Archive for 'History'
Царь, царевич, or Royal Titles in Russian Posted by Maria on Jan 17, 2019
Are King Arthur and King Solomon both “коро́ль” in Russian? Why are both принц and князь used to say “prince,” and what’s the difference? This post will look at some royal titles in Russian and give examples of famous bearers of these titles. Коро́ль/Короле́ва The term “коро́ль” (king) is believed to come into Slavic languages…
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…
Do Russians Really Adore Putin? Posted by Maria on Jan 24, 2018
Because politics is often the only aspect of Russian life that gets covered in the media abroad, I have made it a point to share other stories about Russia on this blog — from recent Russian films you can stream to renting an apartment/flat in Russia. At the same time, as Vladimir Putin (Владимир Путин)…
“What Would You Do In 1917?” Russian Writers On The Anniversary of the Revolution Posted by Maria on Nov 14, 2017
November 7 marked the 100th anniversary of the October Revolution in Russia. The Russian magazine Дружба народов (Friendship of the People) asked several writers about their outlook on that event. Each person was asked the following questions, abridged here: С кем вы? Кого́ защища́ете и про́тив кого́ выступа́ете? Каки́м хоти́те ви́деть бу́дущее Росси́и? Как вы объясня́ете свой…
Cossack or Kazakh: What’s The Difference and What To Call Them In Russian? Posted by Maria on Sep 14, 2017
You might have come across several similar words in English: cossack, kazakh, perhaps even kozak or kazak. You probably know they refer to groups of people, but which groups? Are they interchangeable? This post will explain the corresponding words and their definitions in Russian so next time you come across any of them, it will be a little clearer…
5 Russian Celebrities You Didn’t Know Died In 2016 Posted by Maria on Jan 11, 2017
As millions of fans across the world mourn the deaths of Price, Carrie Fisher, and David Bowie, the Russian public is also coping with the loss of some of its most beloved celebrities. Below are some of the people who passed away in 2016. Наталья Крачковская — Natalya Krachkovskaya Наталья Крачковская (Natalya Krachkovskaya) was an…
Russian History: 25th Anniversary of Coup Attempt in USSR Posted by Maria on Aug 23, 2016
August 20 marks the 25th anniversary of an attempted coup in Russia and the USSR. Many news outlets have published their accounts and analysis of this event. Let us read some of the coverage. Background Ironically, many in Russia, especially young people, have a fuzzy understanding of the events, as demonstrated in the video…