Archive for 'Traditions'
Rhetorical Russian Remark: «Можно ли станцевать гимн России?» Posted by josefina on Apr 3, 2009
In the latest number of «Русский репортёр» (№12, April 2-9 2009) there’s an interview with the professional ice skaters Яна Хохлова [Yana Khokhlova] and Сергей Новицкий [Sergey Novitsky], in which they not only ponder the imperative inquiry «Можно ли станцевать гимн России?» [It is possible to dance Russia’s national anthem?], but also answer many other…
Russian Holiday: «С международным женским днём!» [Happy International Women’s Day!] Posted by josefina on Mar 8, 2009
On this beautifulholiday, alsocalled«праздниквесны»[‘spring holiday’] in Russia, there are two ways you could congratulate the fairer sex: «Поздравляемвсехженщинс 8 (восьмым) марта!» [(We) congratulate all women with the 8th of March!] or «Смеждународнымженскимднёмвас/тебя!» [Happy International Women’s day to you!]. Once again it is that time of the year in Russia – the time to give flowers…
С днём защитника Отечества! [Happy Defender of the Fatherland Day!] Posted by josefina on Feb 23, 2009
It is THE holiday season in Russia right now: On the 14th of February it’s«Деньвсехвлюблённых» [The Day of Everybody in Love], then on the 23rd it’s «ДеньзащитникаОтечества» [Defender of the Fatherland Day], wrapping up on the 8th of March with «Международныйженскийдень» [International Women’s Day]. Out of these three holidays – on all of which it…
«Летать Аэрофлотом» [Flying Aeroflot] Posted by josefina on Feb 10, 2009
Once onboard a «Аэрофлот» plane, as I clearly was when I took this picture a couple of days ago, there’s no turning back. One can only hope the pilot’s sober and that it won’t come tumbling down or, «шутки в сторону» [joking aside], down some whiskey and enjoy the ride… (Внимание! [Attention!] This post does…
Everybody loves борщ [borscht]! Posted by josefina on Feb 7, 2009
There comes a time in everybody’s life when you need to get a little Russia into your everyday existence. Especially if you’re not currently in Russia, but constantly finding yourself outside of the Russian Federation, and thus persistently living without interacting with Russian culture on a day to day basis. Particularly will you suddenly find…
С Наступившим! [Happy Not-so-New-Anymore Year!] Posted by josefina on Jan 2, 2009
In Russia «Новый Год» [New Year] is the BIG holiday of the year, it is to one sixth of our planet Earth’s spacious land what Christmas is to most of the Western world. So if you’re in Russian between, let’s say when the first colorful lights start blinking, sparkling, glittering and the stores put up…
«С Рождеством с Урала!» [Merry Christmas from the Urals!] Posted by josefina on Dec 24, 2008
«С Рождеством с Урала!» This Christmas card is old – from 2006, when I had just moved to Yekaterinburg, and there’s a mistake in it (guess where?). When I sent it out to friends and family that year it caused a sensation because of its… well, partly because of its portrait of Russian contemporary society…