Archive for 'Traditions'
How to Give a Gift to Russians Posted by Jenya on Dec 16, 2014
With the holiday season upon us, many of us have already begun to purchase gifts for our family and friends. Exchanging gifts can certainly be exciting – provided you know the kinds of things the other person likes. Some of you may find yourself in the position of having to give a gift to a…
Russian Easter. Can You Say “Христос Воскрес”? Posted by Jenya on Apr 16, 2014
This year Пасха (Easter) in Russia and Easter here in US coincidentally fall on the same day, so I decided to give you an overview of what Easter is like in Russia. First of all, forget the bunny; there is no Easter bunny in Russia. Also, forget the whole Easter basket for kids: Easter in…
First Time in Russia: an American Perspective (Part 1) Posted by Jenya on Apr 15, 2014
The other day, my husband and I were engaged in a conversation about his perception of Russia. This post became a natural extension of that discussion. What follows is my husband’s account of our first trip to my homeland together. In order to adequately describe the adventure, the story will be told in two parts…
Things to do/try when in Russia Posted by Jenya on Mar 11, 2014
So you made the decision to go to Russia or, perhaps, somebody made it for you. Either way, now is the perfect time to put some thought into what to do while you are there. There is no shortage of things you can do or see in Moscow or Saint Petersburg but if you find…
Russian Perspective on International Women’s Day Posted by Jenya on Mar 4, 2014
In a few short days, on March 8 to be exact, most Russian women will wake up in anticipation of something special. For many of them this feeling will be confirmed with gifts of love and affection from family and friends, yet others will face disappointment when their expectations do not come to pass…
2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi: When in Russia… Posted by Jenya on Feb 11, 2014
Some of you might wonder where Sochi is and why the winter Olympics take place in a city with palm trees? The city of Sochi is about 800 miles south of Moscow and is “located on the Black Sea coast near the border between Georgia/Abkhazia and Russia.” Due to its subtropical climate, the winters in…
A Russian fairy-tale with no moral whatsoever? (Plus: Bonus “Santa horror”!) Posted by Rob on Dec 18, 2012
Last week, I briefly mentioned a classic сказка called Два мороза (“The Two Frosts”) — in which the Frost Brothers (one with a blue nose, one with a red nose) attempt to freeze a барин (“rich man”) who’s dressed in furs and a мужик (here: “male peasant”) with a thin coat. (It turns out that…