when it came to come up with a good expression to survive a road trip in Ukraine (who knew «Бог простит!» would go down so well with the road police?), nor when I needed to spice my homework with fascinating phrases («ходить в лес за грибами» translated as ‘to go mushroom hunting’ might have fascinated me more than the Russian version). Since there isn’t much information available on the internet about this wonderful little book, I thought I’d give you a quick tour of the main goodies it has to offer. But beware – it is not recommended reading for anyone who has yet to learn how to distance oneself enough from the Soviet Union to crack a smile about it once in a while. Of course, considering we might be heading toward another «холодная война» [cold war], something that Medvedev claims to be unafraid of, it is perhaps politically incorrect to enjoy this trip down memory lane too much… But this isn’t just fun or simply sweet, it is an important document of times gone by. Through all its fifteen units the textbook follows a red line of dialogue between the USA and the USSR. Rather impressive, I’d say!

 

The book consists, as I mentioned above, of fifteen chapters. They are properly named ‘lessons’ and deal with all sorts of things commonly found in textbooks directed at those trying to master a foreign language. Let’s take a quick look at what kind phrases can be found in some of the chapters.

In the first chapter, Lesson one: GREETINGS, we are informed of ‘some features of Conversational Russian’. A closer look at, yet still rather brief view of which I seem fitting to all:

“Spoken Russian differs from written Russian in its use of shorter sentences, contraction of grammatical forms, and colloquialisms. Spoken Russian abunds in ejaculations, metaphors, hyperboles and slang. It is made more colourful by the frequent use of proverbs and popular sayings. […] Some of the more common interjections and expressions are listed below. Remember that «ну», «да», «а», can be added at will to almost any of these expressions.”

«(да) совершенно верно!» = (yes) quite correct!

«(а) меня это устраивает.» = (but) that’s alright with me.

«(но) об этом не может быть и речи!» = (but) it is out of the question!

In lesson twelve: IN THE CITY we are invited to come along on two trips to big cities, the first with two Americans visiting Moscow and the second with a Mr. Bochkarev who’s arriving in New York. Among the phrases found in the text about being new and an alien in Moscow were such as:

«приехал по делам в командировку» = came on official business.

«нам с вами по дороге» = we are going the same way.

«я выхожу на следующей остановке» = I get off at the next stop.

Whereas the sentences considered useful in connection with New York were as follows:

«в первый и последний раз» = for the first and last time.

«голова кружится» = head spins (feel dizzy)

«каждый живёт по-своему» = everyone lives in his own way.

But the most food for thought is offered in chapter 18: PEOPLE-TO-PEOPLE DIPLOMACY, which also carries the Russian title of «Американские туристы в Москве» [American tourists in Moscow]. Through such texts as «Приезд в Москву» [Arrival in Moscow], «Прогулка по Москве» [A walk around in Moscow], «Разговор в гидом Интуриста» [A conversation with a guide from Intourist], «Встреча американских студентов с советскими студентами»[American students’ meeting with Soviet students], and «Туристы обмениваются впечатлениями» [The tourists exchange impressions] we follow a group of Russian-speaking American tourists around the capital trying to make sense of the Soviet Union in mid80’s. Of course, this was no easy piece of bliny to bake, but rather difficult. To their aid, luckily, they had handy expressions like these:

«комнаты с отдельной ванной» = rooms with private baths.

«ознакомиться с достижениями социалистического строительства» = to get to know the achievements of socialist construction.

«узко-эгоистические стремления» = narrow-egoistical aspirations.

«сталинская готика» = “Stalin Gothic”

«нет места ‘белоручкам’» = we have no use for people who do not want to dirty their hands with work.

«быть полезным членом общества» = to be a useful member of society.

«это ведёт к потере индивидуальности» = it leads to the loss of individuality.

Yes, I admit that this ‘selection’ of mine above is tremendously prejudiced. I can only defend myself by saying that I was born when this book was printed and thus never got to experience ‘the promised land’, and no matter how disastrous or contradictive or destructive it may have been I still wish I had been able to catch just a glimpse of it. This book gives a tiny bit of what I never had and, hopefully, never will have, I suppose. Apart from being soaked in intense amounts of Soviet memorabilia, this book also contains much constructive material that hasn’t gone out of style just because statues of Lenin did. But don’t take my word for it, go find out for yourselves! And if you’d much rather learn ‘Colloquial Russian’ instead, break a leg!