Archive for 'Culture'
Biblical Phrases in Russian Posted by Maria on Jun 7, 2016
Many of the phrases we use in Russian — and in English — actually come from or are inspired by (the corresponding translation of) the Bible. I am not qualified to give a theological interpretation of such phrases. You can follow the links for each phrase to see the larger context in English or in…
Five Soviet Divas to Sign Along To Posted by Maria on Mar 21, 2016
A little while back, we talked about famous crooners from Russia and the former USSR. There are also plenty of female singers who left their mark on the popular music of the Soviet period. I will share five as a teaser, but there are, naturally, many, many others. I hope this post inspires you to…
Five Russian/Soviet Crooners You Should Know About Posted by Maria on Mar 7, 2016
Are you a fan of “Old Blue Eyes” Frank Sinatra? Then perhaps you will enjoy the music of these singers from the former USSR. Naturally, there have been more than five notable singers in the USSR or Russia, so this list is nowhere near exhaustive and should be seen as an invitation to explore…
Four Alcohol-Related Concepts You May Struggle To Express In Russian Posted by Maria on Mar 2, 2016
What? Struggling to talk about alcohol in Russian? Surely, with the fourth-highest per capita alcohol consumption in Europe, Russia must have developed an extensive booze vocabulary, much like the proverbial, if debunked, words for “snow” in Eskimo languages? Well, yes and no. 1. Shots You know those small glasses of straight liquor college kids do…
Russian Writers Read Their Works Posted by Maria on Jan 11, 2016
We often think of the “greats” of the past as something almost legendary, something we can only access through their books and memoirs. However, we are lucky to have some recordings of a few Russians writers and poets reading their own work. Listening to their voices reminded me that they were living people and somehow…
3 Affordable Ways To Surround Yourself With Russian Media Posted by Maria on Jan 5, 2016
I was going to start Netflix on my “smart” TV when I saw a banner inviting me to install a TV Rain (Дождь) app. For those of you who may not know this, TV Rain is an independent TV station in Russia. This inspired me to write about the ways someone living outside Russia…
In The News: Russian Director Eldar Ryazanov Dies Posted by Maria on Nov 30, 2015
A sad story was reported by the media this weekend — film director Eldar Ryazanov (Эльда́р Ряза́нов) has died at 88. Let us look at how this story was covered in various publications. Ryazanov’s Death Slon reports, “Росси́йский режиссе́р Эльдар Рязанов сконча́лся в Москве́.” Сконча́ться is a respectful, official way of saying “die, pass away.” According…