Archive for 'Culture'
Who Gets Called “Russian”? Posted by Maria on Feb 5, 2018
How often have you heard the phrase “So-and-so is Russian”? What was meant by “Russian” in that case? Was the person a citizen of the Russian Federation? Did they live in any of the neighbo(u)ring countries? Did they speak Russian? This post will examine the many ways “Russian” (русский and other related words) is used…
4 Tips For Dating A Russian Posted by Maria on Jan 10, 2018
One of the reasons you may be learning Russian is because you are dating or are married to a Russian. While it is hard to generalize Russian expectations of a romantic partner, there are some common threads that you may want to know about. Naturally, they will not apply to everyone. 1. Have Memorable Dates…
6 Critically Acclaimed Russian Films You Can Stream Right Now Posted by Maria on Jan 1, 2018
Happy New Year, dear readers! С Новым годом! If you are looking for something to watch on your winter break, here are six recent Russian films that were praised by critics or won awards. Make sure you check out our earlier post on new Russian movies with English subtitles, too. 1. 12 The film 12…
5 Homes of Famous Russians Around The World Posted by Maria on Dec 14, 2017
If you have been to Russia, you might have visited the homes of famous Russian writers, composers, artists, and politicians. But did you know there are places outside Russia where famous Russians stayed or lived permanently? Inclusion of a person in this post is not meant to endorse their views, policies, or work. Dostoevsky Museum…
3 Quirks of Russian Food Culture Posted by Maria on Nov 30, 2017
We have often talked about Russian cuisine on this blog, from popular dishes to unique foods. Now let us look at 3 food-related conventions that may catch a visitor by surprise. Value of Liquid Food A typical larger Russian meal (so, обед — 2nd meal of the day; and ужин — last meal of the…
7 Russian MOOCs You Can Take Right Now Posted by Maria on Nov 8, 2017
You have probably heard about massive open online courses, also known as MOOCs, that let you study a subject online from the comfort of your own home, at your own pace, and often for free. But did you know there are MOOCs offered in Russian, both for learning Russian and on a variety of other subjects?…
What Subjects Should I Avoid In A Russian Conversation? Posted by Maria on Nov 2, 2017
Once you’ve learned enough Russian to have a conversation with a native speaker, you need to think beyond what you can say about what you should say. Let us look at several common “taboo” subjects and see how they are treated by Russian speakers. I will mostly base my observations on what I saw in…