Archive by Author
Digital Russian: How To View and Input Russian Text Posted by Maria on Feb 9, 2015
As we are irreversibly living in a digital age, it is no longer possible to stick to books and handwritten letters in learning and practicing languages. Russian is no exception to this, and even beginners soon encounter Russian websites, social networks, and other digital content. However, many learners, especially those from Anglophone countries, often have limited…
Pet Peeves in Russian Posted by Maria on Feb 2, 2015
Many of us have turns of phrase in our language that give us rage. In English, some examples would be “irregardless,” “I could care less,” and other things people consider redundant, incorrect, or plain inane. Russian has such phrases, too, so let’s look at what many Russians find infuriating. I’ll use examples from the spoken subcorpus…
Bags and Shoes — Russian Words for Everyday Items Posted by Maria on Jan 26, 2015
When I taught Russian, I noticed many learners without much exposure to the language would often get confused when choosing the right word for the most mundane objects. Perhaps textbooks are partly to blame, if they simply list the native/English word and its “equivalent” in Russian without defining or describing the Russian word in detail…
Etymology of Russian Fruit and Vegetable Names Posted by Maria on Jan 19, 2015
I have recently read an article about different words for oranges in Spanish. According to the article, the word for an orange in the Dominican Republic is china because Spanish settlers of the country were aware of its Chinese origins. This made me think about the Russian word for “orange” which reflects the same thing. I…
Most Discussed Events of 2014 Posted by Maria on Jan 12, 2015
Now that 2014 is over many publications compile lists of the most significant, pivotal, or sensational events of last year. The Kommersant newspaper (Коммерсант) published several lists of most discussed events for various areas of life — Russia, the world, culture, economy, and so on. If you would like to read them in greater detail…
Dressing for the Russian Winter Posted by Maria on Jan 5, 2015
People tend to emphasize how cold Russian winters are — some in shock and disbelief and others as a bragging point. However, visitors may not be aware of how Russian gear up for the cold. Cold weather is taken seriously and you need to dress fit for it. Let us go over some of the…
Rent Prices Falling in Moscow Posted by Maria on Dec 29, 2014
A lesser explored consequence of the economic sanctions against Russia and the falling ruble is a drop in rent prices (снижение стоимости аренды) in Moscow. There are several news reports looking into the causes and outcomes of this development. The website BFM.ru used this pun as a title for an article on the subject — “Врагу не…