Archive by Author
Poll: Most Russians Miss USSR Posted by Maria on Jan 2, 2019
The Russian pollster Levada Center recently published thought-provoking, if unsettling, findings: Most Russians said they missed the Soviet Union. We will look at the detailed results of this survey and some possible explanations. You can read the pollster’s report in Russian. More People Miss the USSR The main finding of the poll (опро́с), conducted in late…
Move With The Times: Uses of Современный (“Modern”) In Russian Posted by Maria on Dec 27, 2018
One of the words that is used a lot in Russian is совреме́нный. This word, which literally means “modern” or “contemporary,” is extremely versatile and can express meanings ranging from timeliness to technological advanced to being hip. Let us look at these related but distinct senses. Happening these days This is a neutral sense of…
Top Russian Blog Posts of 2018 Posted by Maria on Dec 19, 2018
As we near the end of the year, I would like to look back at the top ten posts from 2018. 10. Isn’t it cool that Russian has a case for describing the tool with which or the manner in which something is done? No need to use any preposition like “with” or “by,” either!…
Readers, Mothers, and Chauvinists: 3 Facts About Russia Posted by Maria on Dec 13, 2018
News from Russia tends to focus on internal troubles and geopolitical ambitions. That may leave learners wondering, beyond the obsession with Putin and vodka clichés, what do I really know about contemporary Russia? This post will explore some surprising, inspiring, and, yes, disturbing facts about Russia. High Literacy Rates According the the CIA World Factbook…
4 Canned Foods Popular in Russia Posted by Maria on Dec 6, 2018
Whether a result of past and present food shortages or a clever way of preserving items, canned foods (консе́рвы) are a staple of the average Russian’s diet. Let us look at four common items you will find in many shopping baskets. Сгущёнка Sweetened condensed milk, officially called сгущённое молоко́ but better known as сгущёнка, is…
Russian News: Crackdown on Musicians Posted by Maria on Nov 29, 2018
If you follow Russian news, you might have heard that several performers have had their concerts canceled lately—for various reasons (or excuses?). Many commentators and the musicians themselves argue that the cancellations were motivated by a sort of “moral panic” over the bad influence of the affected bands on the Russian youth. Let us take…
Russian “Хозяй-” Root for Ownership and Property Posted by Maria on Nov 20, 2018
Russian has a versatile root that is used to describe ideas having to do with ownership, such as a property or a landlord. Can you guess what that root is? It is -хозяй-. This post will look at some of the most common words with this root. Хозя́ин/хозя́йка Хозя́ин (masculine), хозя́йка (feminine), and хозя́ева (plural)…