It’s All Greek to Me: Greek References in Russian Posted by Maria on Aug 24, 2015
Although words of Greek origin may not strike you as something you need to know in Russian, they come up in conversation with surprising frequency. Apart from the numerous Greek loanwords in the area of arts and sciences, there are many Greek references that have entered the Russian lexicon. People First of all, Greek mythology…
Fact or Fiction: Secret Subway in Moscow Posted by Jenya on Aug 19, 2015
Whenever we hear something like “The government will neither deny nor confirm the existence of……..” our ears perk up. We know that they are talking about some classified secret of sorts – often related to the military machine. In America you have Area 51, in the UK you have Porton Down, in China you have…
Navigating Libraries in Russian Posted by Maria on Aug 17, 2015
The goal of this post is two-fold — it should both help visitors to Russia use a Russian library and librarians outside Russia speak with Russian patrons. It will concentrate on some key vocabulary, although it is not a substitute for a beginner Russian class if you want to have a coherent conversation with…
Expand Your Vocabulary: Verbs With Prefixes – Брать Posted by Maria on Aug 13, 2015
One way to learn more verbs in Russian is to take a common verb you already know and look up its derivatives with the most common Russian prefixes. Here are some of the most widespread Russian verbal prefixes. These are only some of the meanings, and they do not cover everything. However, you can…
From The Minds Of Russians Posted by Jenya on Aug 12, 2015
Even if you haven’t ever cooled down with Redpop! from Faygo on a hot summer day, you definitely passed by it at your local grocery store about a million times; and if you haven’t yet purchased Lifeway Kefir at your local supermarket, you have probably seen it. Regardless of your involvement with the abovementioned beverages…
Rock It In Russian: The Many Uses of Качать Posted by Maria on Aug 6, 2015
Today we will talk about the oft-overlooked word кача́ть. From its literal meaning of rocking to its uses in exercise and networking, качать is a useful word to have in your arsenal! Don’t Rock the Boat! The first and primary meaning of качать is to rock something back and forth, for example, качать ребёнка…
Notable Russians Posted by Jenya on Aug 5, 2015
There are many celebrities today that you may not immediately recognize are from Russia – especially if you yourself aren’t. Today’s post will be about some notable Russians that have made their mark on their industries; these range from modeling to athletics. Vitaly Zdorovetskiy may not be immediately recognizable to you but he has over…