Archive for 'Culture'
What 12 Chairs Got to Do With Learning Russian Posted by yelena on Aug 16, 2011
Have you read «12 стульев» [12 Chairs] yet? If not, don’t wait another second! There’s simply no excuse for not reading this «классика» [classic] especially since it is a) available online for free and b) available online in English. Just a few days ago Mosfilm uploaded both «первую и вторую серии» [Part 1 and Part…
What Makes Russians Happy Posted by yelena on Aug 9, 2011
I’d like to thank Jarrod for the inspiring comment on our Facebook page and to Bob for sending me the infographics that started it all. Guys, you rock! A while ago one of the blog readers, Bob, e-mailed me the infographics you see at the top of the post. Honestly, while I really liked the…
Social Networking – In Russian Posted by Natalie on Aug 8, 2011
In recent years, a new term has become popular on the internet: «социальная сеть» [social network]. Some of these sites seem to be «международный» [international], like «Фейсбук» [Facebook]. Others, like «В Контакте» [V Kontakte] are not. Not only are social networks fun, but they can also help you learn a language. How? Read on to…
When Russians Get Busy, They Say… Posted by yelena on Aug 5, 2011
On my «личный» [personal] blog I frequently start new posts with «извинение» [an apology]. It goes something like this: “Well, it’s been a while since my last post, but things have been crazy-busy here”. Until very recently I didn’t think much of the “crazy-busy” phrase, but how would I say something like that in Russian?…
Russian Names for Pets Posted by yelena on Jul 28, 2011
This is my cat Xander when he was just a kitty. On the surface of it, Xander is not a typical Russian name for a cat. Unless you know that I derived it from “Александр” [Alexandr]. Yep, every Russian woman has her Alexandr. Names are endlessly fascinating, aren’t they? Ok, maybe “endlessly” is a bit…
Most Popular Russian Names Posted by yelena on Jul 26, 2011
It might seem «невероятно» [unbelievable], but all through elementary and middle school I was the only «Лена» [Lena] in my class of 35 students, half of whom were girls. «Елена» [Yelena] was, until recently, one of the most common Russian names for girls. As for boys, back in the days «Александр» [Alexandr] was «настолько распространённое…
Harry Potter, Our Favorite Wizard Posted by Natalie on Jul 25, 2011
A very bittersweet event took place on July 15, «дорогие друзья» [dear friends]. «Часть вторая» [Part two] of the film «Гарри Поттер и дары смерти» [Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows] came out. This is «последний фильм» [the final film] of the series. And as someone who has ready «каждая книга» [every book] multiple…