Archive for 'Soviet Union'
A bridge between cultures in a time of war? Posted by ryan on Mar 25, 2022
The life of Серге́й Параджа́нов Sergei Parajanov, an infamous director who lived and worked in the Soviet Union, would have made a plot worthy of a movie in itself: ethnically Armenian, he was born in Tbilisi, now Georgia, in 1924, quit engineering school to study voice in the conservatory, then later, enchanted by the world…
Back to the USSR: Some products that you can find even today Posted by ryan on Dec 29, 2021
A notable anniversary just passed us; 30 years ago, в декабре́ 1991-го (девяно́ста пе́рвого) го́да СССР официа́льно прекрати́л своё существова́ние in December 1991, the USSR officially ceased to exist, creating 15 new nations. To make a post about the legacy the Soviet system left on this giant chunk of Eurasia would be too long for…
Go East, Young Man: the Virgin Lands Campaign Posted by ryan on Oct 29, 2021
From this side of the Iron Curtain, we remember Ники́та Серге́евич Хрущёв Nikita Sergeevich Khrushchev, as the man who promised the West that мы вас похоро́ним! We will bury you (which is somewhat a mistranslation and a good subject for a future blog), for his 1959 Ку́хонные деба́ты Kitchen Debate in Moscow with then-vice president Richard…
The Russian Romance with the Guitar Posted by ryan on Oct 15, 2021
It is difficult to imagine modern music without the guitar. It occupies an irreplaceable space in the modern ensemble. Its repertoire is vast, having been adapted to all genres of music. Each place it goes, it is adapted, and it was adapted for Russia as well. When the guitar first came to Russia, it had…
Do svidaniya, leto, do svidaniya! and Two Singers You Should Know About Posted by ryan on Sep 24, 2021
Photo by Markus Spiske from Pexels In many parts of the world, we say до свида́нья to summer on September 22, the date of the осе́ннее равноде́нствие [autumn equinox – from the words ра́вный equal and де́нь day], but did you know that Russians actually have a calendar understanding of the seasons? What does that mean? В Росси́и…
Russian Inventions You Know-2 Posted by Nadya on Aug 11, 2021
This time I would like to continue the list of the valued inventions of Russians. Previously, I told you about famous engineers and physicists. In fact, Russians have made tremendous contributions to inventions. If you open the history of the space (космическая), aviation (авиационная), or military (военная) industry (индустрия), you will find many Russian names…
Russian Inventions You Know Posted by Nadya on Jul 30, 2021
Today I want to talk about one of the extremely important and debatable topics about Russia – the achievements of its citizens in innovations that have changed the modern world. Brain Drain – Утечка мозгов On the one hand, Russia has long been known for its scientists (учёные), researchers (исследователи), and inventors (изобретатели). On the…