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Notable Russians Posted by Jenya on Aug 5, 2015
There are many celebrities today that you may not immediately recognize are from Russia – especially if you yourself aren’t. Today’s post will be about some notable Russians that have made their mark on their industries; these range from modeling to athletics. Vitaly Zdorovetskiy may not be immediately recognizable to you but he has over…
What Is Better: Beating Around the Bush or Pulling a Cat by Its Tail? Posted by Jenya on Jul 29, 2015
The short answer is neither because the expressions are synonymous. If you are pulling a cat by its tail in Russia you are, in many cases, simply beating around the bush. Set expressions in any foreign language can frequently leave you baffled and confused. I remember my first encounter with the saying “thinking outside…
The Curious Case of Russian Prefix “Without” Posted by Jenya on Jul 22, 2015
You might have noticed that some nonnative English speakers (myself included) have a way of “inventing” new words. They might say things like “unproper” instead of “improper” or “misagreement” instead of “disagreement,” etc. The abovementioned prefixes all have a similar meaning, a meaning that points to the opposite of the word they are attached to…
Where Do People Speak Russian? Posted by Jenya on Jul 15, 2015
You are learning to speak Russian and that is great! The challenges are many but the “juice will be worth the squeeze.” One question that some people are particularly curious about is this: where will I get a chance to speak it once I am comfortable doing so? Would you spend years of your life…
Income Disparity: Alive and Well in Russia Posted by Jenya on Jul 8, 2015
Recently I came across an article in Forbes magazine ranking the wealthiest people in the world. It is always interesting to compare myself to them – I mean, after all, I write a blog that pays me pretty well. It is always with great surprise that I read this annual list and cannot count myself among…
Russian Vocabulary: Finding and Getting Places in Russia Posted by Jenya on Jul 1, 2015
Any new place is not easy to navigate, let alone a place where a different language is spoken. In an attempt to help people who are traveling or relocating to Russia, I put together a list of questions along with some explanations that should make the…
Social Networking in Russia Posted by Jenya on Jun 24, 2015
The age of the “Social Network” is upon us. Sites like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and others, have popped up over the last ten years or so and dramatically changed our lives. These sites have greatly impacted our lives and they have been responsible for many things such as: increase in narcissistic behavior (i.e. selfies), entertainment…