Good evening, everyone! I’m sorry the latest entries on the blog may have been posted a little too frequently, but there’s a reason for that – tomorrow I’m taking the train to Томск [Tomsk]! «В Сибирь!» [To Siberia!] In Tomsk I will take part in the annual conference for foreign students in Russia – «Всероссийский Смотр научных и творческих работ иностранных студентов». That’s why you won’t be hearing from me anymore this week. But before I go I will leave you with a few interesting articles to read in the latest number of «Русский репортёр» [Russian Reporter]. If you think this certain newspaper is my own personal obsession you are mistaken, «дамы и господа» [ladies and gentlemen], because it is growing in popularity in Russia with every number. Everybody in Russia is reading ‘Russian reporter’. In reaches the Urals every Friday, and every Saturday in the university people are sitting reading it everywhere. I don’t know if you’ve had the possibility to have a look at it yet, but if you’re in Russia you should most certainly acquire a copy of your own to flip through. I don’t know why Russians love this newspaper so much, I only know why I can’t get enough of it – in it they write about the Russia I know, the same Russia that I love, without lying, only by telling the truth as it is. In the latest number were three amazing articles that I can’t help but to blog about. Let’s have a look:

«Хижина дяди Мирзы: кому выгодно возрождение рабства в России» [Uncle Mirza’s Shack: who stands to gain from the revival of slavery in Russia] – this article scared me very much, and I wish I had the correct amount of knowledge to write more about this subject. I’m very sorry that I don’t consider this to be so, and therefore I advise you to read the article yourselves. All I can say is that this is highly interesting journalism, and should be written (not to say the least be talked about!) much more in Russia today.

«10 обломов в российской классике: почему героям русской литературы так не везло с сексом» [10 ‘wrecks’ in Russian classics: why the heroes of Russian literature were so unlucky when it comes to sex] – this article is funny! It inspired me to think of writing a post here about how Russian literature is all about strong women facing trouble and hardships when in relationships (and marriage) with weak and vague men. Because that is – really – the main theme of Russian literature.

«Пора работать: о чём мечтают выпускники вузов и что их ждёт на самом деле» [Time to work: what university graduates dream of and what awaits them in reality] – I am very happy that I’m not graduating in 2009. I could never face starting a career in the middle of a world wide crisis. But the young adults in this articles give hope that it can actually be done.

Now enjoy a week without updates on Russian grammar and cultural information from the Motherland! I’m about to rock a conference with my one and only – Dostoevsky. I hope the issue with the pictures will be solved in time for my return because I can’t wait to show you many, many wonderful photographs of Siberia!