Archive for 'when in Russia'
How to Talk Like a Russian (Pet) Posted by yelena on Sep 28, 2011
Ever wondered what do Russian animals say and how they say it? Well, consider this video your pronunciation guide and this post – the not-so-boring and definitely non-mandatory reading. I have a bi-lingual cat (here’s his picture). Seriously, my cat is a genius. Not only does he understand everything we tell him whether in Russian…
Moscow, Again, or What Is It That Flows Together? Posted by yelena on May 18, 2011
Alexandr Pushkin, that most famous of the Russian poets, wrote «Москва… как много в этом звуке Для сердца русского слилось!» [Moscow… how much there is in that sound That flows together for the heart of the Russian!] If we approach the problem from a strictly «количественный подход» [quantitative approach], there are «почти девять миллионов» [almost…
Russian Gestures – Silence is Golden Posted by yelena on May 13, 2011
And now I’m thinking of a Russian 4-letter word that starts with «ж»… Nope, not that one! The word I’m thinking about is «жест». As so many Russian words it has more than one meaning. «В переносном значении» [Figuratively], it means “an act intended for external effect”: «Его решение жениться на Марии было лишь благородным…
Walking Around Moscow Posted by yelena on May 3, 2011
I’ve got good news and more good news so which one do you want to hear first? If you chose good news, here it is. You can now watch some of the iconic Russian movies online for free at Mosfilm’s official YouTube channel. Even better, many movies are digitally restored and subtitled in English. More…
April Fool’s Day (Is Over) Posted by yelena on Apr 5, 2011
Do you celebrate April Fool’s Day? Many Russians do since «чувство юмора» [sense of humor] is a valued quality. In fact, many personal ads include this «чувство юмора» as a must-have quality for «серьёзные отношения» [meaningful relationship]. «Но вернёмся к нашим баранам» [But let’s get back to business; lit. – let’s get back to…
7 Ways to Be More Russian Posted by yelena on Mar 11, 2011
Remember a while ago we talked about how to learn Russian by creating an immersive experience. Except now I realize that in my suggestions I overlooked one major resource. It’s really so simple that I can’t believe I totally missed it! Thankfully I was reminded of it by reading an article in a Russian-language magazine…
Happy Cheese Week! Posted by yelena on Mar 3, 2011
This week Russians are celebrating «Масленица» [Maslenitsa], also known as «сырная неделя» [lit. cheese-fare week]. And even thought it’s already Thursday, the real fun stuff is just beginning. So read on. Also, I’d like to thank one of our readers, Olga Tarn, for reminding me to write this post as well as for finding…