Beyond ты and вы — formality in Russian Posted by Maria on Mar 12, 2015
One of the first things you learn in Russian is that there are two ways of addressing a person depending on your relationship with them. Ты is reserved for friends, family, and young children. Вы is the polite form of address to strangers, older people, officials, and anyone you are interacting with in a formal…
Silly Russian Laws Posted by Jenya on Mar 10, 2015
Recently I was reading an article about laws in various countries that were considered ludicrous. It seemed that many countries have their share of laws that are comical or ridiculous – Russia proved to be no exception. What follows are a few of these laws. Hope you enjoy:-) In the city of Chelyabinsk, it is…
Territorial Disputes in Russian Literature Posted by Maria on Mar 9, 2015
Some of you might have seen the film “Leviathan” (Левиафа́н) by Andrei Zvyagintsev. This film won several awards and was nominated for an Academy Award. While there are several themes in the film, a land dispute between a working-class man and the mayor of the city, who wants the man’s property, is what precipitates the…
This Weekend It’s All About Her, in Russia Posted by Jenya on Mar 4, 2015
Despite all the political chaos that Russia seems to be afflicted with right now, most Russians will turn their attention away from politics this coming weekend. In Russia, March 8th , which falls on a Sunday this year, is International Women’s Day. If you are not familiar with the origins of this holiday, I recommend searching…
High-Profile Political Assassinations in Russia Posted by Maria on Mar 2, 2015
The news of Boris Nemtsov’s (Бори́с Немцо́в — not BAWris NEMtsov) murder has shocked the Russian Internet. The former deputy premier was walking home from a Red Square restaurant when he was shot dead by an unidentified assailant. The perpetrators are unknown, with theories ranging from the usual suspect — the current government (прави́тельство) — to…
Learning Russian through Music Posted by Jenya on Feb 25, 2015
When I was in the earlier stages of learning English, before I moved to the United States, finding easier ways to learn new words and phrases was pretty important. One of those ways was learning through music. When you hear a song you like, you can listen to it over and over again; at a…
Famous Quotes in Russian Translation Posted by Maria on Feb 23, 2015
There are certain quotes (цита́ты) from films, literature, folk sayings, and so on that have entered our everyday lexicon. This is the case with Russian, as well. Listed below are phrases originally said or written in languages other than Russian that are known to the vast majority of Russians. Can you finish these quotes? Hover…