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Rush Hour: How does one get around in a Russian [provincial] city? Posted by ryan on Dec 10, 2021
As I was driving home from work on the roads of my city, snow layered on thick and people driving significantly slower than they normally would, I thought of how the snow would never stop a Russian маршру́тка driver, weaving in and out of traffic, zipping around corners, and stopping his machine dead in its…
The Unforgettable Soviet New Year Cartoon Posted by ryan on Nov 30, 2021
December has finally arrived! The holiday season is upon us! It’s as if our ancient ancestors who invented the winter holidays knew that we needed a bit of an emotional boost at the beginning of the winter season, and especially after the dreary, cold, wet hell that November brings us (is it me or is…
The “Secret” Life of под- Posted by ryan on Nov 19, 2021
You have probably seen под in some way or another in your studies of Russian. It is a common preposition that usually means “under.” As a prefix attached to verbs and nouns it also has a literal meaning of “under.” Подписа́ться means “to subscribe.” Подчеркну́ть means “to underline.” Perhaps you have read Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s «Запи́ски…
Breakfast in Russia and a brief culture trip to 1978 Posted by ryan on Nov 10, 2021
Dear Russian Language Blog, I’m writing to you from the comfort of my desk, where, as always, I am dreaming about the breakfast that, unfortunately, I did not have time this morning to eat. To eat, to eat. But what can one expect to eat for breakfast in Russia? бутербро́д sandwich Open faced sandwiches with…
Go East, Young Man: the Virgin Lands Campaign Posted by ryan on Oct 29, 2021
From this side of the Iron Curtain, we remember Ники́та Серге́евич Хрущёв Nikita Sergeevich Khrushchev, as the man who promised the West that мы вас похоро́ним! We will bury you (which is somewhat a mistranslation and a good subject for a future blog), for his 1959 Ку́хонные деба́ты Kitchen Debate in Moscow with then-vice president Richard…
The Russian Romance with the Guitar Posted by ryan on Oct 15, 2021
It is difficult to imagine modern music without the guitar. It occupies an irreplaceable space in the modern ensemble. Its repertoire is vast, having been adapted to all genres of music. Each place it goes, it is adapted, and it was adapted for Russia as well. When the guitar first came to Russia, it had…
The Mother of All Rivers Posted by ryan on Oct 4, 2021
As the old song goes, Широка́ страна́ моя́ родна́я. Russia is the largest country in the world by far. Its borders stretch from its westernmost to easternmost points over 9,000 kilometers (over 5,000 miles), covering a total area of over seventeen million square kilometers (6.6 million square miles), which is one-eighth of the total land…