Even if you did not know who cat Stepan is before this blog, я уверена вы не останетесь равнодушным к этому полюбившемуся по всему миру котику из Украины. Here’s a little fanmade Youtube compilation of some of Stepan’s videos, in case you have missed them:

Grammar note:

“я уверена вы не останетесь равнодушным к этому полюбившемуся по всему миру котику из Украины” – roughly translates to “I’m sure you will really like this kitty from Ukraine who is now beloved all over the world”

Оставаться равнодушным/ой literally means “to stay indifferent” because the word “равнодушный” comes from “равный” (equal, just like in “всё равно” – “whatever”) и “душа” (soul).

Now, here are some good news: cat Stepan from Харьков [Russian spelling] (Kharkiv) and his wonderful owner are safe!

Two days ago, Stepan’s owner posted that since Russia’s attack on Ukraine on February 24^th of this year, their family had lived through the horrors of war in their hometown of Kharkiv. And like many Ukrainians, they eventually had to leave their homes. Fortunately, they were able to safely make it to Poland (Польшу) and later to France (Францию). Since the start of war, Stepan’s followers on Instagram were greatly worried for him. And who wouldn’t fall in love with Stepan? People have said many times that everything about him and his posts perfectly encapsulates how we have been feeling through the pandemic and quarantine! From the solemn understanding in his wise eyes, his slumped yet composed posture with the signature one front leg over the counter in a very human-like fashion, to the drink and the impeccable background music.

I especially like his profile description: “I give everyone a good mood”. If only more people did that, the world would be a better place. Давайте все будем стараться быть немножко как Степан! (Let’s all try to be a little more like Stepan!) To read more about him, see this great article on Kiev Independent.

The power of music

Another Kharkiv native that has been lifting people’s spirits during this war is Вера Литовченко.

Her name means “Faith” and she lives up to it in every way. In one of her Instagram posts, she actually goes over her name, its meaning, and how to pronounce it in Ukrainian (Vira) and Russian (Vera).

She is a brave woman, a talented musician, and the kindest human. Vera has been playing violin for her father and neighbors while hiding в подвале (basement) from the regular bombings of Kharkiv. She documents and posts the realities of living during this war but she also shows how much kindness and compassion one can share with others even in the worst of times.

Here is her playing a heartfelt piece “Melody” by the Ukrainian composer Myroslav Skoryk.

Traveler’s blog by Anton Ptushkin

After reading Ryan’s last blog on Ukrainian shows and a great comment asking for more show recommendations, I would like to suggest Антона Птушкина. While he is not necessarily for beginner/intermediate level Russian language learners, I have two big reasons why you should watch his travel vlogs:

1. He is the most captivating, genuine, and charming travel-vloggers across the Russian-speaking travelers! Скажу вам честно, до Антона Птушкина, я была абсолютно равнодушна к программам про путешествия. (To be honest, I didn’t care about traveling programs until I started watching Anton Ptushkin’s vlogs). He showed me a whole world of travelling that I didn’t know existed.
2. Even as a beginner/intermediate language learner, you should consume advanced media content in your target language, especially if that content is about something you adore. Challenging yourself to engage with material that’s a little bit out of your comfort zone is an essential component of progress.

And, most importantly: НЕТ ВОЙНЕ! NO TO WAR!

Фото автора Kostiantyn Stupak: Pexels